DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

Ok Bucket has been installed

System specs
58g, 80lbs live rock 40lbs live sand
Fuge with 40+ lbs live rock, 20lbs crushed coral big clump of cheato
Bucket is a 7g kent salt bucket filled to 6" of the top with crushed shell sand, pump is a Maxi jet 1200 flowing through a phosphate/carbon reactor. Total flow is about 100 gph.

Bucket was run on a seperate system for one week to test everything out prior to install on this system.

Current Nitrates are 30, I will check again weekly.
 
Does anyone have any recommendations on how many buckets it will take to control nitrates on a 3,000 gallon system? Also, will this work on freshwater?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7954544#post7954544 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by antonsemrad
So no one has added a carbon source to their RDSB (shrimp) to stimulate nitrate reducing bacteria?
Click to expand...

Why would you need that? I wouldn't want anything rotting in my tank water. Just let nature take its course.
 
"You are not trying to make it a place to grow macro or other live inhabitants. You want good water flow so no detritus settles in the sand. Correct?"

Whats wrong with growing "macro or other live inhabitants"?

Am I wrong to think that "detritus" rotting in the sand (without oxygen) is why these thing work?
 
Oh and "Just let nature take its course" is exellent advice. (MHO) I was merely suggesting a way to make a RDSB work faster.
 
No, the point of the DSB bucket is not to have the stuff rotting in the sand. Really you should not allow anything into the sand. Prefilter your water before it goes into the sand.

I really really really wouldn't do the shrimp thing. IMO, it would create more headaches than help, it would be a lot safer to wait the 4 weeks.
 
Yes, we are creating a spot for anarobic denitrication to occour, not for detrious to break down.

A RDSB is NOT the same as a DSB. In a DSB, the critters help to break down the detrious, in a RDSB, it will be free of critters, just plain sand.
 
I stand corrected.

For the record, what exactly happens in a dsb?

Exactly what role do critters play in this process?

What role do bacteria play in hypoxic environments?

What role do bacteria play in anaerobic environments?

What do these bacteria feed on?

What exactly happens to detritus (in a reef tank) that is not mechanically removed? (or eaten)

What is the advantage of a RDSB over a DSB?

I apologize for the rhetoric. It seems that I am unqualifed to comment.
 
I have read this entire thread through, and boy what a read. But well worth it. have gone ahead and started my RDSB and chose to use aragonite instead of regular sand, Partly for ease of mind, and partly because I could not be assured that the sand up here in Canada was totally safe. Now, I have a 180 tank and I bought 80 pound of aragonite hoping it would be enough. It isn't. I need another 40 pounds at least. The cost is mounting. A friend of mine told me white biomix is safe for tank use. Someone earlier in this thread was talking about mixing different types of sand. Can anyone tell me if I can use the Biomix at the bottom, and use the aragonite on top. Would this work?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7956220#post7956220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by antonsemrad
I stand corrected.

1. For the record, what exactly happens in a dsb?

2. Exactly what role do critters play in this process?

3. What role do bacteria play in hypoxic environments?

4. What role do bacteria play in anaerobic environments?

5. What do these bacteria feed on?

6. What exactly happens to detritus (in a reef tank) that is not mechanically removed? (or eaten)

7. What is the advantage of a RDSB over a DSB?
Click to expand...

Numbered your questions for my convenience

1. Lots of things-- but what we want is denitrification (removal of nitrates)

2. They consume detritus (uneaten food and poop)-- utilize it and break it down further-- some say they help slowly stir the sand also-- not sure if this helps or not...

3 & 4 I don't feel knowledgeable enough about the difference to comment with confidence-- from what I understand though hypoxic is low oxygen, anerobic is no oxygen envrionments... from what I've read (in this thread)-- denitrifying bacteria live in hypoxic areas... the bacteria consume nitrate (NO3) and convert it to nitrogen and oxygen gas.

5 Nitrate.. (see above)

6. It slowly disolves or is eaten-- alot of it becomes ammonia, which nitrfying bacteria convert to nitrite, and other nitrifying bacteria convert to nitrate... hopefully alot of this disolved material is skimmed out... a skimmer is designed to remove DOCs (disolved organic compounds)

7. Advantages of RDSB were detailed early on in the original thread.... mainly:
+ it is outside the tank so it doesn't take up any of your tanks volume (a 6" DSB in a 22" tank is using over 25% of your tank)
+ there is some concern about DSBs becoming heavily polluted and "crashing"-- RDSBs are tried to kept free of detritus and critters too keep this from occuring.
+ They are easily replaced if there are problems... some people have even advocated running a couple in series and changing out one per year...
+ almost any sand of the proper grain size can be used... doesn't have to be the pretty white sand many want to see in their tanks...
 
What about putting a dinner plate or a 1-3 inch deep tupperware like container upsidedown in the bottom of the bucket as a plenum..... Thoughts?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7956220#post7956220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by antonsemrad
I stand corrected.

For the record, what exactly happens in a dsb?

Exactly what role do critters play in this process?

What role do bacteria play in hypoxic environments?

What role do bacteria play in anaerobic environments?

What do these bacteria feed on?

What exactly happens to detritus (in a reef tank) that is not mechanically removed? (or eaten)

What is the advantage of a RDSB over a DSB?

I apologize for the rhetoric. It seems that I am unqualifed to comment.
Click to expand...

Here is the first post of two thread that Anthony Calfo said:
it is a modest strategy and dependant on bioload of course. But so cheap to employ, and easy to remove if you don't like it.

My LFS finally tried this with a 55 gall tank full (nearly to the top) of sand with a good stream of water traversing the length of the tank. It was staggering how fast it reduced nitrates on a nearly 2K gallon system.

A 5 gallon bucket with a 60lb bag of sand filling it can do similar/remarkable work on say a 90-120 gallon tank. A larger plastic garbage can (kitchen size... 20 gall or so) with a couple hundred lbs of sand, etc.

The goal here is denitrification and buffering (if using aragonite).

There are not many other benefits... and not many risks either. Unlit and with a strong stream of water over it, its a fairly brainless application Cover it and keep it dark... there is little to maintenance to speak of for it. You can imagine that with the good water flow (key) or even mechanically prefiltered water... there is no way for this to practically become a nutrient sink, as the small fast volume of water cruising over it do not allow the settling/sinking of much solid matter over time.


You need to go back to the first last thread and you will see the same questions and answers for this RDSB.
 
Ok week one report.

Nitrates were at 50 this week so I did a water change and they are now at 30. Still no effects from the RDBS as of yet.

I was wondering one thing though. Since my water must first go through the carbon/phosgard reactor, its gets pretty slow(100ish gph) I wasnt worried about that since the reactor will screen out detritus, but is that speed ok for the denitrification?
 
ARRGH! I had Nitrates in the 80's, and one month after the RDSB they are... in the 80's. I am going crazy! I am about to tear it down and start all over! Am I just too impatient? I am using a large DSB, it is 20"x20" with about 8" deep sand. This for a 55 gallon. HELP!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Reef Kinetics
Maintaining Optimal Nutrient Levels in Your Reef Aquarium
Replies
0
Views
154
Reef Kinetics
Reef Kinetics
AquaticReefTV
DIY Cable management time lapse
Replies
1
Views
369
S|\/|S
S
Formulator
8 year old tank with 2.0 PO4 and zero Nitrate
Replies
7
Views
311
Scotty333!!!
S
T
Looking for a specific tank build - EZTube.com sent me here
Replies
6
Views
127
Reefing102
Reefing102
R
Red tufty algae - Asparagopsis - any expert advice for removal?
Replies
12
Views
645
vlangel
vlangel
Back
Top