Anthony...I need your opinion.

[MacnReef]

Okay, so I am sure you have heard all of the rage about starboard tanks and seen people "jumping" back 10 years to BB tanks. I personally don't like the look of either.

I was planning on a .5-.75" fine sand bed in my main display with a refugium, utilizing mineral mud of 2-3". My turnover through the fuge will be about 15 times per hour (my main display will be more because of the AM3K). So what are your thoughts on DSB's, can they be successful for long periods of time? I have had one fail but may be my one stupidity.

Little background on my 180. It will have the following:

Drilled 180
W70HD PanWorld pump as main return
PCX55 feeding MR2 skimmer
20"x16" refugium in sump
Dolphin AmpMaster 3K on closed loop
not sure if this matters but 3-250W HQI's and 4-T5's.

I personally think I will be more successful without the DSB, due to time and my lack of adding proper animals at the right time.

TIA, Mike

BTW, I am sorry to hear what happened to you at MACNA...but I am sure you don't want to talk about it, so I will just leave it at that.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

cheers, Mike

thanks for your sympathy about the drama at MACNA. No worries... all truly water under the bridge The Boston club at large are all very, very nice folks... just like the rest of our fellow reef clubs/hobbyists. No need to fault the majority for the actions of a few. Better days for all indeed.

As to DSBs... I am a strong supporter of them in the hands of informed aquarists insuring proper application/maintenance with due diligence (principally adequate water flow (right kind and right amount), good overall nutrient export mechanisms, etc. My position on the subject has be (re)sated) often on WWM, RC, etc as well as most detailed in "Reef Invertebrates". Not a brush off to you at all my friend. But to spare me from writing the same old matter over and over again, please allow me to direct you to the site-specific search tools if not my last book.

The principal fault/flaw with DSBs IMO is that they are not beginner friendly.

Its hard to say of you need one or not (likely not) - do you need significant denitrification... want a better diversity in microfauna, etc. Then yes... perhaps a DSB for you (either in the tank or even under the tank and not illuminated).

Sorry for the brief mention here overall... but the methods for success and reasons for failure with DSBs are easy to recognize and address. Do weigh the pros and cons.

with kind regards,

Anthony

 

[MacnReef]

Thank you Anthony....I appreciate your reply.

I have done a lot of research on the subject, but it seems that their is pros and cons to both. Bomber & GregT are big supporters of Barebottom tanks with starboard, utilizing high flow to keep detritus in suspension to be removed by siphoning from the sump. Ron S seems to be a big fan of DSB, I mean he even wrote a book on it for gods sake.

I was just trying to make the right decision on my new tank so that I would not wish I would have gone another way from the beginning. But I will do some research on the information that you have provided to the reef industry.

I think I will stick with a shallow sand bottom with a fine sand.

Again...I appreciate your time.

Mike

 

[Anthony Calfo]

all good Mike...

and I agree with Bomber and Greg T's opinion (for all tanks) about the importance of water flow to keep detritus in suspension.

Your decision to use DSB or not is rather like lighting: you must determine the needs of the animals before you can pick the hardware to support them. Its like buying intense lighting and then wondering what kind of corals to put under them. Heehee... it would suck if you wanted deep water LPS at that point <G>

One of the principal benefits of DSBs is denitrification as you know... so - do you think you will need heavy duty NNR? Big Fish... heavy coral load... heavy feeding of the tank? DSB may be the way for you.

I feed my corals VERY heavily (for faster growth) and as such... enjoy DSB use. Never had one crash in 15 years... have used the better part of a 48,000 lb load of oolitic aragonite in my greenhouse and display tanks through the years to do it (even have one bed that's about 9 years old now). All trouble free. I understand the needs/recs for keeping a DSB... and I enjoy the benefits.

But I would never say someone needs a DSB. Many ways to run a successful tank Bare bottomed to DSB and everywhere in between.

best of luck,

Anthony

 

[MacnReef]

Thank you!

Okay do you ever have to add organisms to your sand to keep it active? I was planning on using Oolitic sand by Caribsea and was wanting to know your thoughts on this sand.

Mike

 

[Anthony Calfo]

all oolitic sand is essentially the same (coming from the same/similar sources as of late).

I like this sugar fine grade best (any brand... Southdown, Carib, etc)

If the sand bed is being lit, then some bio-turbators will be needed... but an easy way to run a DSB with the benefits but few of the inconveniences is to fill a deep bucket (small garbage can, 6 gall salt bucket, etc) and drill an overflow at the top of it. With sand nearly to the top of that bucket (only a few inches of water over it) the bucket is a great DSB for NNR, buffering, some microorganisms, etc... but keep it unlit and tap it inline downstream of the display (bleeder line off the return pump leading back into the sump, or gravity fed from the display before the sump). Very low maint. at that point.

Anth-

PS- will be out of town until next Weds... my apologies for any delay in response after this