broomer5
Active Member
sgt__york,
I've had the DSB in my 75 since first of the year - almost 9 months now.
I replaced the CC in my 30 around March/April - 3/4 months.
Discussing anything happening in the 30 gallon tank is hard to say right now. This tanks been sitting idle with (1) damsel and some live rock. The water test readings are near perfect - because the load is almost nothing.
The 75 was a new tank set up late December.
I tore down the 55 reef that had crushed coral substrate for close to 2 years I suppose.
It was a hybrid tank - meaning I had corals/inverts and way too many fish for a "reef" tank. Or at least a reef tank that would be easy to care for. Too many fish, too much waste I believe, and too much feeding. Even with 20% monthly water changes, I still registered 20-30+ nitrates on a regular basis.
Also I should note that I was running my wet/dry with bioballs towards the beginning of this 55 tank, and a protein skimmer.
Now that the 75's been up for awhile, with DSB and an DSB algae refugium, I have no doubt that this has helped ME to have better water test readings on THIS tank.
The problem for me in answering your question - is that the DSB was only a couple months old when I added the refugium to the system. Not near enough time for it to mature in my thinking, and the tank was somewhat new too.
Hard to tell what causes what on a 2-3 month old tank - ya know.
But again, larger tank, fewer fish, way less feeding, DSB, refugium and just recently started running the skimmer again as well.
I'm sure all of these factors added together have resulted in lower nitrates - around 4-6 mg/l using the SeaTest medium range test procedure.
As you see - even on my tank ..... All things are not equal, and I doubt they will ever be. As the tank matures - it changes.
Doing one water change - changes it from what it was just prior to doing it. I've got 50 lbs of live rock curing right now, and I'm sure when I add this - things will not be the same either.
I've not had any problem keeping my pH up using the sandbed.
I'm not convinced that the substrate ( any substrate ) does all that much to buffer the water. Although I would be interested in reading anything you have, or hear more about your experience.
I should add that even though I am not convinced - I still use 100% mixed aragonite sand and most always will.
Personal choice again.
I did discover a mistake I was making early on regarding my RO/DI water and mixing the saltmix with it - but that's another story - and I've figured that one out.
pH/Alk/Calcium have never been one of my trouble spots lately on the new tank.
I guess the only way for me to "know" exactly what is going on in my tank - I would have to set up several tanks, each with the identical filtration, same type and amount of live rock, same exact number and type of fish, and exactly the same equipment, maintenance routine, water changes and feeding schedule.
One tank - bare bottom
One tank - crushed coral
One tank - DSB
One tank - DSB with algae refugium
One tank - algae refugium only
Then to complicate matters even worse, set up more tanks like the above and add a protein skimmer.
Then set up even more tanks and start changing the types and amounts of foods fed to the tank.
Then even more tanks to compare how water changes affect the outcomes.
I'm sure you're seeing my point here. You would need hundreds of tanks set up - with "All things being somewhat equal", and only change ONE single variable between these tanks - to really know for sure what is happening.
Even then - doing this type of study using the very best scientific methodolgy and procedures - there is always a percent of error.
But it would be fun - or could be if someone else was foot'n the bill.
Who knows for sure.
I'm a firm believer that it's an accumulation of EVERYTHING in our tanks that give us the end results.
But there's no doubt in my mind - that having the DSB is easier regarding maintenance.
If it's set up right, has the right lifeforms living in and on it, there just isn't any real maintenance for me to do down there anymore.
I've had the DSB in my 75 since first of the year - almost 9 months now.
I replaced the CC in my 30 around March/April - 3/4 months.
Discussing anything happening in the 30 gallon tank is hard to say right now. This tanks been sitting idle with (1) damsel and some live rock. The water test readings are near perfect - because the load is almost nothing.
The 75 was a new tank set up late December.
I tore down the 55 reef that had crushed coral substrate for close to 2 years I suppose.
It was a hybrid tank - meaning I had corals/inverts and way too many fish for a "reef" tank. Or at least a reef tank that would be easy to care for. Too many fish, too much waste I believe, and too much feeding. Even with 20% monthly water changes, I still registered 20-30+ nitrates on a regular basis.
Also I should note that I was running my wet/dry with bioballs towards the beginning of this 55 tank, and a protein skimmer.
Now that the 75's been up for awhile, with DSB and an DSB algae refugium, I have no doubt that this has helped ME to have better water test readings on THIS tank.
The problem for me in answering your question - is that the DSB was only a couple months old when I added the refugium to the system. Not near enough time for it to mature in my thinking, and the tank was somewhat new too.
Hard to tell what causes what on a 2-3 month old tank - ya know.
But again, larger tank, fewer fish, way less feeding, DSB, refugium and just recently started running the skimmer again as well.
I'm sure all of these factors added together have resulted in lower nitrates - around 4-6 mg/l using the SeaTest medium range test procedure.
As you see - even on my tank ..... All things are not equal, and I doubt they will ever be. As the tank matures - it changes.
Doing one water change - changes it from what it was just prior to doing it. I've got 50 lbs of live rock curing right now, and I'm sure when I add this - things will not be the same either.
I've not had any problem keeping my pH up using the sandbed.
I'm not convinced that the substrate ( any substrate ) does all that much to buffer the water. Although I would be interested in reading anything you have, or hear more about your experience.
I should add that even though I am not convinced - I still use 100% mixed aragonite sand and most always will.
Personal choice again.
I did discover a mistake I was making early on regarding my RO/DI water and mixing the saltmix with it - but that's another story - and I've figured that one out.
pH/Alk/Calcium have never been one of my trouble spots lately on the new tank.
I guess the only way for me to "know" exactly what is going on in my tank - I would have to set up several tanks, each with the identical filtration, same type and amount of live rock, same exact number and type of fish, and exactly the same equipment, maintenance routine, water changes and feeding schedule.
One tank - bare bottom
One tank - crushed coral
One tank - DSB
One tank - DSB with algae refugium
One tank - algae refugium only
Then to complicate matters even worse, set up more tanks like the above and add a protein skimmer.
Then set up even more tanks and start changing the types and amounts of foods fed to the tank.
Then even more tanks to compare how water changes affect the outcomes.
I'm sure you're seeing my point here. You would need hundreds of tanks set up - with "All things being somewhat equal", and only change ONE single variable between these tanks - to really know for sure what is happening.
Even then - doing this type of study using the very best scientific methodolgy and procedures - there is always a percent of error.
But it would be fun - or could be if someone else was foot'n the bill.
Who knows for sure.
I'm a firm believer that it's an accumulation of EVERYTHING in our tanks that give us the end results.
But there's no doubt in my mind - that having the DSB is easier regarding maintenance.
If it's set up right, has the right lifeforms living in and on it, there just isn't any real maintenance for me to do down there anymore.
