Monaco-Style Aquarium

[chicap29]

I read about this in the Natural Reef Aquariums book and am thinking of changing my reef tank to it.

Has anyone tried or have this setup? Any Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[caitrina]

Don't know much about them, but I know it's a nice place, the last name is good and having Kelly Monaco as a cousin is pretty neat too, so how could a Monaco style aquarium be wrong?

 

[mps9506]

Bit too much work for me to set it up properly.
Don't see many people in the states with that style aquarium, even when it was popular people didn't set it up right (including me).

 

[Witfull]

monaco as in the jobert plenum reef? Mr. Peabody, take me back....its an outdated and failed style of reefing.

 

[sasquatch]

Thanks Wit, I didnt have the heart lol

 

[caitrina]

Well, I guess that question was answered. Maybe Monaco is only good as a last name, a country and a cousin.....

 

[sasquatch]

Well, I guess that question was answered. Maybe Monaco is only good as a last name, a country and a cousin.....

like lots of things in reefkeeping time proves some theories wrong, now the dodge monaco, that was cool lol

 

[SubRosa]

Jaubert is a failed system?What is your definition of success?A Jaubert is just a DSB with a plenum beneath the sand.They work at least as well as a DSB at denitrification and much better at maintaining Ca+ and dKH levels.If properly set up.

 

[Frankie]

It is proven that plenum's do nothing. They do kill tanks though when disturbed. If you would like to read about it i will hunt the article I read on them in TFH.

 

[SubRosa]

Proven by whom?And under what conditions?Deep sand beds can kill tanks too if they are disturbed.Are they a failed system as well?

 

[boozeman]

ok guys...heres some light reading
Seabay Article- Are Plenums Obsolete? Another Viewpoint Part 1 by Dr. Rob Toonen
Seabay Article- Are Plenums Obsolete? Another Viewpoint Part 2 by Dr. Rob Toonen

 

[vdituri]

Thanks for the info Boozeman.
Good read.

Now my head hurts.

 

[360reefer]

I did the Jaubert method back in the late 90's.I did everything to the tee,eggcrate,mesh and different size sand grains.Even use a couple powerheads to suck all the air out of the void under the mesh.It may work in some cases but it didn't for me and it was running for several years.I battled higher nitrate than any other system I had in the past or present.

 

[Frankie]

Light reading. LOL! Ok i will read it Booze.
Chill out SubRosa, no ones attacking you. I will dig out the stuff i have read on them for you also. Try and keep an open mind
Believe me when i say, I did the home work when it came to building my tank and a plenum was a consideration back then. To be perfecty frank (witch i am ) I found the best way to keep an aquarium is bare bottom. I went that route and hated the aesthetic look of it.

 

[mps9506]

I found the best way to keep an aquarium is bare bottom. I went that route and hated the aesthetic look of it.

Insert necessary pun about barebottoms here...
:scram:

 

[sasquatch]

MIKE!! thats entrapment, shame on you lol

 

[Witfull]

Insert necessary pun about barebottoms here...
:scram:

insert picture of Mike in a grass skirt here~

ok,,,back to the Monaco aquarium, they are in Nice, France. right on the Med. ocean. they do constant water changes with sea water. THAT is the reason for success. if i could do 5% waterchange every hour, every day, id never have a problem either.

 

[Frankie]

You guy are to funny. LOL!
Is that true Dave? I never knew that.

 

[mps9506]

From Mike Patella
Back to Nature

The next "natural system" that has been widely used is the Jaubert system. It was developed by Dr. Jean Jaubert of the Monaco Aquarium, and has been used in the U.S. during the past six years. This system is the simplest design of all the natural systems, and, unlike all the other methods, filtration occurs within the display tank itself * it doesn't usually require a sump or other separate tank to house the filtration components. Instead, the Jaubert system uses two filtration components * live sand and a plenum * to produce the desired effect of reducing nutrients.

The Jaubert method is much more difficult to explain than it is to set up. Basically, a plate, not unlike an undergravel filter plate, is placed on the bottom of the tank, on top of which a thick layer of live sand is spread. Live rock is place on top of this thick sand layer so that not more than 20 percent of the sand is covered.

Over time, the lower layers of the sand will contain less oxygen and eventually become low in oxygen (anoxic), but not totally without oxygen (anaerobic) * the sand will still contain about 1 part per million (ppm) oxygen. In this low oxygen environment, certain bacteria that can only survive in this type of environment will develop. They are capable of converting nitrate into nitrogen gas, which will then bubble out of the system.

In order for all of this to occur, natural microfauna need to be present to keep the sand stirred up. Similarly, the system also needs to contain large sand-sifting organisms, like hermit crabs and gobies, to reduce the likelihood of the sand compacting and becoming anaerobic.

While this system is rather simple and easy to set up, many aquarists who have tried it have not followed the guidelines devised by Dr. Jaubert precisely and have run into problems. Only when thes guidelines are strictly adhered to can any success be achieved.

One of the biggest problems is getting the "right" live sand. The live sand typically available is too fine, and, more importantly, it rarely contains any of the valuable burrowing organisms that are necessary to make the system work. As a result, nutrients accumulate in the sand that eventually cause microalgae to overgrow everything.

Another factor limiting the success of this system is that when it is set up no more than 20 to 25 percent of the tank's bottom should be covered by live rock. Otherwise, too much of the live sand will be compacted under the rock and burrowing orangisms will not be able to keep the sand clean. This will also result in algae overgrowth.

Most hobbyists, myself included, tend to overcrowd our tanks with corals and fish. When viewing videotapes of tanks that correctly use the Jaubert system, it is readily apparent that these tanks contain far fewer organisms than most of our tanks do. This, no doubt, plays some role in why these tanks are successful.

Finally, some aquarists believe that tanks that successfully use the Jaubert system are at least partially "open." That is, they receive a continuous drip of natural seawater. In fact, many claim that this is why these tanks are successful. Being a strong advocate of partial water changes, I have seen how replacing even a small amount of tank water on a regular basis can yield positive results.

 

[Frankie]

Thanks Mike I still need to find that article i read but that about sums it up.