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					Originally Posted by danny zubot
					
				 
				What he didn't tell you that has been recently dicovered is that the 10% of those "bugs" account for about 85 to 90% of the denitrification process, all of which occures withing the first 3/4 inches of sand in an aquarium.  
			
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 is this a new development that you need bugs for denitrification?  the sand alone will denitrify with bacteria no need for pods, worms ect.  and what was meant for a working sand bed is long term like 15 years ect.. if you have the right bugs ie.  the little est one eats the bacteria that breakdown the nitrate, and a bigger one eats that and so on and so on until the fish are the last of the removal chain then theoretically a sand bed will be self sustaining and never plug up.  this is what cannot happen in our tanks and it is why after anywhere from 1 to 5 years most sand beds start creating more problems than they solve.  so there are no bugs needed for nitrification only a pours surface of the right depth and bacteria, hence this is why rock works just as good and is the original filter.  but yes I agree bugs are fun to watch and I have just as many mysis, pods, worms as I did in the sand bed, is just that I am getting old and can't stay up that late to watch them anymore hehe 
 
Steve
 
		
	
		
		
		
		
			
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