Dsb

[youtoo54]

In my 180 tank there is about 4 inches of sand. In my refuge I recently took that magic mud out (it was really old and the LFS didn't carry it) and I replaced it with crushed corral. Now I am reading that I probably should have put sand back in there if I was going to put anything back in there at all. I dont have extremely high nitrate levels but it is no were near 0. Ive been changing about 20 gallons of water every other day and the levels aren't really dropping. If I put 6 inches or so of sand in the refuge will this help at all? Or does the DSB that im reading that helps people with nitrate levels only work in the DT>

 

[PRC]

What is your livestock list.

What is your equipment list

What are your nitrates at?

 

[PRC]

I looked at your build thread...I'm going to guess that your tank is still going through it's cycle or started another cycle.

https://www.livingreefs.com/180-gallon-so-far-t33505.html

 

[d2mini]

As to the dsb in the fuge... you can, many people do.
My own personal experience with it, is that it didn't do anything for me. YMMV.

 

[sen5241b]

A marine biologist did a controlled experiment of DSBs and found that they do not help at all.

 

[little_fish]

You cant have a deep sand bed with crushed corals. The point of a deep sand bed is to create an oxygen free zone for certain bacteria to live, but you cant do that with crushed coral

 

[youtoo54]

I know I just read about the crushed corral not working for the DSB. As far as the marine biologist study I saw that also, but i also saw were some said it was beneficial. I am thinking about pulling the crushed coral out of the fuge and replacing it with sand.

 

[supernatureal]

For a DSB get yourself a five gallon bucket and one bag of play sand fill the bucket. Flow water at a speed fast enough that nothing settles on the sand bed but only about two to three inches deeper then the sand. The sand needs to be at least 12 inches deep.

 

[little_fish]

you dont need 12 inches of sand for a DSB, you only need 6.

 

[supernatureal]

6 still is not deep enough for the proper bacteria to grow. 8 min. at least that is what the experts in this hobby say. Was just at a seminar this weekend and the recommended depth for the DSP is 12 inches to do any good. Two inches in a Deep Sand Bed makes a lot of difference. 6 even more.

 

[supernatureal]

Just Google RDSB Bucket.

 

[youtoo54]

So that is were the mud comes in? I was reading were you don't need near as deep of bed with it as you do the sand.

 

[d2mini]

So that is were the mud comes in? I was reading were you don't need near as deep of bed with it as you do the sand.

You don't. But whether or not the mud does anything at all is debatable. I have it, but it's due for replacement and I don't know what I'm going to do. I might just replace it with more since my tank has zero problems and if it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

[youtoo54]

My LFS guy says that he doesn't know if it does any good or not but he says in his DT it seems to always do better using it. He said he doesn't know if its luck, or coincidence.