dsb yes or no

[Darrin]

just got through reading a thread about sand in fuges..


I have a 200 gallon tank.. has about 2 inches or more of sand and rubble (the larger reef substrate that you see in lfs)...

I have two 50 gallon tanks attached... one has about 8 inches of sand and a lot of lr rubble, chato, etc.. the other is a fully decorated tank with only 2 corals in it... normal lr landscaping.. used to raise sea horses in it..

Ive never had issues of nitrates, phosphates, etc.. but i am always looking for opinions..

i have a lot of corals, fish etc.. tank is around 6 years old but i sold all corals off and then had a tornado 2 years ago, so i just started adding corals last year... my corals tend to grow fast.. at least before the tornados... i used to give away digitata all the time as it would grow inches in a month or two... now i dont know if its cause im just starting with frags or if its cause of something else... growth is nice... but..

i average around 20-30 frags off of my stuff a month, but i used to do a lot more than that..


anyways.. i can do photos of the setup if someone wants to see them...

 

[Darrin]

oh.. i consider both 50s aS FUGES, they both have a lot of chato and caulerpa in them....

d

 

[ddinox64]

What is the question?

Are these 50s the sump and fuge to the display with a 2 inch sand bed? Is the display the 300 or 600?

If you have a DSB in the fuge it wouldn't be needed in the display so I've been told. But unlike you, I don't have such a large fuge. Especially since you have two of them.

This philosophy of a DSB in the fuge only makes sense if it's large such as yours. But to have only a small area in their sumps as most do and try a DSB in it seems off on ratio.

So if a fuge has a small area. I would assume that DSB in the display is better.

Sounds like you have system that is working. I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[ludnix]

I think the idea behind having the DSB in the refuge is that it won't be disturbed there. It sounds like your current setup is ideal.

 

[sanababit]

^ what he said

sana

 

[downhillbiker]

i agree with what others have said. the setup you have is great. i dont like the look of a DSB in the display, so have one in my sump. it's not only for looks though. as ludnix said you dont disturb it as much if it's in the sump. stirring the DSB can be very toxic (black sand).

 

[downhillbiker]

and the purpose of the DSB is to be a anaerobic bacterial breeding ground, and therefor increase your tank's filtration.