Deep sand bucket help

[supermarvin76]

I am thinking of starting a deep sand bucket. I know there are other threads out there. I have already read many of them. However.....I have NO room in my stand. I would have to have it next to the stand which would be on the same level as the sump.

I need ideas as to how I would hook this up.

I need to fill the bucket 3/4 full of oolatic sand. Is this correct?

What about a pump for the flow?

Thank you for the help.

 

[BtheReef]

You said you had read several threads about this method, but this one is the grandaddy. It will have all the info you need.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=595109

From what I've gathered reading it you will be fine with about that amount of sand. I like the idea of adding an inch or two layer of aragonite on top of the sand to buffer the water and also keep the smaller sand from blowing around in the bucket.

For the pump, most people just used a maxijet or something similar. Flow amount is not that important in a RDSB. You should aim to have enough flow to keep any particles suspended above the sand bed so they do not sink into the bed.

Good Luck!

 

[reverendmaynard]

I have mine plumbed off a tee from my return pump. Might be tricky to do with existing plumbing, but as said, you can just use a small powerhead.

3/4, 4/5, whatever gets the job done. You should have enough room in the bucket to pass 2-3" of water over the top of the sand, with a little extra for any fluctuations.

 

[supermarvin76]

ok thanks....I actually just started to read Anthony's book. HIGHLY recommend it!!

Maybe I should elevate the bucket some so that it can gravity feed back to my sump. Once I have the bucket set up, do I need to fill it with water, and let the water settle, then turn the pump on, or what?

What should my GPH be through the bucket?

I have read that I should use oolatic (sp?) sand. What exactly is this, and where can I get it from. In that thread it says that you should be able to set up a 5 gallon DSB bucket for around maybe even less than $20.

 

[BtheReef]

Above the sump would work well. Gravity feed back to the tank is the easiest method I believe. You won't need to 'let the water settle' it will saturate the sand immediately when added.

GPH doesn't matter. The only real factor is enough flow to keep detritus from settling on the sand bed. Setups are different, but for a 5 gallon RDSB I think a MJ600 is plenty.

The word Oolitic refers to the grain size of the sand. Oolitic sand is very fine and is sometimes referred to as sugar sand because it has a similar texture. Most people have found suitable alternatives at Lowe's or HD usually sold as play sand in 50lb bags.

As for $20, well it depends on how much equipment you have laying around and what type of plumbing you do.

BTW, if you do set it up, would you post your nitrate readings from your tank so we can see how well (or not) its working for you?

 

[BtheReef]

Revmaynard,

How has the RSDB worked out for you? Did you see a significant reduction in nitrates?

 

[reverendmaynard]

Well, it's only been setup for about 8 weeks. I had nitrates in the 20-30ppm range. It is dropping, but I've also been doing 10-15% weekly wcs. I think it's been dropping faster in the last 2 weeks or so, but I need a little more time to say much.

My tank is probably not the best "test case" though. I just set it up on the first of the year, after purchasing it used. My nitrates are mostly from the old water that I used (should have tested it first!) So, with a new sand bed, sump, fuge, rdsb, skimmer that just recently started producing good skimmate, and all the other misc. tinkering and adjusting that a first time sw aquarist does to his first sw tank in the first 8 weeks it would be hard to point to one thing as the reason for lower nitrates. It's a 150gal system, so the water parameters are pretty stable day-to-day, but there are pretty constant changes in the system. Also, I don't have a lot of hope that it'll work that well for me, because it's only a 5gal rdsb.

I think I'd be remiss to say that it definitely helps, even if my nitrates get to at or near 0, with all the other variables that I have.

 

[BtheReef]

LOL, infinate variables is what mother nature is all about.

I think in Calfo thread above he mentions a 2000 gallon display being run with a 55G tank used as the RDSB. This is approx 2.5% of tank volume. On a 150G tank, that would be about 4gallons, so bucket should be plenty.

Thanks for the info, I'm really interested in DSB and RDSB possibilities so I like to get as much data as I can to set up a nice system.

 

[reverendmaynard]

No problem.

I'll try to keep this thread posted on my results if I feel I have any. If not this one, the sticky in the All Things Salty forum.

 

[supermarvin76]

Ok, so exactly what type, brand of sand should I use?

Also, when I put the sand in the bucket, should I just dump it in there, or compact it?

 

[BtheReef]

Check at your local Lowe's or HD. They should carry some kind of play sand or something appropriate. Most people use a brand called Southdown, or a sand made by a company called Old Castle or maybe just Castle. I can't get it locally, but some areas carry it.

You don't have to compact it, it will do that on its own when you add the water to it. Just pour it in.

 

[hulley]

Would a RDSB be a good idea for a BB tank?

 

[reverendmaynard]

I don't see why not.