Deep Sand Bed

fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
exactly that a ddep sand bed, or a bed of sand generally between 4 and 6 inches deep, which helps with nitrate reduction- NATURALLY, a dsb is one of our best tools(IMO)
HTH,a nd welcome aboard, this is a great hobby and an even bettter place to learn, so ask away :D
 
ed r

ed r

Member
Generally a DSB means one that has been set up with very fine sand and stocked with assorted pods and worms to keep it in good condition. Use of crushed coral and large sand grains defeats the purpose of the sand bed and prevents it from working properly. Also keeping types of fish or invertebrates that eat the infauna from the sand bed will rapidly decrease its efficiency.
 
ed r

ed r

Member
Careful runaround. There can be a big difference between a sand bed looking good and one that is in good condition. Here is a link to Dr. Shimek's web site....
<a href="http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm" target="_blank">http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm</a>
I feel that crabs and shrimp are not good for the sand bed because of the creatures they will eat. You do not want a nice white sterile bed because it will not provide the denitrification we seek. The creatures are needed to slowly, but continuously turn the bed over. That is why the sand-sifting stars and burrowing gobies are not good for sand beds. Are they reef safe? Yes because they don't eat corals, but are they good for your reef in the long run. No.
 
wrassecal

wrassecal

Active Member
Here's a couple more links, one with great pics and refs to R Shimek. One a how to HTH
<a href="http://www.atlantisaquatic.com/dsb.html" target="_blank">dsb ref to R Shimek</a>
<a href="http://www.fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html" target="_blank">dsb a how to guide</a>
 
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