Dennis_said Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 I read that it's not good to mix up the sand bed... and I'm trying to reorganize thing around my tank, so I'm doing it A LOT... trying to get stuff at the very bottom up top (don't ask why ) but why is this not advised? Link to comment
Acoustic Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 The reason is because of anerobic zones: The reason a deep sand bed is effective is because anerobic bacteria living in anerobic zones. This bacteria is what breaks down the waste and processes it. SooooooooooOOOOooo.....if you disturb the anerobic zones you will go through a whole new cycle again. Link to comment
Dennis_said Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 Ooh, I seee.. thanks Acoustic... so basically just set the sand right at the start and leave it there? Link to comment
Orange Crush Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 but if your sand bed is just an inch or two, that's not a DSB and you shouldn't cause problems by stirring it around. Link to comment
lizbeth Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Dennis in your new sand bed you don't have to worry about it. Stir away. It's when a sand bed settles it gets "zones". Link to comment
Billdemart Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 What is the depth for a DSB? 2 inches won't create one? How deep of a sand bed can you have in a 10 gallon rectangular? Link to comment
DongShenYin Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 If you have worms and such in your sand, won't stirring kill them? Link to comment
mane3215 Posted June 22, 2003 Share Posted June 22, 2003 Do you guys put your live rock in first then the sand? Or do you put the sand bed down then sit the rock on top? I have read int he past that its really just preference, true? Sorry to go off topic, I thought it may be a bit relative since if your rock is on top there is less disturbance. Link to comment
Billdemart Posted June 22, 2003 Share Posted June 22, 2003 I have read people doing it both different ways. I put my live rock in first and then the sand, but this was kind of difficult with 20 pounds of rock in a 10 gallon tank to maneuver the sand bag around the rocks. In the end it worked pretty well though. Link to comment
LITTLEFISHEE Posted June 22, 2003 Share Posted June 22, 2003 I put my sand in first, about 4 inches of the black live sand. Now I have about 20 lbs L/R and about 4 pieces in a quarantine tank that were leftover. Link to comment
UncleTed Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 I kill worms everytime I clean my tank. I brush them off of the sides. I turn the HOB full blast to collect the debris I stir up, and they get sucked in. etc. Doesn't seem to hurt the population much, and this if coming from a tank that had a fairly brutal beat-down in the beginning. SG off of the hydrometer's chart. Worm population does not seem to be a problem after a while. Link to comment
seabass Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 If I understand it right, people setup DSBs to create oxygen depleted areas in their sand that support bacteria that help break down Nitrates. This is the purpose, right? You see a lot of us using the term DSB for sand beds under 4 inches, however, I think the term more accurately applies to sand beds of 4 inches or greater. Is this correct? In our Nanos, we remove Nitrates with water changes which doubles to replenish trace elements and buffers. I think that the lower your Nitrates the better; however, as I learned this weekend, Nitrate levels as high as 10 ppm are acceptable in most nano reefs with hardy inhabitants. In fact, the Nitrates provide nutrients for beneficial macro algae and even some corals. You should be able to keep Nitrates within the 5 to 10 ppm range with weekly water changes (without the aid of a deep sand bed). If this is not the case, you are either overfeeding and/or overcrowding your tank; in which case, cut down your feedings or perform bigger or more frequent water changes. A true DSB should never be stirred and there is a valid concern that this might lead to your tank crashing. When I setup my tank I didn't consider the risks worth the benefits since you can achieve the same thing through water changes. A nice 2 inch sand bed supports additional life and you can keep it well oxygenated by things like Nassarius snails, Cerith snails, and Blue Leg Hermits (to name a few). Link to comment
onthefly Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 The other factor no one is addressing is the size of the sand particle! Smaller sand particles (oolite, aragonite, etc) can have 1/2 the sand, but same amount of denitrification. Therefore, you can have a "DSB" under 4" that works. From experience, 4" DSB/plenum combo in my 45T...last water change was in August, NO3 are still under 10ppm with a heavy feeding hand. DSB's work! Link to comment
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