DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

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Is there any reason I shouldn't use crushed coral substrate if I have one of these RDSBs? Will CC limit my fish/coral selection? Would there be enough buffering capacity with 1" of CC to use silica sand in the RDSB?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6318456#post6318456 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anthony Calfo
the gist of it is indeed keeping pH high and stable, and also to not spike the tank with your Ca/Alk additions.

Folks that add kalkwasser too much or too fast, for example, have "enjoyed" the sand bed fusing in clumps as I seem to recall.

But it is not an inevitability with aragonite... just with poorly managed aragonite ;)

Randy Holmes Farley and the Chem forum folks are much better to chat to about this though for the hows and whys.
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Interesting. I have had the dsb buckets for only about 2 months and already getting clumping. The system is new and only had rock in it for the same period of time.

Ph is running 8.4 to 8.5. (No I havn't calibrated lately but did 2 months ago)

No Kalk but a Precision Marine calcium reactor.
 
(I have read the entire thread)

THis thread is great!!!
I hope this is the answer to my GHA problem.
It has to be I have tried everything else!
 
Herpervet... re: your clumping, I'm wondering what your livestock inventory is (fish and invert) and your water flow. Can you detail for us? I'm thinking a lack of "bioturbation" may be a contributing factor for your clumping.
 
Read the entire thread, might lose my job because of it, but it was worth it. :)

I have a 180g display, hoping to get some info on what size container I should use. I have at my disposal round or square 5g buckets, a 5g tank, 10g tank, 20g tank, 25g tank, or a 50g tank.

I am leaning towards the 10g tank, but then it would not be very deep once I install bulkheads.

Would 2, 5g buckets have the same benefit as a larger 10g container?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6331208#post6331208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anthony Calfo
Herpervet... re: your clumping, I'm wondering what your livestock inventory is (fish and invert) and your water flow. Can you detail for us? I'm thinking a lack of "bioturbation" may be a contributing factor for your clumping.
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This is a new system. Put 500 pounds of rock in it about 2.5 months ago. Will be stocking it soon.

I thought that the dsb bucket wasn't reliant on infauna to stir it up. Is that what you are refering to when you say "bioturbation".

If thats the answer I will add sand bed critters to each bucket.
 
Everyone needs to reread the entire thread. All the answers to these questions have been discussed before.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6273766#post6273766 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anthony Calfo
either will work, but I'll suggest the length instead.
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Lets say that you are using a set "container" for your RDSB...
Would there be any benefit to having some sort of Baffle that runs 80% of the way across the contianer with input/output on the same side vs. input on one side adn out on the other?

Surface area is the same, but the water has to travel farther.
 
What about seeding I'm not seeing if people are seeding their RDSB's or not. Do you literally just put new sand in a bucket and hook it up, or should you add a cup of live sand to the mix? I read the entire thread if I missed this detail I apologize.
 
This is great reading. I keep reading how the water should flow across this. Yet when I look at Bill Shultz's setup (pg 7), he is running the water up and through it. So which way is right?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6339247#post6339247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hans1976
This is great reading. I keep reading how the water should flow across this. Yet when I look at Bill Shultz's setup (pg 7), he is running the water up and through it. So which way is right?
Click to expand...

If you look at Bill's setup the pipe comes up through the sand then then directs the output above the sand. He just plumbed it that way so the pump could sit below the bucket.
 
While that is true, you can have the pump below without having the plumbing go through the bucket, it could go beside the bucket obvisously, just pointing it out for newbie plumbers.
 
What about seeding I'm not seeing if people are seeding their RDSB's or not.
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Seeding a RDSB is not needed. The idea is that bacteria grows in the sand bed that eats the Nitrates. The bacteria will eventually grow without being seeded. Also, bacteria can grow (especially at 78 - 82 degree temp) very quickly. I would not seed the sand with anything.

Now after reading this complete thread and with what little knoweldge I have. I know that areas of low oxygen with nitrofying bacteria will break down nitrogren. I also know that the bacteria will eventually die. Seems to me that some maintence of the system is needed. I like the idea of two systems and changing the sand in each system on opposite years.

I think a wet/dry trickle filter would be awesome with a RDSB. You use the wet/dry to convert ammonia to nitrate and the RDSB to convert the nitrates. This was touched on above, but with no real thought. Any thoughts on this?

I also know you want to waste from you system. What do people think is the best way to waste if you used a trickle filter and a RDSB? Any process wastewater guys around that can answer this question?

Thanks,
Chris
 
I just jooked up my RDSB! I used Southdown sand. Can anyone tell me what type of sand Southdown actually is? Is it arganite or silicate??

I had to hang the bucket from my rafters in my basement where my sump room is. :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6343823#post6343823 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prezioso73
I had to hang the bucket from my rafters in my basement where my sump room is. :)
Click to expand...

I think we have GOT to see a picture of this... :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6343902#post6343902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Glimmerman911
Southdown is araganite, and you are lucky to have access to it!
Click to expand...

To test it to see... pours a little bit of vinegar in a cup, add a little bit of sand to the vinegar... if it bubbles, its aragonite or an aragonite blend.
 
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