DSB's Really Do Work!

[007]

Yeah, I know . . . I am a little behind the times here. I just thought this was a little interesting.
I had set up my tank about a year and a half ago and used about 35 lbs of oolitic sand which gave me about a 2 to 3 inch sand bed in my tank. I had always tested about 10ppm for nitrates, consistently.
The tank was recently moved as of this past august and set up using about 50% of the original sand plus another 30lbs of new oolitic sand.
It is now been four months since the move and the DSB is now fully active and I can clearly see the effects of an established anaerobic bacteria population. The depth of the DSB is now 3 to 4 inches as opposed to the original 2 to 3 in the other tank.
This is the point: For the first time since me tank has been set up, my test kits register zero nitrates. The only thing that I can attribute this to is the deeper sand bed as this is the only difference between the two set ups. (pre and post move)
Also . . . about two months ago, I got a scoop of LS from Kip, and out of sheer laziness, I just dumped it all in the corner of the tank instead of spreading it around. Well, where I dumped it, there is a significantly greater proportion of nitrogen bubbles against the glass versus other portions of the sand bed.

 

[drakken]

I'm just about to do the same thing - upgrade the 28 to a 55. I plan on a deeper sand bed this time as well. I'll be interested to see if I get the same results but I guess I'll have to wait a few months to find out.

 

[beaslbob]

thanks for the post and glad it is working.
I have 0 nitrates with no bubles comming from my sand. But then if have lotsa macros and plants and little if any bioload.
it's my macro algae culture tank.

 

[bang guy]

Thank you for taking the time to report your results.

 

[zanemoseley]

I don't think anyone's ever tried to dispute wether or not DSB's work or not, the thing with DSB's is they tend to crash after 3-5 years of working fine, most people attribute the crashes to lack of adequate infauna causing a build-up of nitrates and phosphates I believe, many people still use them but replace the DSB periodically

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by beaslbob
thanks for the post and glad it is working.
I have 0 nitrates with no bubles comming from my sand. But then if have lotsa macros and plants and little if any bioload.
it's my macro algae culture tank.
sorry to hi-jack your thread 007 - but
Bob - you have a macro culture tank?? what kinds of macro's are you growing?? also you growing any manatee or turtle grass??
I am thinking of changing my set-ups around a little bit and creating a lagoon tank with just a pair of bangaii's - a few pieces of branching rock and some various plant life in the tank (halimeade) and keep thinking that paying out the nose for a huge clump of manatee grass is excessive and is making me drag my feet on the project ...
So I am curious - What do you have growing and you willing to trade/sell?? ( I have your e-mail so I will shoot you an e-mail if you prefer).
~ Jerome

 

[beaslbob]

over
then email me.
back on topic why do some report DSB crash after 5 years. (understand the nitrAtes) Do they just "hide' stuff in the sand until the sand is full?

 

[sparky0028]

Kip
This might be a newbie questions but what is infauna and how does one aquire this?:notsure:

 

[rick58]

zanemosely, I don't think your statement about DSB tending to crash after a while is completely accurate. Some folks (a minority) who have had their tanks crash, attribute it to their use of a DSB. There is no formal study that I'm aware of that supports it and there is no way of knowing if the DSB actually caused the crashes or whether the DSB was properly maintained. However, I have read several articles and comments from a few reputable reefkeepers that offer the opinion that even well maintained DSBs (after a significant period) can become saturated with nutrients and phosphates - to the point of exporting them.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by Sparky0028
Kip
This might be a newbie questions but what is infauna and how does one aquire this?:notsure:
You can order detrivore kits on-line, use live rock with critters on it, swap sand with other local reefers, get a cup full of stuff form the bottom of an LFS's curing tank ....
Lots of ways!

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Rick58
I have read several articles and comments from a few reputable reefkeepers that offer the opinion that even well maintained DSBs (after a significant period) can become saturated with nutrients and phosphates - to the point of exporting them.
I've read studies similar to what you've read. i have no reason not to believe them. The buildup wasn't nutrients in the studies I've seen though... the buildup was heavy metal. The theory is that the heavy metal build up in live rock and sand and are harmless until there's a event that drops the PH significantly and then the metals are released.
The only tank crash I ever had was from 1/2 a bottle of bleach but there was no DSB in that system. I've used DSB's exclusively for the past 15 years without problem but a study should be done to try to correlate DSBs with tank crashes. I agree it's a possibility.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by Rick58
zanemosely, I don't think your statement about DSB tending to crash after a while is completely accurate. Some folks (a minority) who have had their tanks crash, attribute it to their use of a DSB. There is no formal study that I'm aware of that supports it and there is no way of knowing if the DSB actually caused the crashes or whether the DSB was properly maintained. However, I have read several articles and comments from a few reputable reefkeepers that offer the opinion that even well maintained DSBs (after a significant period) can become saturated with nutrients and phosphates - to the point of exporting them.
Bob - YGM
Rick - I agree and I hope to have tanks long enough to worry about swapping out sand beds!!

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by Kipass4130
sand bed infauna are the little creatures that keep a sand bed healthy
http://www.billsext.com/rocknsand.htm
You need ot increase the font size on your website ... man I get a headache reading that little mouse print!:joy:

 

[007]

Originally posted by overanalyzer
You need ot increase the font size on your website ... man I get a headache reading that little mouse print!:joy:
I agree . . . . is it meant for something larger than 1400x1050? Content is great though!

 

[joemack]

I stopped getting bubbles in my Sand Bed (by the glass. maybe just a few at times). This is a good thing I guess?

 

[007]

you actually want to see bubbles . . . . this means that nitrate is being broken down into free nitrogen and that your DSB is in fact working.

 

[007]

I took a look at it at 1024 x 768 and you are right . . . it looks great at that resolution. When set at 1400 x 1050 its really small. Just so you know.