creative ways of having a remote DSB

kevensquint

Active member
I want to have a DSB for nitrate removal on my BB tank. But I don't want the sand in the main tank, the device/design can't be very heavy and it can't take up alot of room. I know its alot to ask for, but you are creative people. I tought of making water trickle slowly down through a 7"x24" cylinder full of fine sand. I'm not sure if it would work. thanks for any ideas.
 
5 Gallon bucket, bulkhead, sand, and a powerhead to provide flow. Place it next to your sump/refugium. Done.
 
Re: creative ways of having a remote DSB

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7558593#post7558593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevensquint
I want to have a DSB for nitrate removal on my BB tank. But I don't want the sand in the main tank, the device/design can't be very heavy and it can't take up alot of room. I know its alot to ask for, but you are creative people. I tought of making water trickle slowly down through a 7"x24" cylinder full of fine sand. I'm not sure if it would work. thanks for any ideas.

If its trickling through the sand, its not going to reduce nitrates. You need anaerobic areas. That 7"-24" tube would work if it was full of sand, and water just went over the top.
 
Thanks, it looks like my idea of how to remove nitrates was incorrect. So, has anyone tried a DSB in a bucket? did it lower the nitrates?
 
I kinda have to disagree about the trickling through part not working, this is exactly how some denitrifiers work. If the trickle rate is slow enough the first couple inches of sand, the areobic bacteria will consume the oxygen out of the water. This will create a low oxygen lvl. Its the exact way a coil denitrifier works.
I always believed a small trickle from the bottom of the deep sand bed would work better.
 
a coil denitrator is sealed top to bottom. a rdsb is not. rdsb is not the same as a coil denitrator, they should not try to be made the same.

rdsb=bucket, sand, waterflow over top. no more no less. don't over complicate it. and don't make this thread into what the other one became. go read the other thread and see all the ideas posted there and discuss them there.
 
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