Hi everyone! This is my first post on the talking reef forums. I started listening to the podcast in September and finally got through all the episodes last week. I'm now all caught up. Thanks for a great show, Rob.
Okay... on to my question. I've been researching my first tank setup since August. I finally bought my tank this week- a 25G glass tank. From all the info I've gathered I was convinced that a 4-5" DSB was the way to go. Then I went to my lfs yesterday and the shop owner said that DSB is not the best idea, and that it can cause a lot of trouble in the long run.
I think a DSB is the best way to go. I'm not understanding what they are talking about in the long run. I guess if you have a sand bed that is a few years old and you stir it up then you might be releasing nitrates and other stuff but i dont really see that as an issue in most tanks. when i clean my tank i make sure to clean the sand bed very well.. I would at least have a sand bad 4-5 inches deep. Did they say why it was bad in the long run?
The lfs guy said something about some sort of chemical byproduct in DSB that can cause damage if stirred. (not nitrates... something else).
But... almost everything I've read at various places online has said that DSB is the best thing for a tank. I like what I've read about the more "natural" style of filtration. I'm thinking of doing a DSB with a LR/macro algae fuge and a skimmer.
I believe that there are any number of ways to set up a tank, but this is my first time, so I want to try to do the best I can. My tank is a 24x12x20" glass tank (25G)
By the way... I love these little meta tags that give the definitions of aquarium terms. I wish they had had those on reefcentral when I was just getting started back in August!
Im not sure about the chemical byproduct. But i bet someone will chime in and fill us in. I would have to say the best way to get ideas for setting up a new tank is to check out the http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/member-tank-projects/. You can get alot of good ideas. Thats were i got most of mine anyways.
Also if i had to make a suggestion about starting a new is get a good skimmer and light. Almost everyone i know replaces the original light and skimmer within the first year or so Happy Reefing
I think I seen it somewhere, but why wouldn't you want to use a sandbed deeper than 5 inches, say 8? Wouldn't be more like the ocean sandbed if it is deeper? Shouldn't a deeper sandbed have more area for those anoxic bacteria that eat nitrates?
What I'm getting at is that we do our best to create reef conditions, right? So, wouldn't this include reaching a natural sandbed depth? Wouldn't this be the best thing to do?
By the way, how deep on average are sandbeds in the ocean?
I prefer a BB tank. A DSB does has limits. I think of them as a leakey faucet dripping and we can't pull the plug. We can take out water to keep from flooding ie replace the sand in our tanks to extend the life and by controlling the rate at which a DSB fills up. DSB's will work, however, at some point they require drastic measures to keep them going and their limitations need to be completely understood. The main problem with a DSB is that at some point you have to export all that has been absorbed.
A properly setup DSB will produce detritus and put a heavy demand in the bioload. DSB's are alive. Living breathing elements produce waste, and waste must be removed.
With a BB tank, you are instantly taking out the detritus from your tank. You can feed as much as you want. Rather than letting the sand bed absorb the detritus, your high flow and skimmer takes it right out. You can maintain a higher bioload also. I can also clean up messes and mistakes a lot faster. I don't have to guess what's in the bottom of the tank and wonder if my sand bed is truly ok.
Braves11 - From what I've read, using a DSB is based on the idea of more closely replicating a real ocean setting and filtration. 4-5" is what seems to satisfy many aquraists (on the forums) for this purpose. I think 8" sounds like a good idea, but might prove to be unwieldy in an aquarium. In my experience as a surfer/diver/castle builder/beach bum I have found that the ocean's DSB ranges anywhere from a few inches to several feet or even more, depending on where you are.
yep, its a famous battle...
heres the deal, they are both great... DSB should get periodic small stirs to release excess build up in them. if left alone for long periods (many months) they can start to collect harmful chemicals in there, periodic stirrings of small areas, releases these safely, along with loads of food for your inverts.. following this method has been proven to provide a very stable tank for years, with great de-nitrification.
bare bottom need to have the bottoms cleaned frequently to prevent the build up of excess detritus that can cause nitrate problems. because of the lack of a DSB de-nitrification has to be managed using another method, extra mechanical filtration, remote DSB, extra LR, etc..
again, the point is BOTH REQUIRE maintenance, and if that maintenance is not performed, BOT with give you problems
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Gwen - Have you had any noticible problems or challenges with BB?
If you run a BB the correct way, then you shouldn't have any problems. You can't run a BB setup the same as you run a DSB tank. The key is to skim wet, have great flow, and get the detritus out of the system. There is no need to find other ways to absorb the nitrates. Your system is always taking them out because of how it's run.
For example, you feed a large amount of food. The food is kicked into the water column by your high powered pumps or tunzes. Your skimmer which is set to skim very wet will take out the waste and food.
__________________ Gwen - 2008 Atlanta Reef Club Board MACNA XX Committee 125g RR AGA "The Simple Reef Tank"
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