Are there any DSB fans, and why do you like them?

[BBQHILLBILLY]

1. BBQhillbilly - I have fine and porous, mixed, sandbed and it provides a home for the microscopic critters, that LR dont.
experience with 75 gallon refugium was used through 210RR setup and a 125RR setup. Handfull would clean a dirty tank.

[Big_Pun]

may I see these microscopic critters you speak of? lol

[BBQHILLBILLY]

hey, hey this is for dsb fans, no siphoning or socks here:bigsmile:

[hobogato]

dsb seems to be working well so far in my tank

[Scutterborn]

I, too, run a DSB. It's still too new to be super effective though. It can be a very powerful natural nitrate reducer.


- Ben -

[Mr Cob]

DSB in all of my refugiums to include the broodstock fish only tanks. I keep sand sifters to keep from having any little toxic leaching dead spots.



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[Big_Pun]

what depth qualifies as dsb?

[Scutterborn]

what depth qualifies as dsb?

Depends on the grain size.


- Ben -

[BBQHILLBILLY]

good question, I have allways used dsb in the range of 3 to 5 inches for the 75 gallon refugium that I once had, that made me a believer. The 8ft tank ranges the same.
I do not have a fine sand, actually its a mixture, from the smallest to the largest sand.
Ive built several tanks and when they started to cycle, I would pour this sand in there and it would clear the water. That made me a believer. It works.

[jcnkt_ellis]

I'm a dsb user too and love it. I even run them in my freshwater tanks. Dsb is usually 4"+ but the consensus is 6"+ leads to bad stuff eventually bubbling to the top eventually

[Scutterborn]

Typically a .5-3mm grain size will warrant a 4-6" bed. Oolite grain size can run 3-5" and "mud" grain size can be as low as 1".


- Ben -

[OrionN]

Here is my 65 gal with DSB. It have been running for 9 years, no problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J4rWaqK70U&feature=youtu.be

[BBQHILLBILLY]

nice setup:bigsmile:

[Big_Pun]

Here is my 65 gal with DSB. It have been running for 9 years, no problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J4rWaqK70U&feature=youtu.be

how deep hard to see in vid?

[ClamFan]

That is a beautiful tank OrionN! Love the clams!

Here is my 65 gal with DSB. It have been running for 9 years, no problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J4rWaqK70U&feature=youtu.be

[OrionN]

Thanks.
The sand bed is about 4 inches on average

[Paul28]

My DSB is around 4 but had to add sand this year to get it back around 4 tank will be 8 years Nov , why do i like it becuse all i do is look at it and thats it

[jcnkt_ellis]

...why do i like it becuse all i do is look at it and thats it

+1

[clamgal]

So if you have 3-4 inches= Not DSB?
Can you siphon the DSB to help maintain the top clean or does that defeat the purpose?

Also, can I mix the smaller sand (Fiji) with Seaflor Special Grade?
Lots to learn:)
Adriana

[BBQHILLBILLY]

What somebody does that works may very well be different to what somebody else does that works.
I would never siphon my tank. Theres a lot of life in the sand and the siphoning would just be removing it.
There is a picture, poster someone had posted sometime back of a dsb. Ill see if I can find it.
Whether 3 or 4 inches is good or not, I think its more like cooking a good steak. Do you cook it to instructions or to taste.
If it works, your doing something right, if not change it.

[jcnkt_ellis]

So if you have 3-4 inches= Not DSB?
Can you siphon the DSB to help maintain the top clean or does that defeat the purpose?

Also, can I mix the smaller sand (Fiji) with Seaflor Special Grade?
Lots to learn:)
Adriana

1) 3-4" of common size sand is a DSB and is in the sweet spot depth wise, if you google DSBs there is talk of dangerous gasses being converted in the sand if the sand gets 6"+ deep as new/different bacteria are able to live down there.

2) I would not siphon the top, the whole point of the DSB is to have snails like nassarius to work the stuff on top into the top layer where it can start to be broken down by bacteria/worms/etc... into Nitrogen gas, siphoning off the top creates a food shortage and limits the amount of bacteria/worms/etc in your bed.

3) If you are mixing different grain sizes make sure the smaller grain is on bottom, otherwise no worries.

[OrionN]

4 inches is plenty especially if you use fine sand. I have a lot of current in the tank so I put a layer of coarse shells on top of that to keep the current from blowing the sand around. I have had 10-12 inches fine sand before and did not see much different in term of ability to process waste.
My nitrates always is 0 with heavy fish feeding and heavy fish load. I change water for trace elements and micro nutrients not due to Nitrates

[clamgal]

Minh
How do you keep your nitrates 0?

[OrionN]

The sand bed keep my nitrate at 0. You do need to seed the sand bed to give it a diverse fauna.

[clamgal]

How do you seed your sandbed?

[vordonez]

Good Quality Live Rock will seed your tank.

[OrionN]

I traded sand with a bunch of people after make sure their tanks got no undesirable pests. I got a bunch of sand from the Corpus Christi Bay at peak of summer and added it to my tank.

[OrionN]

I used to live on the Corpus Christi Bay and got a bunch of dead rock into the bay and leave them there for a few months then get them into my tank directly.
I think a diverse fauna is important to get a healthy tank.