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DSB/RDSB? Think Again People
- Thread starter ds4x4
- Start date
RichT said:
Well, I'm a lot older than my oldest sandbed!
The oldest I had was 4 years; the 55 softie tank that I just move to the 75. In the 75 I have a shallow sandbed.
When I tore the 55 down it looked like it could have kept on a lot longer without any problems.
My tanks before the 55 were all dolomite substrate with under gravel filters. One was a reef and the rest fish and the occasional anemone or flame scallop.
My DSB was 8 years old when I took my tank down and honestly my tank never looked better at the time. I don't think I had a nitrate problem (I didn't test for nitrates) as I didn't have any nusiance algae and the corals were growing very well. I also hadn't done a water change for 2 years.
I had done regular water changes from year 1 through 6 and then I started getting an outbreak of dinoflagettes (evil stuff). After battling it for months with bi=weekly water changes, siphoning and blacking out the tank Sanjay suggested that I stop WCs. It worked the dinos burned themselves out and I was scared to death to do another water change for fear of them coming back.
The caveat was I only had 5 fish and 3 shrimp in a 125 with 160lbs of rock, 250lbs of live sand and huge ETSS downdraft skimmer.
When I start my next tank I will definitely plan on bi-weekly WC because I think they very important for trace element replenishment.
The caveat was I only had 5 fish and 3 shrimp in a 125 with 160lbs of rock, 250lbs of live sand and huge ETSS downdraft skimmer.
When I start my next tank I will definitely plan on bi-weekly WC because I think they very important for trace element replenishment.
Can't compete with the older ones. My DSB came from a friend that has had his 120 running at least when I met him (4 years ago) and I've had mine running for a little over a year now. So that makes mine at least 4 years.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Sounds good but the oldest DSB I know about was 10 years old.
Most of my fish are older than that and some are almost twice as old.
Are there any 15 year old DSBs? If not, why not? What happened to them?
They were invented about 20 years ago. I am interested in the process as to what goes wrong with them. I myself don't run one but I did run one when I started my tank in the seventees. It crashed but I used much too fine beach sand.
Most of my fish are older than that and some are almost twice as old.
Are there any 15 year old DSBs? If not, why not? What happened to them?
They were invented about 20 years ago. I am interested in the process as to what goes wrong with them. I myself don't run one but I did run one when I started my tank in the seventees. It crashed but I used much too fine beach sand.
Paul B
NJRC Member
As for that study (that I did not write) the last line states that DSBs of a shallower design work better and do not have the problem of the nitrates re entering the water column as ammonia to be re converted back to nitrates. Very deep beds run into that problem.
My own personal study states that DSBs do not last long. But I am still researching that one. IMO a system needs to last for many years without having to be taken apart, it should keep the animals healthy while lowering nitrates.
I am 60 years old so a 10 year old system does not seem very long to me.
My system (which I do not advocate in any way) is almost 40 years old.
I have a problem with the technology of a DSB in that after some years, the spaces between the sand will clog limiting oxygen even more and the "critters" that are there to allow the water to enter the lower regions can not go into those anoxic areas.
Also those "critters" will only multiply for a few years then die out leaving only bacteria. When bacteria dies it leaves detritus, all carbon based animals leave a residu which will help clog the lower areas of a sand bed.
Of course this is only my opinion through my research. Not that study that Bob Goemans quoted. ;D
I do not have any problems with SSBs or BB tanks except they need another way to deal with nitrates. :
My own personal study states that DSBs do not last long. But I am still researching that one. IMO a system needs to last for many years without having to be taken apart, it should keep the animals healthy while lowering nitrates.
I am 60 years old so a 10 year old system does not seem very long to me.
My system (which I do not advocate in any way) is almost 40 years old.
I have a problem with the technology of a DSB in that after some years, the spaces between the sand will clog limiting oxygen even more and the "critters" that are there to allow the water to enter the lower regions can not go into those anoxic areas.
Also those "critters" will only multiply for a few years then die out leaving only bacteria. When bacteria dies it leaves detritus, all carbon based animals leave a residu which will help clog the lower areas of a sand bed.
Of course this is only my opinion through my research. Not that study that Bob Goemans quoted. ;D
I do not have any problems with SSBs or BB tanks except they need another way to deal with nitrates. :