a question on dsb's

[Dvoros]

I have spent a while trying to search and read what everyone has been posting but I am left with questions that i could not really find the answer to. So if these have been asked before and i missed em sorry

I currently have a large layer of crushed coral on the bottom of my tank. I want to switch it over to a sand bed for NNR. From what i have been reading there are two thoughts...

1) a deep sand bed with fine sugar size sand, from 4 to 8 inches deep. Do or should i use a plenum with this option?

2) A 4 inch layer of a bit larger grain "reef sand" with a plenum underneath.

Option 2 is what my LFS says to do, and option 1 is what I have been reading here. Any thoughts on the two ways to go? I like the fine sand look as my preference.

If I do go with the fine sand is it possible to add it to my tank that has been running for about 8 years, half at a time so i can leave my LR and fish in the tank will i do this?

Also what kind and how many critters do i get to inhabit the sand bed?

All of this change is for looks and to get NNR going, I currently have CC and want a change. Sorry bout all these questions but if anyonw can help that would be awsome.

Dave

 

[klam]

Here is a good read on DSB
http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

 

[phases99]

I would go with option 1. A plenum I heard does work but is more work to setup and doesn't look as nice. 4" of sugar fine aragonite will be fine. You will need to replenish up to an inch a year as it will dissolve and benefit your tank. You can seed your sandbed with a few cups of LS to give you some micro critters. Stay away from any sand sifters that could decimate the micros for at least a year. The hardest part is going to be removing the cc and adding the sand. It will be a long day. Good Luck.

 

[captivereefs]

If your tank is 8 years old i would leave it be. The DSB is not a good option; many have had problems with it myself included. My 5 year old DSB crashed one day and in 3 days my tank was gone.

 

[echo7]

i'd go with the plenum, it seems to be the safe way to go(less chance of wastes building up or crahsing, but less surface area ), and works good for me, both have 1.5 in. fine sand on top of 1.5 in. crushed coral, but unless you are going to upgrade your biomass i would have to agree with captive reef's thinking.

 

[phases99]

If your tank is 8 years old i would leave it be. The DSB is not a good option; many have had problems with it myself included. My 5 year old DSB crashed one day and in 3 days my tank was gone.

Darin,
It would helpful for folks to hear why you think a DSB is a bad idea. Do you know why yours crashed?

 

[Dvoros]

Thanks for the opinions, i really appreciate it. I know when i said that my tank has been running for 8 years i wouldnt want to touch it, but one of the reasons for me making this change from CC to a dsb is because my tank is suffering from old tank syndrome. I have sky high nitrates and water changes dont affect it at all so i need to clean the substrate out anyway.

Im not looking forward to doing it but hopefully i can benefit from the dsb's nnr properties.

Dave

 

[phases99]

Im not looking forward to doing it but hopefully i can benefit from the dsb's nnr properties.

Dave

It took my DSB about 3 months before I began to see the benefits. Nitrate is now 0 8). You can actually see the NNR happening as you will occassionally see air bubbles released from the sand.

 

[captivereefs]

I had a blenny dig down about 3" into my DSB. The fish died followed by the tank crash. I just think there is bead stuff down there. On my latest tank i went with a 1" sandbed and so far ewverything is fine. I di use the natures ocean live sand because of its larger grit size over southdown. Southdown just blew around to much limiting my flow capabilities which i think is a factor in the crash.

 

[Dvoros]

Im not looking forward to doing it but hopefully i can benefit from the dsb's nnr properties.

Dave

It took my DSB about 3 months before I began to see the benefits. Nitrate is now 0 8). You can actually see the NNR happening as you will occassionally see air bubbles released from the sand.

Hehe that is so cool, i am thinking about doing this next weekend If i decide to do it hehe.

Dave

 

[captivereefs]

My nitrates are at zero also without a DSB.

 

[revhtree]

People probably wont like this, but I had about 3" of CC for 4months. I wanted the sand look, and I was having no water issues, so I added about 2" of sand to the top. Everything is fine.

You know, it's propbably like that on the ocean floor. CC on bottom, sand on top.

 

[phases99]

My nitrates are at zero also without a DSB.

Are you using algae scrubbers or just a ton of LR?

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

I made my own nitrate filter and I have zero nitrates and 0 phoshate with all my tanks, if you would like to know, it was simple. I made the same filter out of arcrlic like the on eat the following website Natureef.com and just bought thier Nitragone & Phosagone products, very simple. You can add tons of fish and 0 everything guaranteed. I mean look at my inhabitants that occupie my tank.

 

[Dvoros]

I really appreciate all the responses I got, i am sure glad i found this forum, i am finding it alot more helpful then the previous forum i was at. Thank you

Maybe one last question but i doubt it, how long will the sand take to create a home for the bacteria needed for nnr to start?

Now i need to try to find someone in San Diego that can spare a cup o live sand or two (seeding material for the sand, heh, i heard the bagged stuff at the lfs sucks?

 

[revhtree]

Be sure and get the cup of LS from a lr tank, or coral tank. Dont get the sand from a tank with fish in it. That's how Qshark got ich again in hid tank.

 

[phases99]

Maybe one last question but i doubt it, how long will the sand take to create a home for the bacteria needed for nnr to start?

It will take a few months before the anaerobic bacteria populate the bottom layers of the DSB.

 

[canadian_eh]

If I understand the job of the protien skimmer correctly shouldn't it be removing all the compounds that would eventually be converted into nitrates such that a DSB wouldn't be necessary?

I'm running both a skimmer and a DSB and both seem to be working but now I'm not sure why

 

[Atari]

Believe it or not, a 1" sand bed is enough for NNR.

I have a 2" bed and nitrates are undetectable most of the time.

I deliberately didn't go with a DSB because I was worried about sulfides building up under there and one day being released in fatal concentrations (which is what I think happened to Darin).

With the shallow bed, even bubbles from the bottom seem to make it out easily.

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Atari, said it right. I had a deep sand bed and one of my bleenies died right after he dug into the sand about 3 inches. I only have 3' now since I have eels, wrasses and gobies that like digging themselves in it. my nitrates are at around 5PPM.