Deep Sand Bed??

[jjmatti]

After Reading for months I decided to set up a 75 gallon tank with DSB. I added between 3-5 inches fine Sand and 90pds of live rock. Nitrates are creeping up still and I do regular water changes. ????? Any ideas??
The filtration consists of :
90 pds live rock
Aqua C - Remora Pro Skimmer
Ehiem Cannister for Carbon and Chemi pure's

Any clues???

 

[Thorium]

A few questions to help direct you to a good answer. First, how old is the current setup? Second, is the live rock new, that is did you cure it or did you just recently get it as pre-cured? If this is a new setup have you completely gone through the cycle already? If there are no new sources of ammonia, that is all the die off has been converted then your trates should be leveling off. However if you have sources that are contributing ammonia to the tank and your trates are still climbing you need to isolate the source or let the cycle continue if it is.

 

[tankslave]

it might take several months for your nitrates to stabilize. Dieoff from your LR will continue for some time.

 

[jjmatti]

Current set up is 4 months old.
LR was purchsed cured then allowed to cure an additional 3 weeks in the tank.

 

[Anemonebuff]

It will also take time for the DSB to seed from the LR. Also, if you do not stay on top of the maintainence on that canister filter, you will have a nitrate problem from that as well.

 

[tankslave]

you might try a refugium with some calurpa/chaeto. Not my style, but it works to an extent.

 

[taku]

My opinion of DSB's has changed dramatically now after having a DSB for 4 years in my tank... DON"T DO IT!

In my opinion sand beds look beautiful, I always plan to have a shallow sand bed in every saltwater tank I own in the future, but never again will I make it any deeper than 1-2" at most. Right now I've got 4-5" (changes depths in different areas of the tank). I have a sand sifting star that I've had for 2+ years, lots of snails and worms that dig through the sand, but still, if I so much as accidentally sweep my mag float too close to the sand and blow up some sand, my ricordia and other mushrooms all freak out and act like they're spitting out their guts for about 24 hours.

Now I just don't EVER disrupt the sand bed for this reason, but I can't see how any benefit of a DSB could outweigh the dangers of one.

Sorry to blab, just wanted to share my thoughts. I'm not siphoning out my sand now because an upgrade is on the horizon but still, I wouldn't recommend a DSB to any of my friends.