no critters in my dsb

[gravismaximus]

I have had my dsb running for a year now. No gas pockets coming up, no worm trails etc. When i started the dsb i started using seachems prime for a wAter conditioner and have had 100+ ppm nitrates ever scince. Nothing disturbs the bed except my nassari snails. Is it possible for me to just add more macro fanra to get it working. Or will my nitrate level kill all inverts that live in the sand bed. Im not convinced my nitrates really are bad, due to the timing of it spiking when i started using the prime and nothing has died. My fish crabs urchins snails are all still alive a year later. I tried 2 api test kits both read high on the no3 but everything else is perfect at 0. Maybe prime dont like the api test kits. Your thoughts please

 

[bang guy]

A couple pounds of freshly harvested real live sand can get your sandbed back in working order within a month. The Nitrates will slow them down but not stop them.

 

[flower]

Nitrates are the end result of the cycle, so nitrates are forever replenished if you have live critters. I use macro algae now, and still run my Aquaripure filter, since the filter is so easy to maintain I just keep it running. The Aquaripure filter works awesome, and will get your nitrates to 0 and keep it there...I have used this filter on both my 90g and 56g tanks, nitrates were never a problem after using them for a month. HOWEVER, the Aquripure filter will do nothing for phosphates, so the macros were a needed investment for me.
A deep sand bed has to be seeded, either with live reef sand, as Bang Guy suggested, or purchase the critters from a place that sells refugium starters. I had a remote deep sand bed, and I found the critters could only stir up sand about 2 inches deep, then toxic build-up developed below that...Nitrates remained high in spite of it...since I was not happy with that result, I removed the sand, and now just use the tank for the extra water volume.
API test kits are not reliable...I use SeaChem tests because they come with a regent so that I am able to check that the readings are accurate.

 

[gravismaximus]

Thanks for the reply. If i choose to get rid of the active sandbed, i would get a sand sifter goby. If there was sulphur hydrate in the bad would the goby release to much if it at a time? Or would it be better to remove the fish and just remove the whole bed. I would clean it multiple times. Or could i just poke a stick to the bottom to see if there is a gas picket down there.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gravismaximus http:///t/393857/no-critters-in-my-dsb#post_3505213
Thanks for the reply. If i choose to get rid of the active sandbed, i would get a sand sifter goby. If there was sulphur hydrate in the bad would the goby release to much if it at a time? Or would it be better to remove the fish and just remove the whole bed. I would clean it multiple times. Or could i just poke a stick to the bottom to see if there is a gas picket down there.
Anything below about 2 inches will always have toxins (over time), a sandsifter will only clean about that deep. Also a sandsifter clears all the fauna out of the sand doing greater damage to the little eco system we call our fish tanks. My fav fish was a Golden headed sandsifter ...it learned to feed on the food that fell to the bottom of the tank, so when it was out of food in the sand it could survive. I did have a sifter starve before that one in another tank, once the sandbed was cleared of all fauna it had nothing else to eat.
I would not stir up a sandbed with a stick if the sand had been left alone for any time. Running carbon might help if something gets stirred up accidently.