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#1
01-30-2011, 04:14 PM
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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.
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180 gal tank, 50 gal sump, PM RFCa6 Ca Reactor, SWC Extreme 250 1A Cone Skimmer, Tunz Osmolator ATOF, Aquacontroller Apex, Aquaillumination Sol Super Blue 6 x 75w Units, Acros/Softies/LPS/Mushrooms/Zoos, Purple/Powder Blue/Yellow Tang/3xBlue Chromis/2xTomato Clown/Lawnmower Blenny Last edited by amoreira; 01-30-2011 at 05:09 PM. 
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#2
01-30-2011, 05:43 PM
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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
 Last edited by marie; 01-30-2011 at 05:47 PM.
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#3
01-13-2013, 10:39 AM
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Deep Sand Bed
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.
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Hybrid Mode
