Deep sand bed

[xblade]

I started running bio pellets on my 77 just before christmas.My nitrate levels were not too bad, but phosphates were fairly high.( I use tap water treated with prime for top off and WC's)I had alot of HA and a cyano problem.Just checked my tank parameters a couple days ago, and my phos and nitrate are at undetectable levels.HA is only on 1 rock now and cyano is gone.(I did cut back on lighting for a couple weeks to help)
I give the pellets 2 thunbs up... so far

I just use LR rubble in my sump

[frd72]

thanks a lot!! that's why i decided to ask it here first before doing some changes on my sump. so far i don't really have a big issue (bad) with my tank when it comes to water parameters..

thanks,
teddy

[naesco]

Originally Posted by frd72

thanks a lot!! that's why i decided to ask it here first before doing some changes on my sump. so far i don't really have a big issue (bad) with my tank when it comes to water parameters..

thanks,
teddy

You defineately will have.
You have four fast growing tangs in a 75 gallon tank.
You should plan now to set up a minimum six foot tank. I don't think that anyone will disagree with this advice.

[amoreira]

I have a DSB in the tank. Downside is that it limits the amount of flow you can put in the tank. Anymore than I presently have (~ 7000 usgph), then I'd have a sand storm. The bed is shallowest at the centre of the tank at a couple of inches and at the edges it's close to 8 inches at some points. I personally like the aesthetics of a DSB in the DT. The flow I do have is adequate for the corals. I don't care about detritus transport to the sump. It can settle in calm areas of the DT where the DSB is deep. It gets processed by all the benthic fauna in the DSB. I find that BB tanks look sterile and unnatural. Shallow sand beds and BB tanks have the maintenance headache of constantly vacuuming detritus.

Let me mention that I also have:
- a lot of live rock,
- bio-pellets,
- a good skimmer
- a fuge with chaeto.
- run activated carbon (Rox 0.8 from BRS)
- run HC GFO (also from BRS)

Seems to me that all this is needed to keep nutrients at levels low enough to have healthy SPS corals (nitrates 0 and PO4 at 0.05 ppm). I think the biggest contributor in keeping P low is the GFO, with assistance from the chaeto fuge. Activated carbon keeps my water from going yellow. I don't know if the corals are negatively affected by yellow water, except for the loss of PAR as the yellow components absorb light in the UV/blue spectrum. I don't have a clue if my bio-pellets are helping. All the aforementioned are back-up to my primary filtration from the live rock/skimmer/DSB, without which I don't think my system would function at all. So, I think a multi-pronged approach is needed.

[marie]

I like sandbeds just for the extra critters it provides home for. I believe our tanks, just like any ecosystem should be built on the pyramid system.....large numbers of algae/bacteria, smaller numbers of critters that eat the algae/bacteria and fewer yet critters that eat them. Not easy to do when you have limited space and want to have things that you can see

[Jpeter]

I just set up a 36 gallon tank with 2 inches of sand and after learning how a DSB works I want to add two more inches.
I set the tank up 4 days ago can i add two more inches or should i just add one and wait a week then the other inch.