why are we running DSB and is it for the right reasons

[StirCrazy]

after reading several posts of late on DSB problems (including the 37 pager on RC) I have come to queston weather a DSB is a long term nitrate reducer, or is it infact a nutrent/polutant sponge that has a finite life and will cause problems down the road. If it is the later, then how do we deal with the potential demise of our present DSB's and how do we set up tanks in the future to safe guard against this?

I have thought about this for the new tank I want to do and this is what I am thinking.

1, make a base in the display tank of agracreat (or something) that you can "glue" sand to to simulate the look of a sand bed.

2, have a large remote sand bed set up but only using sugar sand about 1 to 2" deep so you can get the denitrifacation benifits out of it, but leave it cheep enuf to dispose of it every few years. (what kinda of square footage of sand bed are we talking about to be a good bacteria driven denitrifyer for a givin size of tank?)

I liked the idea of having two remote sandbeds with staggered start dates.
that way you could change one bed every year so you only go 2 years on a spicific bed.

so lets hear the Idea's/opinions that I know we have on this board remember this is not intended to be a barebottom vs. dsb argument but rather a dessusion.

Steve