DSB in a bucket for nitrate control
- Thread starter Hobster
- Start date
- Status
silversnake
New member
Thanks for the vote of confidence Anthony. The bucket is set-up in my sump and I can't wait to see the results. I did discover a problem with my tap water that I've been using for water changes though. 10 ppm trates. When I tested the tap water before I got 0 and didnt check it that often.
Your tap water can change day to day (even less). That's why so many people use and recommend RO/DI. Who knows what's coming from your tap that we never thought to check for. Again, just because your tap water has been fine for XX number of days does not mean that your next water change with it won't kill off half or all of your tank.
Avi
Premium Member
I'm very interested in the idea of the DSB in a bucket, but alas, I have no place to put something so large as a bucket, even a "square" one. I was wondering if there'd be any utility in making using a tall piece of PVC, say 3-inches in diameter and 4-feet high. Any thoughts on doing that as variation on this theme?
Avi
Premium Member
Thanks...I had been under the impression that it was necessary to have an area where oxygen in the water wouldn't reach the depth of the sand, thereby fostering a growth of anaerobic bacteria that would consume nitrates because oxygen didn't reach there. If it's surface area that's critical, then you'd be saying that the the DSB in a bucket's designed to provide area for aerobic bacteria?
This was already discussed somewhere int his thread. The thing is that after 2 feet of dept the quantity of NO3 consumed is not much. Oxygen will be consumed rapidly at the first 1/3 or so of the bucket after that, the bacteria that predominates are either facultative or anaerobic. No im not saying that surface area in the DSB in a bucket's designed to provide area for aerobic bacteria. You want more area so more gasses can diffuse through the sand. So if u ask what's better depth or superficial area ill tell u that as long as u have at least 18" of depth, go for as much superficial area as u can.
If you have space limitations-- you might want to consider a denitrator (flow through)-- these use extremely slow flow through and denitrate by the same concept (the slow flow allows the limited oxyen to be consumed but nitrifying bacteria at one end and then the rest becomes anerobic to allow the denitrifying bacteria to grow)-- I don't know if sand would be an adequate media especially 4 feet of it to allow flow through-- but something using the 4 feet of PVC could probably be built and hidden behind the tank--
of course a denitrator is a subject for another thread...
of course a denitrator is a subject for another thread...
I will do that. If I'm not mistaken, Melvin is the guy to talk to about sands.
I am redoing my RDSB in a couple weeks. I am adding a 3' x 2' x 8" frag tank along side my reef system and plan to plumb it from my return, to the frag tank, to the RDSB, and to the sump. Give me some ideas guys.
bguile
Premium Member
repeat question
repeat question
I've seen this asked before, but not sure I've seen a response. i'm about to setup my RDSB. Will this create a cycle in the tank? My tank has been up and running for about a month or so now using LR and sand from a mature aquarium running for almost 2 years. It's a 40G breeder and I plan on using a 6 gallon Ocean Essentials salt bucket. Thanks.
repeat question
I've seen this asked before, but not sure I've seen a response. i'm about to setup my RDSB. Will this create a cycle in the tank? My tank has been up and running for about a month or so now using LR and sand from a mature aquarium running for almost 2 years. It's a 40G breeder and I plan on using a 6 gallon Ocean Essentials salt bucket. Thanks.
i was thinking that their would be very little water circulation in a bucket of sand and if the circulation is important?if so,would it be more effective to increase the circulation through the sand?i thought to increase circulation by putting tuffa racks, then screan, then large crushed coral, then screan, then only like a couple inches of sand.or am i not understanding the process correctly?
bguile
Premium Member
I think you've misunderstood a little. Only the water flow across the top of the sand should be rapid. Throughout the rest of the bucket it will be slow and that's fine. No special anything else needed. Just make sure the water flows in and out as smoothly as possible and everything else will take its course.
- Status
