deep sand bed with built in overflow

[twogood4u]

I have read alot of threads on this board and learned alot. My question, I have a 75 gallon AGA with AGA built in pre-filter and I am going with FOWLR. I want to run the sand deep but the deepest i could have the sand is 3 inches to be below the intake slots in the tank. Any problems seen with doing something like this?

 

[jtroutine]

could you post a pic on what you are describing? Trying to figure out if you would have problems with getting sand in you overflow

 

[twogood4u]

I dont have my camera hooked up at this time. The All-Glass built in prefilter has slots 3 inches from the bottom and also at the top. Water goes into the slots and goes to the sump.

If you were to go to All-glass website under aquariums then twin flow they have a demo on thier website.
My biggest concern is will any small live sand creatures in the dsb would get sucked up in the prefilter.

 

[toddpolish]

I've read that the sand should not be flat anyways, you must have dips in the sandbed. Why not have a dip at the base of your built in overflow about 2-1/2 to 3 inches (so it's below those slits and not blocking)? You can still have 4" of DSB in all other places.
I've got the 90g AGA and that's what I planned on doing for it.
anyone disagree?

 

[broncofish]

I think you mean because of the slots around the bottom. I just tapered my sand bed, I have like 5 inches in the right corner and 3 by the slots. Before anyone comments I know Diatom problem, I switched to a new RO system, but yes I want a little to support the 2 fighting conches that I have coming

 

[jinky3dper]

Originally posted by twogood4u
I dont have my camera hooked up at this time. The All-Glass built in prefilter has slots 3 inches from the bottom and also at the top. Water goes into the slots and goes to the sump.

If you were to go to All-glass website under aquariums then twin flow they have a demo on thier website.
My biggest concern is will any small live sand creatures in the dsb would get sucked up in the prefilter.
did you get that separately or with the tank?
looks like it'd be pretty cool...

 

[toddpolish]

the corner overflows are built into the tank by the All-Glass factory.

 

[mykgillespie]

I had the same problem with a 72 Gal. Bowfront from All Glass. I used some small pieces of LR and built a sort of live rock retaining wall in front of the bottom slots. A pulsing xenia and a group of red mushrooms have colonized the "wall" and it actually looks pretty cool. Main thing is though, is that it holds back the 5" sandbed.

 

[demosthenes]

Originally posted by broncofish
Before anyone comments I know Diatom problem
Ewwww, Diatoms. Looks like your on your way to eradicating them. How long have you been battling them?

 

[broncofish]

Really have not been battling them, just kind of always planned on having fighting conches so I just let it go a little bit, I guess about a month now, fighting conches should be delivered soon

 

[tangman99]

I had the same problem with my 90 AGA. I just could not take the sand falling away and being washed up the overflow. It just bugged me. I picked up some of the two part clay that you mash together to tack rocks together and jammed it in the slots to completely block them off. The sand covers it for the most part and I have a powerhead in the corner so I still get plenty of current.
Probably not the best solution but so far I have not noticed any problems.