As some of you know, I'm setting up a new system that will be around 450g (display), about 66 gallons of sump and about the same in refugium.
I had decided that I wanted to go with a DSB for this system. I've tried the other routes and they didn't work for me. BUT, in order to get enough sand for this system (for the display tank), we're talking around 700 lbs of sand!!!!! Not only is this expensive, but it's an added weight to our already overweighted floor.
So, my question is this: would a DSB in the refugium be sufficient for the benefits that I would like to achieve from a DSB?
And if I did a DSB in the refugium, what would be the recommended depth of sugar fine sand for the display tank then?
if you add all that up, 450+66+66, thats almost 600 gallons total, while have a DSB in the refugium would provide good benefits, if your plans are to treat it as a DSB system, having only this might not be enough.
that said, if you maintain it properly, keeping the display substrate clean, skim well, etc you should be able to do this without problem.
what you are really looking at is more of a hybrid type system. of course there is no problem with this if you choose, but you will likely be in a similar situation as before where you have a SSB system in your display.
hope that makes sense. im sure many others will elaborate on this better than i can
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Thanks for responding so quickly Rob! Wow...you must be caught up on your posts!
So, do you think that the remote DSB would provide enought denitrification for the display tank? The biggest problem at the moment is just the cost of so much sand! You know, when I started the planning of the larger tank, it was all with water quality and tank stability in mind...I managed to distract myself from the explosion of costs that incur with such an expansion.
I can re-think things if it's absolutely necessary, however. I really would like to have a healthy system, with a substrate that's suitable for most gobies, as well as sea cucumbers, serpeant stars, etc. My gobies weren't happy with the coral sand that I have in my current tank and I see my sea cucumber slowly getting smaller over time. I want a really healthy sand bed that's teeming with life for the little fellas..
Can I achieve this with a SSB in the display and a DSB in the fuge?
RB, your refering to non-live sand yeah? cast out your line & see if people are interested in a group buy to cut your costs down! or is dry sand just expensive in sweden?
even though you say 600gal total volume, with displacement of both sand & LR your volumn value drops considerably.i would suggest for a system of your size that u deploy a handleful of techneques. try a silt/ sand combination, u could even go half benethic layer segragation to increase overall populations to handle your bio!
is your sump going to be a high flow system? what flow-through rate have u pictured?
like anything, when your distribute sand through out (zoned areas in sump included)your system it has the same effect overall so long as its not disturbed!
you have a bit of space in that room of yours RB, if it was mine i would be building a few channels wide & a few high like hyrdo NFT systems>just filled with sand instead! u can feed all the troughs at one end with the slightest natral fall so they all drain back to the sump! that way your can share the load over the entire system!
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Last edited by V; 08-26-2006 at 08:44 PM.
Reason: sweden, not germany
Christi, what are the dimensions of your new system expressed as LxWxH, in non metric terms, please. Include the sump and refugium dimensions, too please. I'm giving this subject my deepest thought before I respond with recomendations.
Thanks
Dick
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Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
Christi, what are the dimensions of your new system expressed as LxWxH, in non metric terms, please. Include the sump and refugium dimensions, too please. I'm giving this subject my deepest thought before I respond with recomendations.
Thanks
Dick
id say your old school, but then id remind myself that your whole countries back in the dark ages with a flashlight!
When I posted that request I expected you might get on my case. Just because we live on the upside of the planet doesn't mean we are up on all new things. Such as flashlights, we're still using marsh grass torchs bound by sinue from Mastodons, which we've killed with our bare hands, and dipped the torchs in their fat. We light them striking flintstone against hard rock. It's a tough life up here, you can't let it get to you, though. I just keep reefing.
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
RB, your refering to non-live sand yeah? cast out your line & see if people are interested in a group buy to cut your costs down! or is dry sand just expensive in sweden?
Even dry sand is expensive here and we don't have any kind of sand worth mentioning at the hardware stores. I was planning on buying mostly dry sand and then begging the reefers around here to sell me a couple cups of their sand that I can seed mine with. I've got the time to let it populate, although it would always be great to just start out with a big portion of live sand...
is your sump going to be a high flow system? what flow-through rate have u pictured?
No, I've planned for the sump flow to only be about 5X the volume. I'd rather have the higher amount of flow through the closed loop and within the system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by veriann
like anything, when your distribute sand through out (zoned areas in sump included)your system it has the same effect overall so long as its not disturbed!
you have a bit of space in that room of yours RB, if it was mine i would be building a few channels wide & a few high like hyrdo NFT systems>just filled with sand instead! u can feed all the troughs at one end with the slightest natral fall so they all drain back to the sump! that way your can share the load over the entire system!
Wow! what to come and help me set it up? I can just imagine what my husband will say to that idea! I love it V, but I can't imagine getting that set up right away. It would have to be a work in progress...after I get the other stuff done. I like it though..
for all you DSB experts out there! 
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good one>>>.pass me another barley stalk to chew on ya hear!