Anyone have experience with a false bottom setup?

[Clydetorkle]

Hello, I'm looking to make a false bottom with a beach in a 40gal breeder and was wondering if any one has any experience or suggestions.

[wodesorel]

When you say with a beach, are you trying for a false bottom to prevent flooding of the substrate, or a false bottom like what is used in palludariums and vivariums with standing water?

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[Clydetorkle]

A false bottom as used in paludariums.

[wodesorel]

That design shouldn't be used for hermits for two reasons - the nature and amount of the sand substrate that is used, and the stupidity of hermits.

In theory, it sounds as if the clean water would fall through the sand to the bottom of the tank, keeping everything moist and fresh, right?

What actually happens, because of the weight of the sand and its property of being hydroscopic (wicking up water like a sponge), is that the entire mass of substrate becomes oversaturated. When this happens, the weight of the sand locks the grains in place and prevents water movement through the mass. That leads to dangerous anaerobic bacteria growth from lack of oxygen and light.

And as for the stupidity of hermits? When they need to molt, they need to molt. They will bury into bacterial affected areas, or so low that they will be sitting in standing water. Both will kill them.

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