Still amazed of all the diff techniques

[Big_Pun]

read this article on reef builders this morn. pretty amazing that it works but a lot of unanswered questions do they replace the mud in their systems from time to time. its amazing all the diff techiques people use for reef tanks. i love the comment on deep sand beds, ive always thought they where a waste and a trap for waste.


http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/06/ecosystem-aquarium-strong-sps-tanks-fish-dominated-mixed-reefs/

[rrasco]

DSB are also believed to have a shelf life around 5 years. At that time, it's not uncommon for tanks to get 'old tank syndrome' and begin having problems. So I've read at least.

[Big_Pun]

DSB are also believed to have a shelf life around 5 years. At that time, it's not uncommon for tanks to get 'old tank syndrome' and begin having problems. So I've read at least.

ive heard of guys taking out sand lil at a time and replacing

[350gt]

Would that be okay? Maybe siphon out a 16oz cup and replacing it with a fresh cup of sand.......

[rrasco]

I've heard of that too, I think. It would be advisable to approach with caution. Everything I've heard about DSB sounds so unstable.

[Big_Pun]

Would that be okay? Maybe siphon out a 16oz cup and replacing it with a fresh cup of sand.......

how deep is it ? i dont remeber it being that deep? the people that ran these had like 4-7 inch beds

[350gt]

Maybe 3 or 4, Lil higher in some areas thanks to the goby..

[rrasco]

Yeah, some people run super deep ones, like 6+ inches. Some people running RDSB have 55 gallon barrels full of sand.

[koa25]

Does anyone on here run Miricle Mud?

[EpicWin]

Does anyone on here run Miricle Mud?

I do and love it :-)

[EpicWin]

The key if u are going to do miracle mud or a dsb in your sump ( which is what I do) is to also have mangroves growing. This will prevent old tank syndrome. U need the mangrove roots to cycle the anoxic areas of the dsb.

[koa25]

I've been thinking about switching from DSB to Mud. I've heard miricle mud is better than fiji mud. But i will have to research. Probably won't make any rash changes until i move in june. Thanks for the info. I will keep the Mangrove thing in mind when i do. Greatly appreciated.

[jcnkt_ellis]

From what I've read, the problem with a DSB is depth. Too deep and you create a true anoxic zone where the bacteria creates sulferic acid, too shallow and you won't have enough of an anoxic zone to finish the nitrogen cycle. The going estimate is 4-8" in order to be deep enough to complete the cycle but shallow enough to prevent a tank crash if its disturbed. In regards to the miracle mud, outside of what ever extra is added to the mud to make it a "miracle", it works the same as a DSB when it comes down to creating a habitat for the startification of bacteria.

[kkiel02]

I have always wanted a dsb but once I read about the turf scrubber I went that route instead since it is a little "safer". It all comes down to removing nitrate from your system. We all know the nitrogen cycle and how it works. The part we as reefers get stuck on is the nitrate. Our systems do not allow for nitrate to be broken down unless you add something of the sort such as a DSB. I remove nitrate through the rapid growth of microalgae in my turf scrubber and someone with alot of room can also do this with macroalgae such as caulerpa and chaeto in the fuge. The only downside is you need alot more room since its growth rate isnt as fast as a micro.

I even remember the short lived- clam fuge tank. That would have been expensive! Lol

Oh and one last thing- I've read that DSB are kept best with very high flow going over the top of them to reduce the possibility of detritus getting down in your sand bed.