Remote Deep Sand Bed

[Stu]

What's the latest thinking on Deep Sand Beds? This seemed to be a much debated issue a few years ago, with the benefits of denitrification vs. reports of them becoming "saturated" and melting down tanks. I haven't read much about it lately, so I'm just wondering what the consensus is. Am thinking about incorporating a 5 gal. bucket-style RDSB (display will have a shallow sand bed, purely for aesthetics). Will the benefits be worth setting it up, or is it unnecessary?

[cabrego]

What's the latest thinking on Deep Sand Beds? This seemed to be a much debated issue a few years ago, with the benefits of denitrification vs. reports of them becoming "saturated" and melting down tanks. I haven't read much about it lately, so I'm just wondering what the consensus is. Am thinking about incorporating a 5 gal. bucket-style RDSB (display will have a shallow sand bed, purely for aesthetics). Will the benefits be worth setting it up, or is it unnecessary?

 

 

FWIW, I run a barebottom tank with a RDSB (~4 INCHES) in my fuge section of my sump. I have had good success keeping my nitrates at zero for the last few months using the RDSB with cheato. You may have challenges with dentirification using a 5 gallon bucket approach due to lack of surface area / water interface, but I am just speculating.

 

The great thing about the RDSB in a 5 gallon bucket is that you can get rid of it, if you think its a waste and it is not very expensive to setup.

 

good luck.

[Origami]

I run a DSB and an auxiliary RDSB and regularly test nitrates at zero. I also have chaeto in my refugium but it's very slow to grow.

[watson_barrett]

wouldn't it be risky removing your entire DSB, i think i've heard of people reporting crashes by doing this???

 

Last i've read you need atleast 4" up to 6" with a few sand sifting inhabitant to obtain total/full benefits...???

[hlem]

my 265display has about 3in sand bed. overflow to a 30gallon with 6in DSB with chaeto, that overflow to a 20galllon Rubbermaid with skimmer and phosgaurd media, carbon, etc... which then finally overflow to another 30gallon with another 6in DSB with fill with LR this is where the return pump is as well.

 

everything is at 0, sometime i overfeed, i see nitrate spikes up a little. 10-20, but then it go back to 0 again in about 2 days. i have it for about 3 months now. so far so good.

[Stu]

The fuge section in my sump is relatively small (~4" x 10" x 10" deep). I know I can put a DSB in there, but it won't leave much room for chaeto, live rock, etc. This is why I was thinking of doing a DSB separate from the fuge in a separate container.

[Vader]

I've read they work and read they don't. But I have a sand bed in my display tank thats from 2" to 3" and a RDSB that 8"x8"x8". My nitrates are low, less than .2ppm but I don't know if thats from the RDSB or what, I just thought I would give it a try and see what happens. It's only been up and running since 7-19-09, so I would guess that the RDSB hasn't had a chance to really get going yet.

[m3fan8ic]

I have mine setup within my sump's middle chamber with cheato/micro algea and about 4-5" DSB. The more dirty my sump is the better my tank will be I think

[zygote2k]

My DT empties into the 'fuge which empties into the sump/ DSB. I have 4" of sand and low nitrates.

[lanman]

I pushed my old 'remote deep sand bed' build thread up to the top.

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=26319

 

No miracle cure - but it may be helping to some degree.

 

bob

[jamesbuf]

I pushed my old 'remote deep sand bed' build thread up to the top.

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=26319

 

No miracle cure - but it may be helping to some degree.

 

bob

 

I don't think you had a large enough bucket for your sized system. I used a 42gal hexagon with about 16-18" of sand as a RDSB on my old 180 and it helped tremendously. I honestly don't know how people that don't have DSBs keep their nitrates anywhere near zero unless they have very few fish and/or stare their fish.

[Coral Hind]

I run a shallow course sand bed, purely for aesthetics which I vacuum a portion of when I do a water change. Nitrates were zero last Sunday. The sump is also bare bottom.

 

I will never have a DSB in my tank again unless I plan on tearing it down, cleaning or replacing it around the four year mark. If I were to run a RDSB I would probably clean that system every two years to flush out the stored nutrients.