Deep Sand Bed

[yiorgo]

Hi Bertoni,

thank you very much for your article on DSB.
I have a question regarding the grain ratio of the aragonite sand that you listed in your post.:
A depth of 6" (15cm) is usually the deepest that is suggested, with 4" (10cm) a likely minimum for reasonable effectiveness. The sand must be chosen carefully for particle size. Most or all commercial sand mixes are too coarse, so some careful research is suggested. This sample distribution (given in millimeters) is a good starting point:

When you get the different grades of sand, do you then mix them together at the appropriate ratio, or you have to layer them in a particular order?

Thanks,

Yiorgo

 

[bertoni]

I would just mix them up a bit, but the animals should do a lot of mixing on their own. The coarser stuff will work its way to the top over time, so you could mix some of the fine and coarse substrate together, and put that on the top, I guess.

 

[yiorgo]

Thanks Jonathan,

that makes sence!
Also, are hermit crabs bab for the DSB? If you have a small number of them will it still be harmfull?
If yes, is there another organism that can replace hermit crabs and perform a similar function in the reef?

Thanks,

Yiorgo

 

[bertoni]

Hermit crabs are bad for DSBs. I wouldn't add any at all. One small one might not be too bad in a 65g tank. I don't have hermit crabs in my tank and don't miss them.

 

[sundance1]

Why are hermit crabs bad for a DSB?

 

[bertoni]

They are predatory on small animals, and aren't very picky about what they eat. In addition, they're very easy to overstock since the population density on a real reef is very low. The invertebrate forum has more on this topic.

 

[bjonesjr1]

hey john,
do you think that 10 blue legged hermit crabs or bad for my sand bed that is about 2"-3" ??? or is it ok, maybe I should go back to about half that too (5)... thanks for the input

 

[bertoni]

Well, that depends on how live you want the sand to be. For a 2-3" sandbed, that's probably not critical, though.

 

[bjonesjr1]

so I'm fine then in away that the hermit's aren't doing to much damage to my SB and that their is no need for any more and whats in their won't starve but won't kill either... right even if I add some more sand ???

 

[bertoni]

The hermit crabs might starve over time, but you can always add a bit extra food for them. I suspect your sand isn't very live, but that's okay in general. If you want to add sand, I'd add maybe 1/4" at a time, and wait a few weeks between additions. If there are any animals in the sand, that'll give them time to move up and adjust.

 

[bjonesjr1]

alright thanks John, I did recieve a Cup of LS from a local RC member that helped kick start my sand, I assume... Will keep the adding of sand though in mind so that I don't mess things up, thanks for the info

 

[Sparkss]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7106015#post7106015 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
I would just mix them up a bit, but the animals should do a lot of mixing on their own. The coarser stuff will work its way to the top over time, so you could mix some of the fine and coarse substrate together, and put that on the top, I guess.

What animals do you suggest as optimal for a refugium with a DSB ? (24" X 16" X 3 1/2" sandbed -- soon to increase to at least 4", based on your answer to my next question)

Also, I just wanted to confirm that 4" is the minimum for a DSB and 6" is the maximum ?

 

[romunov]

Animals from a wild lagoon. Good luck.

 

[bertoni]

24"x16" is pretty small for a DSB, IMO. The remote DSBs aren't necessarily easy to keep going in any case, since getting the food to them can be difficult.

I stocked my DSBs with kits from ipsf.com and InlandAquatics.com (the refugium fauna kit). There are other vendors, but those places should give you some ideas.

 

[Sparkss]

Bertoni,
The top layer is from a year and a half old refugium, so it is loaded with pods, mini stars, spaghetti worms, mysids, etc. I am just considering some other sand bed stirrers, like a conch or some other larger animals.

romunov,
If you aren't going to post anything constructive or useful, then please refrain from posting at all. Thanks.

 

[romunov]

You asked WHAT animals, not where (vendor) to get them.

Those are hair worms, not spaghetti. Two different families.

Spaghetti and Hair Wormsââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s in a Name?

A conch will be too big for your tank.

The Grazing Snails, Part III - Conchs, Ceriths, Cowries, and Columbellids