DSB Reading

Very interesting link and well worth the read.

DSB's are something that I advocate and have been the source of many hot debates over the years.
As people have come to understand their function and how to properly set one up these debates seem to have subsided and a lot of aquarists now employ a DSB as part of their biological filtration.

There are still so many myths surrounding DSB's though and a lot of people see it as a quick fix to problems that they have with their systems. As with most things in this hobby it takes time for a DSB to start functioning and it's true potential onlt starts to be realised after a year or so of being setup.
The constant seeding of different bacteria strains is also critical to it's success IMO.
I would like to see more guy's coming home from their buddy's house after a visit with a handful of sand from them. " Look Honey I got some sand !!! " - lol.
 
DragonReef said:
The constant seeding of different bacteria strains is also critical to it's success IMO.
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I have been saying this for a long time. Not only bacteria, but also other critters and pods etc. One species tends to become domminent and the numbers of the other species' numbers will get smaller.
 
ok i'll buy that, so how do we do this? Just take sand from each other's dsb's? Won't even a little sand removal disturb the whole thing?
 
Copperband said:
ok i'll buy that, so how do we do this? Just take sand from each other's dsb's? Won't even a little sand removal disturb the whole thing?
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Copper, I think in an established sand bed I don't think removing a handful will cause a problem. You would only disturb a small part of the top layer, which IMO gets disturbed by critters all the time. If you disturb too deep hoever, you could kill off the denitrifying bacteria. But if you keep it to a small part shouldn't be a problem either IMO.

I think LS exchange might be made a function of reef clubs.
 
Yip taking a scoop off the top layer will do no harm to a sand bed.
Following the GARF philosophy it's also a good idea to take some liverock and break it up into small bits and sprinkle it over your bed. This also harbours beneficial bacteria and fauna and can be swapped amongst hobbyists.
 
DragonReef said:
Following the GARF philosophy it's also a good idea to take some liverock and break it up into small bits and sprinkle it over your bed. This also harbours beneficial bacteria and fauna and can be swapped amongst hobbyists.
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This sounds like a good idea. I think I will do that.
 
Interesting read. Thanks for the links. I have read about Plenums and DSB's for a while now. Going to be starting a DSB soon. Maybe someone can answer this, I have a tank that is 900 X 450 X 500 (L, W, H). Could I cover the entire bottom of that tank with a 10cm layer of sand or is that too large. I also want to have Chaeto in that tank. Will that affect the DSB ?
 
Smithers, you can definately have a DSB in your display. I think the main reason people don't do it is 1) it doesn't look that nice, and 2) It takes up verticle space.

But if you mean in the sump, then go for it, a DSB can't be too big I think. The bigger the better!

Chaeto won't effect the DSB IMO. I have always run both in all my nanos.
 
The tank I was talking about is a seperate tank. I could not keep a DSB in my tank as the wrasse would tear it up when they bury themselves.
Thanks for the advice Galibore.
 
A DSB with Chaeto ontop is a great idea and adds benefit as some of the critters migrate between the 2. This will be known as a refugium with a DSB.
 
Actually a dsb all on it’s own in the sump area is also a refugium. DSB/Chaeto fuge is probably the right name for it.;)
There are so many ways/variations/styles to do refugiums. Fuge’s are probably on of my favourite areas of marine tanks, they just so damm interesting and beneficial.
 
Thanks for the post.. gonna give it a read tonight..

Shotto

Muz
 
millepora said:
Fuge’s are probably on of my favourite areas of marine tanks, they just so damm interesting and beneficial.
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You are so right. I love fuges/DSB's and watch mine almost more than my display when I do have them. I love looking at pictures on the net of people's refugiums.
 
can someone explain to stupid what the diffs is, I have a DSB with a eggcrate stand onto with a few big pieces of LR and a snail and today noticed some sort of star fish...don't think it's a brittle star as it's got quite fat fingers...
 
millepora said:
Actually a dsb all on it’s own in the sump area is also a refugium. DSB/Chaeto fuge is probably the right name for it.;)
There are so many ways/variations/styles to do refugiums. Fuge’s are probably on of my favourite areas of marine tanks, they just so damm interesting and beneficial.
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How do you run the lights in a DSB/refugium?

Some tanks I have seen run them 24h per day, this is apparently something to do with stopping the algae from sexually producing.

Others run it in a reverse cycle to the main tank to stabilise water parameters?
 
Len both options work.

I would run my fuge lighting 24/7 if I could but I have heat issues during the day, so I run it on a reverse cycle. Keeping your fuge lit on reverse helps to counter the effects of PH dropping at night.
 
Its an marine beneficial algae helps with nutrients export. Basically takes out phosphates etc.
 
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