Detritivores and DSB

[LoneStarReef]

Okay, so I am thinking about getting back in to the hobby again and I am in the research phase now. One of the things I am debating is whether or not to have a DSB. I had a 40 gallon long reef tank before and it had a DSB and it did a great job of keeping my nitrates low. So I have been reading up on the topic and I ran across this article by Shimek:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-03/rs/

A lot of the arguments I have been reading against DSB's say that it is a ticking time bomb ready to go off as detritus builds up over time. But this article seems to say that if you have the right critters in the DSB, they will break down the waste as they eat and re-eat the detritus over and over again. And it is critical to have a wide variety of detritus eating organisms in your tank in order so that "virtually all the organic carbon compounds and nitrogen containing compounds in food, be it fresh food or detritus, may be exported from the system." I would love to hear people's thoughts on this.

I realize this is a hotly debated topic in these forums so please refrain from the "you are stupid for using/not using a DSB" remarks. Please, let's keep this conversation civil!! Thanks in advance.

 

[LoneStarReef]

Bump!

 

[davocean]

I build my tank to fit the needs of the animals I plan to keep, if they need a sand bed that is what I provide.
If you are doing a sps dominated that needs pristine water conditions and very heavy flow then maybe BB is best.
I have had many tanks over my 30 years in this, not once a crash due to DSB
It is beneficial to have animals in sand bed as part of your CUC

 

[Bent]

I feel like the stories of DSB nukes are highly exaggerated. I've been doing this whole saltwater fish stuff since the early nineties and I've never had one fail from it.