Another sandbed question

rockster2599 · 01-12-2005, 08:46 AM

Sorry I know there are a lot of posts on this already but i would like to clear a few things up for my own peace of mind:

1) How deep is a DSB and a SSB. the reason I ask is that in my tank I have between 1" and 3" of sand of varying grades (and an overactive Goby hence 1"-3").

2) Many people state that DSBs crash after 3-5 years. Is this an absolute? If not what prevents some crashing?

I just want to know where I fit into this picture, I have had my sandbed for 4 years now, unchanged and unvacuumed. It looks a little gunky if I stirr it up (about 1-2x a month) but has caused no problems. Am I sitting on a Nutrient Timebomb?
Rockster

tims · 01-12-2005, 08:59 AM

1. that is sorta what you think it is. most say a DSB 3+ inches. i run a SSB 1-2 inches. for looks and my sleeper goby...

2. i am not sure about that maybe TDwyatt can chime in..but that is alos another thing i have heard.

..cleaning and exporting as much as you can and replacing part of the sandbed from time to time should help... once the sand is filled up with excess nutri. the only other place to go is back into the water.. try looking in the think tank area. there is a thread maybe 50 pages or so on DSB...

Geoff · 01-12-2005, 02:02 PM

what are you trying to grow in your tank?

certain corals will crash when the nutrients get to high. others will just do better, to an extent. so when a crash happens can be difficult to tell.

G~

rockster2599 · 01-13-2005, 04:13 AM

Softies and a few LPS:-
Green star polyps.
Clavuaria polyps
Zooanthids,
Mushrooms,
Leathers (sarcophyton and sinularia)
Couple of types of Cup (turbinaria)
Torch (caulastrea)
Closed brain (favites I think)
Chilli (neptheogorgia?)
Red goniopora (I dont really know what this was, it doesnt look much like a goniopora but the rock it was on was covered in barnacles and sponges so I think it will probably like nutrients).

After reading a few posts I think I will replace some of the sand over the weekend.
Rockster

wanareef · 01-13-2005, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockster2599

Sorry I know there are a lot of posts on this already but i would like to clear a few things up for my own peace of mind:

1) How deep is a DSB and a SSB. the reason I ask is that in my tank I have between 1" and 3" of sand of varying grades (and an overactive Goby hence 1"-3").

DSB usually to 6" and a SSB 1-3"

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockster2599

2) Many people state that DSBs crash after 3-5 years. Is this an absolute? If not what prevents some crashing?

No not an absolute - just depends on how heavily you feed, flow in the tank, skimmer. If you vaccum the sand to keep the detritus from settling - then the sandbed will be more for looks than help filtration - but will still help buffer the tank.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockster2599

I just want to know where I fit into this picture, I have had my sandbed for 4 years now, unchanged and unvacuumed. It looks a little gunky if I stirr it up (about 1-2x a month) but has caused no problems. Am I sitting on a Nutrient Timebomb?
Rockster

Maybe- do you have algae that you can't get rid of? Phosphate levels?

rockster2599 · 01-13-2005, 05:37 AM

Thanks for all the replies

Maybe- do you have algae that you can't get rid of? Phosphate levels?

No not really, and I have had the same shallow sandbed in the tank for 4 years so I think it would be pretty nutrient saturated by now. Mind you I do have good algea grazing pressure (astrea's and 3 types of hermits), in the areas that are innacessible to grazers (filter box and skimmer outflow) the hair algea grows pretty well.
Rockster