DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

[Fred_J]

Hopefully this week I wilget my RDSB started. I don't have much room under my 75g so I am using about a 4g semi flexible bucket exactly like the one I use to catch the raw overflow for my skimmer. It will set open topped in sump (20g long) with the skimmer output feeding it (ER 6-2+) then letting it overflow just like thr other one into sump. Anthony had told me that if the bucket was not big enough it would still remove Xppm of nitrate.
Although this may not work, it is the easist thing to do and his ideas made an unbelievable difference on my old skimmer now on my 55g.
Fred

 

[KJB547]

JUST SET UP MY DSB SYSTEM YESTERDAY. WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

 

[lendef]

Ok. The bucket did leak and eventually tried to blow the top off. Lucky I was right there and caught with minor leaking. I think this idea would work great with one of those buckets that have a small opening like a chemical barrel but with regular lid the pressure is too great. Decided to change gears and use the extra 10 gallon and add some more sand. Is about three to 4 inches from the top about right. I need to get another ball valve to regulate the pumping out of the tank. Thought you all would want to know not to try to seal top of bucket. As stated before with no leaks it really builds up pressure. Thanks

 

[AIMFish]

This is a super thread!! To everyone who is running the RDSB in an old aquarium did you black the sides and top off? I would think this would help in keeping more of the sand/substrate darker.

Someone mentioned using a canister filter earlier and of course this wouldn't work on most as they come. I just thought that if you took the baskets out, then water would be channeled straight across the top in most, not holding as much sand as a 5G bucket of course, but if you need something for a smaller tank and have a canister sitting around

Does anyone know if there will be a problem running a RDSB on a system that contains copper? I plan on starting one on a system I maintain, around 800G, I'll let you guys know how it goes that is if copper won't be a problem!

 

[Skepperz]

I suppose you could modify a canister filter to flow water across the sand rather than down through it. Anything is possible

 

[Sailor_jon]

Would active Beach sand work too?

Would active Beach sand work too?

Just wondering if the thing could be jump started with a bucket of beach sand?

 

[Glimmerman911]

Most people dont recommend beach sand because of all the pollutants and contaminants in it.

You might be able to jump start it by seeding it with some of the sand from you display, or with products such as BacterVital which adds live bacteria.

 

[Sailor_jon]

thanks

thanks

so..you just get a bucket of snad, seed it with some bacter-vital or some seed sand, place a good flow across it? Do you keep it sealed or do you need to have an air vent? Sounds like a wonderfull solution!

 

[Skepperz]

There are plenty of clean beaches where i live, im going to give it a try.

 

[Skepperz]

But I wont be using the sand to jump start the bacteria process, just clean dry sand from the beach, and hopefully the bacteria in my tank will migrate down to the RDSB.

 

[dastratt]

Be careful of the ammonia that a fresh bucket of that stuff might give off. Never mind the man-made pollutants down there I bet, but watch out for the natural ones

 

[Dale Carlisle]

Great thread... My eyeballs hurt!
I hope I haven't missed it but has anyone considered running the return from a skimmer into the bucket?
I have a coralife 125 with a screw on microbubble diffuser. Could I not just put the bucket in my sump, screw the diffuser onto the inside of the bucket, run my skimmer return line into that and cut out an exit hole on the far side? I think this would minimize the detritus settlement problem and add one less pump to the system.
Failing that. How about setting the bucket in the sump, hooking on an aquaclear mini or 20 with an extended intake tube. The foam insert would prefilter the detritus and again exit via a hole at the opposite end.
I'm going with one of these I think. Any concerns about the skimmer idea?

 

[Spuds725]

Should work great-- Anthony commented a while back to try and use existing flow in the set up-- I believe he even recommended skimmer effluent as a great feed for a RDSB...

 

[AIMFish]

ARGH, my post got put at the bottom of the page! My main question was Does anyone know if there will be a problem running a RDSB on a system that contains copper? I'm copying it here incase you missed it

 

[prezioso73]

UPDATE:

I have been running my RDSB for 30 days now.

Other changes I have made in the battle against Hair algae are I removed the 1 inch layer of display tank sand, added a larger skimmer and added a phosban reactor.

I think my H.a. is getting less and less. I believe that I am turning a corner against it.

 

[Kinetic]

congratz =)

 

[mmmmsushi]

did you do all those changes at once?

 

[prezioso73]

not all at once...over about a month

 

[Giz]

Ok! I'm ready to do a RDSB. I have everything to do it except for the sand. I went to Home Depot and they had pallets of the play sand, But it was all moist inside of the bag. It looked clean, but damp. Every bag!

Can I use sand that if it is moist? I'm only asking because early in this thread it was said that we use ''dry'' sand. But everywhere I go to get it it looks moist inside the bag. What's up?

 

[prezioso73]

you should rinse the crap out of it either way.
I rinsed mine till no more junk came to the top of the water, then I rinsed it one last time with RO water. good luck!