Fresh Step Remote Deep Sand Bucket

[lanman]

After reading about 20 pages of a thread on RC about remote deep sand beds, and how well they reduce nitrates in tanks like mine - that have nitrates for no really known reason - I decided to build my own. Pictorial instructions follow:

 

Find a nice bucket (in this case Fresh-Step kitty litter bucket). I chose the squared off bucket so that I wouldn't have to get special fittings. Because of the design of the bucket, I cut off part of the plastic collar in order to get my bulkheads up as high as possible:

 

I then drilled holes for the bulkhead fittings with a regular hole saw:

 

Installed the bulkhead fittings:

 

Because I wanted it up high enough to drain into my refugium, which drains into the tank - I had to make a fairly tall (18") stand for it. As small as possible - there isn't a lot of space back there:

 

I then put it in place and plumbed an outlet from PVC into the refugium, and added sand to the bucket up to a couple of inches below the inlet and outlet. I used medium grade sand - I'm told that sugar sand is even better.

 

Turned off the refugium pump, and disconnected the hose. Hooked the hose from the pump up to the RDSB, and turned on the pump.

 

This gives me about a 10" deep sand bed. Per Anthony Calfo in the RC thread - deeper is better.

 

And the final product - The Fresh-Step Remote Deep Sand Bucket . It doesn't take up a lot of space, and if it reduces my nitrates - I'll be a happy camper! (no - that extension cord is not a shock hazard - it's an in-place spare for power outages - not connected to anything on either end)

 

 

 

bob

[jamesbuf]

Tagging along to see your progress. I used a 42gal hexagon tank as a RDSB and it worked wonders on my old 180gal. It was 300+ lbs of sand though. Definitely curious to see your results.

[Vader]

I'll be tagging along too, I did a lot of reading on deep sand beds too and I'm planning on using a deep sand bed as well. What kind of sand did you put into that container ?

Edited November 22, 2008 by Vader

[Origami]

Looks good, Bob. I've been considering something similar. I like the square container idea. I'd been considering using uniseals and a 5 gallon bucket to implement a RDSB. It may take a few weeks before you see results but I'm confident that you will see something though, with the size of your system, I would have guessed that you'd need a bigger RDSB than this. Keep us posted!

[paenian]

I've been thinking of doing this to my new tank's overflows. It's either DSB in there or macroalgea, draining from the top (I figure DSB means less chance of algae clogging the tubes)... do you think 32" SA by 10" deep DSP would be helpful? There would be two of them, so 64" total surface area, in a 40 gallon breeder.

 

Other thing: DSB flow?

 

Additional filtration with a refugium (can put a DSB in there) a large turf filter & an iffy skimmer.

 

Paul

Edited November 25, 2008 by paenian

[Origami]

I've been thinking of doing this to my new tank's overflows. It's either DSB in there or macroalgea, draining from the top (I figure DSB means less chance of algae clogging the tubes)... do you think 32" SA by 10" deep DSP would be helpful? There would be two of them, so 64" total surface area, in a 40 gallon breeder.

 

Other thing: DSB flow?

 

Additional filtration with a refugium (can put a DSB in there) a large turf filter & an iffy skimmer.

 

Paul

 

RDSB (remote deep sand bucket) flow should be sufficient to keep detritus from settling on the sand surface, but slow enough not to wash the sand out of the container. Normally, as Bob shows it here, RDSB's only run water a couple of inches above the level of the sand. It's difficult to imagine that you'd route all of your overflow output to one of these. A small dedicated pump is often used. As for size, a RDSB implemented in a standard 5 gallon bucket provides ~110 square inches of surface area, and can accomodate a sand depth of about 12" (leaving ~2" of headroom for water). A RDSB implemented this way is said to be effective for systems up to around 100 gallons (if I recall).

[zoozilla]

Had a 20 gallon RDSB on my previous tank (120 gallon). Seemed to function as designed to lower nitrates. Will probably set up another on my new set up. Maybe in the 40 gallon range.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Great pictorial Bob, I'll be tagging along to see your results.

[MisterTang]

And it leaves a clean, fresh scent in your tank!

[lanman]

I am running about 300gph through the dsb, and the refugium. I realize that it is pretty small for my tank - but if it lowers nitrates at all, I can always add another, or something similar but larger.

 

I have some used, well-washed sand of unknown provenance in there, and some Caribsea special grade.

 

I always worry that I am 'imagining' things - especially with tests that are based on a 'shade of pink'. But my nitrate test last night seemed a little lighter than usual for the day before a water change is due. I change 20 gallons twice a week, and sometimes 30. That's what it takes to KEEP my nitrates down around 25 ppm. If I start seeing them drop between water changes, I'll have to credit the FSRDSB. Or my tank maturing at almost a year old. Or changes in the weather. Or my copper-banded butterfly eating aiptasia. Or the alignment of the planets....

 

I will certainly keep everyone informed.

 

bob

[SeanCallan]

This is pretty sweet. I'd love to see someone do something like this but for a fuge with integrated lighting (LEDs?)

[lanman]

It's been a month and a couple of days. I've noticed no big changes in my nitrates - but it SEEMS like they are easier to keep at 25, and sometimes a little lighter. Unfortunately, now I've made another change - to a larger skimmer. So any improvement can't be solely attributed to the new DSB - though I already had plenty of skimmer in it. But my very frequent water changes are definitely improving coral growth.

 

bob

[Vader]

I was curious on how your remote deep sand bed was performing with reducing your nitrates?

[GaryL]

i would think it would take a few months for the RDSB to mature so the nitrate reduction would take a few months to totally achieve a desired amount.

 

Bob, was there a reason you went with the larger grained sand? smaller grain has more surface area. And did you seed with live sand from others' tanks?

 

awseome idea with the square bucket.

Edited January 15, 2009 by GaryL

[dcreefer]

Wow this is really cool! Now I want one...

[astroboy]

I'm wondering if anyone has an educated opinion on this.

 

I have a 75 gallon, pretty much packed with corals and three medium tangs, nitrates usually around 10, have problems with bubble and slime algae. I'll admit I'm not too conscientious about water changes and I probably overfeed the fish a little.

 

I have a deep sand bed, mostly 4 inches deep, but about 6-7 inches deep in the back. The bed has been at its present depth for about six months.

 

It seems to me that assuming the anoxic layer in my tank is 2 inches thick, then I already have about the same volume of anoxic sand as would be provided by an RSBD like the one described here. Of course, that assumes a 4 inch DSB is deep enough to have such an anoxic zone.

 

 

 

Is the (presumed) existing anoxic zone likely sufficient? Anyone have an idea on this?

Is it likely I'd benefit from adding an RSDB?

 

Thanx!

[Origami]

Bob, here's something interesting for you (a DIY sulfur denitrator design): http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-01/diy/index.php

 

MQ, your sandbed is minimally thick (especially to the fore) to be considered "deep." How old is your lighting? Overfeeding may be, as you've observed, the source of both phosphates and nitrates - both of which can fuel algae growth. It's possible you also have high dissolved organics in the water. Do you run carbon? How big are these fish of yours in the 75? Three tangs could represent a pretty high bioload in a 75, if not now then later when they're larger. You could definitely be a candidate for an RDSB or even the denitrator linked to above.

[lanman]

Bob, here's something interesting for you (a DIY sulfur denitrator design): http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-01/diy/index.php

 

MQ, your sandbed is minimally thick (especially to the fore) to be considered "deep." How old is your lighting? Overfeeding may be, as you've observed, the source of both phosphates and nitrates - both of which can fuel algae growth. It's possible you also have high dissolved organics in the water. Do you run carbon? How big are these fish of yours in the 75? Three tangs could represent a pretty high bioload in a 75, if not now then later when they're larger. You could definitely be a candidate for an RDSB or even the denitrator linked to above.

 

Looks pretty straightforward - where do you get the sulfur media??

 

bob

[lanman]

I was curious on how your remote deep sand bed was performing with reducing your nitrates?

 

I'm still not seeing any miracles, but it does seem easier to keep them under control. My green hair algae is dying, corals are doing great, and I don't worry so much about getting my two water changes in every week. If I go a week between changes - the nitrates seem to stay about the same.

 

To answer another question - I used medium coarse sand because that was what I found when I went looking.

 

bob

[lanman]

9 months later....

 

I am not seeing any miracles - but then I didn't expect any with a bed that small.

 

However - my nitrates, for whatever reason - have been easier to keep under control. Still not LOW by any means - but once a week water changes keep them in the 15-20 ppm range.

 

bob

[treesprite]

I'm starting to think about giving up on having a DSB, because I expected "miracles" and got nothing, though I'm positive that having a DSB in my old nano is half the reason that tank had zero nitrate. I think the trick is to start with a DSB immediately with a new system, not expect one added later in the game to be able to catch up.