i accidentally left my DSB offline for about 5 days. Im not sure if it is safe to hook back up to my main tanks of 25 gallons. The RDSB was 5 gallon of sand. I flushed it with fresh SW and the bad smell is gone. Do i need to start the RDSB over again or can i Flush with sw and hook it back up to the main tank. It was lacking oxygen for long time but since the dsb should lack oxygen I wonder if I will be able to hook it back up after 5 days of no circulation?????????
DSB in a bucket for nitrate control
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
the other tang
New member
I'd flush, flush and re-flush. Then test the water after sitting for a few hours, if it passes or in close to being in range let it run. i did the same thing and had no issues.
Black71, i don't think either is big enough for 600-700g. I think a 55g is more along the lines of what you'd need. I think the consensus is over 14" is the point of diminishing return. I like the rubbermaid set ups people have posted here. There are several good ones to copy, or at least borrow ideas from.
Black71, i don't think either is big enough for 600-700g. I think a 55g is more along the lines of what you'd need. I think the consensus is over 14" is the point of diminishing return. I like the rubbermaid set ups people have posted here. There are several good ones to copy, or at least borrow ideas from.
Black71gp
New member
i have a spare 55 gallon tank.. i guess i could set that up someplace in the dark so no ligh gets in it.. ore is that not a huge deal. what about the air tight.. i thought everytone used the trash containers cause they are cheap, covered, and no light gets in....i will look into more rubbermaid set ups as well then.
the other tang
New member
Either will wor, I think the rubbermaids are popular due to price alone, if you have a 55 then i'd use it.
I don't believe absolute dark is needed, but just not in direct sun light natural or not. Just keep your flow up and detrius exremely low and you wil be fine.
I don't believe absolute dark is needed, but just not in direct sun light natural or not. Just keep your flow up and detrius exremely low and you wil be fine.
reefez
New member
Well I have read through a lot of this thread and I can't find enough real hard fact that it is a good nitrate reducer. I'm running bb right now on my 125gal. and was considering this as my trates are 10-20ppm consistently. However I think I'm going to pass on this method. I just really am not seeing enough convinceing evidence.
the other tang
New member
Black71, there is something I'd look at if i was still in the planing stages. The ph is so low( near calcium reactor levels) in the bottom of your DSB it will dissolve argronite, although the rate is unknown it will dissolve. You simple add a few pounds to the bottom, then add sand. You end up with a DSB/calcium reactor. This will likely last as long as the dsb. This will be short of the calcium you'd need for an sps tank but would certainly help if you dose. It could be enough to maintain a tank with a lower calcium demand.
reefez, this is a tried and true method that has been altered slightly to a remote set up to save room. The theory is the same. Many reefs have a dsb in the sump and have had for years. The key is 0 deterius preventing it from becoming a nitrate factory, something you can relate to since you run yours bb.
reefez, this is a tried and true method that has been altered slightly to a remote set up to save room. The theory is the same. Many reefs have a dsb in the sump and have had for years. The key is 0 deterius preventing it from becoming a nitrate factory, something you can relate to since you run yours bb.
the other tang
New member
I'd use crushed, but not sure how much it matters. If someone knows please post. FWIW, I seeded mine with sand from the bottom of my sand bed in the tank, i also mixed in 1/2 tsp sugar. By seeding I mean, I mixed in a few pounds of live sand into the silica I bought.Though you shouldn't have to feed this type of denitrator, initially feeding it will likely shorten the cycle time of 4-6 wks.
reefez
New member
I've seen too many people say how they have seen no results after 5-6 weeks. Can you honestly guarntee that by hooking up a DSB Bucket that my nitrates are going to go from 10-20ppm down to 0-5ppm? I understand that it has to be without light and in a 5 gal. bucket minimum, but what would be the exact amount of media to use on my system? I have a 125gal. 8 fish 3 of which are large tangs. 170lbs. LR and it's BB with 55-60x turnover.
I just see no hard facts to support all of the claims in this thread. Has an actual experiment been conducted on this matter? Set up 2 tanks with the same bio load and go BB on both with the same type of LR And weighed the same, and put a RSD on one of the systems. Do feeding at the same time and everything you would need to do to conduct an actual experiment so that you can post some real results?
I'm a numbers kind of guy. I want to see results before I go plumbing a 50lb. bucket of sand onto my system.
percula99
New member
If you are a numbers kind of guy Reefez, here are mine. I have a 180 reef with 230 pounds of live rock, four large tangs, two large heniochus, three clowns and a school of chromis. I consistently had nitrates in the 50-60 range and I do a 50 gallon water change every month. No matter what I did it didn't make any difference. So...I used a Rubbermaid container with 180 pounds of aragonite in it. For the first several weeks not too much happened, then my RDSB kicked in and since then my nitrates are virtually undectable. If my results don't convince you, then I don't think you will ever be convinced. Your option is don't try it, and say hello to nitrates forever. I for one am glad to be rid of them.
percula99
New member
My present reef has been up and running for over eight years now. My nitrates were good and then went up and stayed up for over a year. I tried several water changes a month with little or no success. I couldn't understand it. I have never run BB. I have always had sand in the display. I vaccumed the sand, and even changed part of the bed.
A friend of mine ran BB and over time his nitrates have run as high as 100. He is presently in the stage of setting up a RDSB. I will check in on him and have him post some observations.
A friend of mine ran BB and over time his nitrates have run as high as 100. He is presently in the stage of setting up a RDSB. I will check in on him and have him post some observations.
the other tang
New member
Thanks perc. Reefez, you are right there is no lab data to support the rates of performance on a rdsb. There is however data proving that low o2" forgot the term" bacteria feed on nitrates. This is and has been in practice in the waste treatment industry for decades. There is also no data showing the sizes dsb for a given tank size. I believe Anthony reccomended 5g dsb per 80g of tank vol as a general rule of thumb. You can do the math and use this on about any system. IMO the posts here sometimes reflect the impatience of someone wanting the levels lowered immediately and take the unit ofline before it fully matures. I have read posts form people with far more experience than me claiming it will not fully mature till about the 6 month mark.
reefez
New member
Not fully mature for 6 months! Holly cow!! Has anyone found a way to jump start it? Use sand from an established tank maybe? I understant it would take some time to mature and grow the beneficial bacteria. So when do you actullay start to see a decline in the nitrate? It can't just magically happen over night. Do you start to get a decline at 1 months--2months 3 months? I am seriously thinking of trying this method . I have some sand from my tank that was taken out when I moved it. Could I re-use it if I washed it out real well?
George Grogan
New member
I'm guessing there is just about as much "lab data" supporting the "not fully mature until 6 months theory" as there is supporting whether a RDSB even works in the first place.
Numerous people have followed Anthony's instructions exactly, and posted favorable results in this and the previous thread. Some have also posted less than optimal results. We have no way of knowing if they followed the original instructions or not. Many have suggested tweaking this, adding that, changing this... etc. Then again, some people say it is impossible to keep a "whatever it is" alive in an aqaurium, while many others have good results with the same animal. The difference? Experience? Luck? Who knows!
Personally: 5 gal RDSB started late October 2006; nitrate 10 ppm. Current nitrates: undetectable. I'm sold; won't give it up; no matter what!
My opinion: drop the bucks for new sand, set it up exactly as originally posted by Anthony Calfo, and let us know how it worked!
A little side bar on lab data: I don't have lab data that proves there is enough oxygen in the air in my office to keep me alive, yet here I am! Moral to the story: Sometimes we have to believe what we know from experience, or have seen, even when unable to prove it! And, other times, we simply have to be willing to try something new. Otherwise... same old, same old...
the other tang
New member
Reefez, seeding and initial feeding a new dsb is the only things I can think of to jump start it. Like I said before, I am not positive of how much it actually helps but it makes sense. You can reuse the old sand, but probaby not worth it, a 60 lb bag is $3.00. Make sure you rinse the sand several times. Running a magnet through it isn't a bad idea either, youll be surprised at how much misc metal you will pick up.
LD, you are right no data to support that. Those comments come from postings of testing logs of newly set up dsb's. As you stated above the results seem to differ.
LD, you are right no data to support that. Those comments come from postings of testing logs of newly set up dsb's. As you stated above the results seem to differ.
percula99
New member
After looking through my log book I see that I started my RDSB on:
Aug. 12/06 at 50ppm.
Sept. 4/06 at30.
Oct. 8/06 at 20.
Oct. 13/06 at 10.
Since Nov. 17/06 my readings have been consistently below 10 or undetectable.
Please keep in mind I do a 50 gallon water change on my 180 every month. I estimate that is probably at least if not more than most people do. I did that before the RDSB however and still my nitrates rose. So I conclude that my RDSB has in fact solved my nitrate problems for me.
Aug. 12/06 at 50ppm.
Sept. 4/06 at30.
Oct. 8/06 at 20.
Oct. 13/06 at 10.
Since Nov. 17/06 my readings have been consistently below 10 or undetectable.
Please keep in mind I do a 50 gallon water change on my 180 every month. I estimate that is probably at least if not more than most people do. I did that before the RDSB however and still my nitrates rose. So I conclude that my RDSB has in fact solved my nitrate problems for me.
the other tang
New member
Thanks for the info Perc. That is very simillar to what others have posted. Did you seed or feed your in the beginning? How are you keeping deterius out of your dsb? Filter, skimmer...?
