DSB in a bucket

[justahobby]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=595109

I've read almost the entire 200+ pages of this thread without seeing any negative feedback, and I am going to give it a go. I've been operating a seaclone and CPR HOB skimmer since I started keeping corals. The seaclone is always needing an adjustment and the CPR works great for a few weeks before it needs a vinegar bath. I recently took the seaclone off line and got diatoms within a week. I don't see anything to lose if it doesn't help, but before I spend the big greens on a skimmer (which I will do when I finish this semester and work longer hours) I'd like to try this, which may go to my girlfriends setup once I get my skimmer.
It's cheap, easy and it won't hurt anything to try. I will take lots of picture and will post a log if there is interest. I looked for any threads covering this on MAAST but ended up wading through Group buys for salt etc. Don't hesitate If anyone has a thread tabbed or has experience and wants to shoot me their 2 cents.

And if anyone has a hole saw, I would gladly give a small frag of paly or shroom.

[Gseclipse02]

can you give us cliff notes of what your doing i don't want to read 20 pages worth right this min. ( im suppose to be studying for finals )

what size hole saw??

[LittleReef]

I've read the first 11 pages... so far nothing bad at all. The de-nitrification seems to work very well. How would I accomplish setting this up? I haven't gotten that from reading yet. Do you just just like a Maxijet, plump it up in there, and have the water from it return to your sump??

-Brooks

[ErikH]

Diatoms are primarily the result of using silica based sand and/or tap water. A DSB will not process silicates. DSBs are GREAT for processing nitrates. I would use it in conjunction with a large fuge, possibly in the same bucket, or multiples if possible. It is a better recommendation to use a large footprint for your dsb so there is more contact between water and sand. If your tank is around 100g or less, it should be plenty. The fuge will remove excess nutrients from the water helping to scrub it free of nitrates as well as phosphates. I have three different types of macro in my fuge with no skimmer. Essentially, you could do like I have; a 29g with a DSB (mine is not deep enough), unused/undesireable rock can go on top of the sandbed, and the excess space fill end to end with macro algaes. That's all I use, and it works!

[justahobby]

You got it. The idea is high flow (150 -200 gph) keeps detritus from settling. They also recommend a prefilter and the sand as close to the top as possible. Curved or flex bulkheads for the plumbing. I picked up 40lbs of dry sugar sand from B&B for $20 but may need 10 more lbs. Also thinking of ordering my bulkhead adapters from aquacave: http://www.aquacave.com/searchresult...CategoryID=536
I haven't made it out to Lowe's to see what they have. I have a JBJ powerhead and will add a ball valve to control flow. Also thinking of a thicker gravel to lay on top of the sand to prevent sand storms in my sump.

I've read the first 11 pages... so far nothing bad at all. The de-nitrification seems to work very well. How would I accomplish setting this up? I haven't gotten that from reading yet. Do you just just like a Maxijet, plump it up in there, and have the water from it return to your sump??

-Brooks

[justahobby]

I have a fuge in my sump and using aragonite not silica sand (although silica has been very debatable wether it actually releases anything back into the water) and its intention is for the nitrates spurring the diatoms. There were several people who went with silica based sand and even A. Calfo "OK'd" silica sand but I was still wary of the many warnings. I figured why chance it when Aragonite was $10 for 20lbs. The bucket will have a lid to prevent algae growth, dying off, dirtying the sand so no fuge in it. The prefilter, lid, and high gph is the proposed "cure" at keeping the sand free of build up. I will use a 3/4" for exit and 1" for entrance to prevent the noises gurgling caused by drain holes being the same size. I would like to add I have roughly 78 gal total water volume and this was recommended for up to 100 gallons. A trash can with lid for larger and so on. At the beginning Anthony Calfo mentions a 55 gal. did wonders on a 2,000 gallon system. Surface volume is always better, but I have limited space and a bucket is doable. I ran across this when searching into DSB's. Actual DSB are much more complicated and are sensitive, so I have read. The biggest problem seeming to be the build up over time of detritus. I didn't want to worry about the build up plus I live in an apartment. I know I will need to move the DSB at some point into a new house. A ten gallon tank would be to fragile at the seams and anything bigger would take up too much space and be too heavy to move from third floor. Hence bucket-o-sand :-)

[justahobby]

...you and me both Look at it as little "mental breaks"

can you give us cliff notes of what your doing i don't want to read 20 pages worth right this min. ( im suppose to be studying for finals )

what size hole saw??

[Gseclipse02]

"mental breaks" i take one of these every 5 mins lol

[justahobby]

Great minds think alike, and weak ones seldom differ

[Big_Pun]

so silica sand is better, would using something like 3m color quartz work( http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...ucts/Crystals/ ), just wondering because i have 50lbs laying around from when i used to have a cichlid tank i never used