DSB in display tank

[gaboon]

What are the expert views on this? My tank is 800 x 600 x 400, 600 being the height so I have ample room for it. My sump isn't big enough for the dsb, so what do you guys think?

[Kanga]

Yes sure just remember you will have rock etc over meaning less surface area, What does your sump look like? And What Size?

[gaboon]

Heres my sump, measurements are 540 x 280 260. I'm quite sure its not big enough for a dsb. I could use pvc piping in the display to raise the LR off the sand. What you think?

[Reef Maniac]

I'm a firm believer in having a DSB in the display tank... on condition that you are VERY selective in what animals you keep in the tank (you don't want to have wrasses, dottybacks, etc. as they will eat all your bristle worms and most other small critters in the sand. You will also not want to keep any "sand sifting" blennies, and only keep a few small hermit crabs (if any...).

Having a DSB without the life forms necessary to keep it in optimal working condition is rather a waste of time and money.

Hennie

[Tridan]

Agrred with hennie, but a dsb in a display will not offer denitrifacation, it will serve more as a critter bed, if that makes sense.

[gaboon]

In that case I should make a new sump to fit the full length of the cabinet then, with 3 chambers. I'm using a weirpro hang-on skimmer, can it be placed in the sump?

[Kanga]

What Hennie is saying makes a lot of sense, as long as the Critters are there you will have a DSB.

But as for the bigger sump, yes always a bigger sump

How much space have you got for the sump? I dont know the Weipros but I am sure you will be able to use it insump

[gaboon]

Thanks for the advise, if I do redo it, it will only give me ±150mm more. Is it worth the effort?

[Reef Maniac]

Originally Posted by Tridan

... a dsb in a display will not offer denitrifacation, it will serve more as a critter bed, if that makes sense.

In my experience it DOES offer very good denitrification, if it is left undisturbed (not vacuumed, etc.) and the "life" is not killed off. Why do you say that it will not denitrify?

Hennie

[lanzo]

Try to make a new sump.It's fun!!!

[Tridan]

Originally Posted by Reef Maniac

In my experience it DOES offer very good denitrification, if it is left undisturbed (not vacuumed, etc.) and the "life" is not killed off. Why do you say that it will not denitrify?

Hennie

In one of calfo's books he states that denitrifacation will only take place in sand bed depths of over 10cm/4inches, i think it was reef invertibrates that he mentioned this, under the heading of live sand.

However hennie i do stand corrected if you have further information on this.
Please share.

It is my belief , through reading that your anearobic bacteria is mostly responsable for denitrifacation.

Please correct me if i am wrong.

[palmerc]

Originally Posted by Tridan

In one of calfo's books he states that denitrifacation will only take place in sand bed depths of over 10cm/4inches, i think it was reef invertibrates that he mentioned this, under the heading of live sand.

However hennie i do stand corrected if you have further information on this.
Please share.

It is my belief , through reading that your anearobic bacteria is mostly responsable for denitrifacation.

Please correct me if i am wrong.

Hi Tridan,

I am sure the intention is to make the DSB at least 10 cm thick.

[sunburst]

DSB in display. Providing its deep enough and all other requirements are tended... it will provide the best denitrification.... and to boot; because the display tank is where all the action is ie current light hungry mouths... it will best serve the additional benefits.

[palmerc]

Originally Posted by gaboon

What are the expert views on this? My tank is 800 x 600 x 400, 600 being the height so I have ample room for it. My sump isn't big enough for the dsb, so what do you guys think?

When I bought my tank I specifically went for a 60cm depth because I wanted a DSB in the main display.

Ran it like this for over two years and it was very effective. Never had nitrate problem as all. Most of it was covered with rock about half I would say and I vacummed the visble areas of the DSB every two weeks about 5cm into the DSB.

I reckon an in-tank DSB can't really be beaten for size. How many other people would have a DSB measuring 150cm x 60cm (size of my display).

However I am no longer running an in-tank DSB. Decided to try bare-bottom when I got my new sump. My in-sump DSB measure about 40x40cm, so only about a 20% of the size it used to be, but it still seems to be doing it's job.

[sunburst]

Originally Posted by palmerc

I vacummed the visble areas of the DSB every two weeks about 5cm into the DSB.

I

Thought this practice had been abandoned with the UGF....and those that still did it, confined the vacuuming to a small part of the dsb at a time and never went deeper than a cm. I could be wrong wrong though. I have never done it because it meant more work.

[Reef Maniac]

Originally Posted by Tridan

In one of Calfo's books he states that denitrifacation will only take place in sand bed depths of over 10cm/4inches

That is correct - and that is what the "D" in DSB stands for... Deep Sand Bed

The minimum depth for de-nitrification is directly related to the particle size of the sand. With "sugar-size" sand and "good" water flow the bed becomes anaerobic at a depth of 50mm-75mm, thus leaving a 25mm - 50mm thick anaerobic region for de-nitrification in the recommended 100mm thick DSB.

It is my belief , through reading that your anearobic bacteria is mostly responsable for denitrifacation.

Correct

[gaboon]

Cool, thanks for all the replies, I'm going to try it, hopefully its going to happen all this week before I blow my bonus on other non essentials ie. christmas pressies, groceries etc.

[Tridan]

Cool guy's. Gaboon there are your answers. Sorry for the confusion, i just never seen a sand bed that is over thay 3cm in the tank. so i presumed that is what gaboon was after.

[Peter Bee]

hi
that skimmer can be placed in the water as long as you dont put it deeper then the cup or outlet so it fills up with water. having colal in your tank is far better than a bare bottom tank there is at least some place for your bugs and things to hang out, if you short of space in your sump and tank put what you can in it will all help house something
peter bee

[gaboon]

Now this is solved, what do I put in the sump, it has 2 chambers: the seperator has an inch gap at the bottom as the original filter media (ceramic balls, sponge) (see pic above) was used in the first chamber which I have removed. I was thinking of removing the separator and adding another 2. The first chamber would house the skimmer, the middle chamber would then have chaeto and/or LR and third chamber the return pump, heater. What you guys think?