DSB question

[FishPharm]

Letââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s just say I had an undisturbed 4ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚-6ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ deep sandbed which was full of life. My intention was to have it act as a denitrifyer with itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s three established layers. However, over the last month or so, I installed Tunze 6100 streams into the tank to give it more flow. I tried to keep the powerheads pointed up at angles in such a way as to not disturb my sandbed. This didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have the effect I was looking for. I was unsuccessful in keeping the 4ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ minimum in certain areas due to my flow eroding in front of the rocks and creating drifts at the ends of the tank.

Now my question is this, if my DSB is ruined, can I build it back up later? Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m thinking once my frags grow out and can occupy more space, then flows will be redirected by the crowded conditions and the water currents should behave differently. Adding appropriate corals to the sandbed in front of the rocks should also disrupt the flow. As this happens, I would like to slowly reshape the sand and level it out a bit. Then re-seed the sandbed with the microscopic critters. Does anyone see any flaws in this way of thinking? Do you think this will work?

 

[The steven liu]

First of all, IMO a deep sand bed is unnecessary in the denitrifying process. Unless you have some creature in the tank to really stir up the deep sand bed from top to bottom frequently, the majority of the sand bed is not going to be utilized anyways. In our retail store we keep only 1/4" sand in all of our reef tanks and we have a very healthy habitat with healthy sand sifting creatures and never a problem with nitrate. Secondly, in order to have a healthy deep sand bed, you must, must have strong water flow to agitate it. Hence the ridged sand pattern on all shallow sea waters. I know that you wish to control the shape of sand slope but a healthy sand habitat in nature is ever shifting and it will never stay the same shape.

 

[FishPharm]

For the longest time, I've been reading Dr. Ron's forum and I was under the impression to leave the DSB undisturbed and the stratified layers of aerobic, anoxic, and anerobic had specific functions in the denytrification process. Each layer had specific microscopic populations, that if upset, would throw the balance off. This is my concern at the moment......

You don't find this theory accurate?

I do have other means to control waste. I just was trying to create all the right conditions to keep SPS corals, which included a DSB.

Obviously, I am guarding against too much flow to avoid sandstorms and the like from burming up, and dusting the lower lying corals and rocks, which is what was happening. Now the sandbed does have an uneven, yet more natural look to it. And the flow still is quite strong down in the lower half of the tank.

 

[RicksReefs]

you should never disturb a DSB if it can be helped. especially not 'top to bottom'.

any chance of repositioning a piece of rock to take the brunt of the flow hitting the sandbed?