How to keep a 4-5 inch sand bed oxygenated with zero problems and/or work.

Thomas Hynes
• 32 minutes ago
Just an observation: In all the videos discussing the use of a plenum within the aquarium, you are not speaking about the under gravel filter be it a premade manufactured unit from a manufacturer, or even a creatively built out of materials that can be found every Dollar store to a large hardware store. I am sitting here at my desk now and looking around and have found a piece of Styrofoam that could easily be modified into an under gravel filter unit with some modifications made to it. Your videos are quite clear on the fact that you just want to move water. As I began to understand from your videos and lesson plans, that not only is water movement important in the water column, but it is also just as important to move it through the substrate. Rivers, lakes, streams, these bodies of water, have water moving not only from upstream or downstream but down through the ground. Applying these principles takes a vegetable garden grown, at least my practice is to till up the soil during the growing season. Why do I do this, I do this to have water move from the top down to the roots, to break up the soil, and reoxygenate the soil around the roots. Therefore the principles should apply just as equally well to the aquarium. Why would individuals feel that this is NOT a good idea?: Okay, I am guilty, I am guilty of just dumping substrate onto the bottom of the aquarium, tell you what, have not had the results I was looking for. Always had algae issues, clouded water...on 12/231/2021 before midnight, I installed my first plenum built on your presentations and today is day 4...the water in this tank has NEVER EVER looked this crystal clear, From a biological standpoint of the anoxic bacteria groups populating the plenum area, I have no idea how long that will take, however, what little algae growth I had on some of the plants and rock and wood is not spreading as rapidly as it has in the past. I have adopted your principles and I am feverishly spreading the word, like some cult leader, no just kidding...but I am explaining the principles and I have already gotten on others to sign on with me. Keep up the good work, it makes sense once you begin to understand all that is happening and why it needs to happen. I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes! AGAIN! -