Sand beds: What do you need and why.

[PoonTang]

Well I use a DSB both in my DT and in my fuge. To my understanding the DSB is all about Anerobic Bacteria that a Shallow SB wont have. Without getting into a bunch or reasearch etc apparently these Anerobic bacteria are good for our tank. Where I stray a little from the normal practice is in the fact that most say that a DSB is a do not touch zone. In other words, you should never disturb it because you will release all sorts of nasty stuff into the water column and mass death will occur etc... Well It is regarded in some circles that these DSB eventually become plugged with all kinds gooky stuff leading to Old tank syndrome, algae, phosphates etc. Hence this is the source of your smelly sand etc Aqquatro? Some current thinking, which I am currently following, is to regularly stir up small areas of your DSB everytime you do a water change. Say no more than 10% by surface area, this will release all the trapped detrius, SO2 bubbles etc into the watercolumn but not in amounts enough to do any harm. Thus renewing the sand bed and removing some of the nasty stuff that gets trapped there. My fish actually seem to enjoy it as I am sure that I am releasing little bugs too within the small dust storm I create. Anyways, not saying what is right or wrong, Its just the course that I am currently following.

[christyf5]

I also rode the DSB bandwagon and I had very little success with it. I was really successful at growing algae but then I've always been good at growing algae though so I can't say that it was the result of having a sandbed. However after battling dinoflagellates after a year, I restarted my tank twice. The first time was because I was using the coarser grade of sand (not the oolitic, the other stuff) and I was "supposed" to be using the oolitic, and it was "supposed" to be shallow. That would definitely cure my dino problem, it was my "old" sandbed (3 yrs old) that was causing the issues. The tank lasted 4 weeks before I could clearly see the tank was having issues again: there were incredible piles of grey detritus building up on it. Then I heard people were going without DSBs. I figured what the hell, I was almost out of the hobby anyways so I yarded that sandbed out as well.

Since that day in 2004 I have had nothing but success in keeping corals. Ya ya I've had various other issues mostly from stupidity/faulty equipment/more stupidity but my corals keep on growin after they recover from whatever stupid thing I've done to them.

I would definitely put myself in that category of people who just can't have a tank with a sandbed. I love the look but my tank would have to be a glass box full of rock and water. No corals and no fish for me to be "successful" with it.

As for the anerobic zone, some say 4 inches is enough some say 6 inches. Personally I don't think the anaerobic zone in a sandbed is "healthy" (but then again theres all sorts of critters worming around in it) and most of the nitrate reducing activities can certainly take place in the rock. And they do or my tank would be full of nitrates because my fish eat like pigs and crap like a herd of cattle