High Flow and DSB?

[NewSchool04]

I've been dealing with this for over 2 years now and it's starting to get to me. I'm a big fan of the DSB and have it set up in both my 30 cube and 75 gallon but I'm done with the sand flying around, in the water column, etc.
I'm using southdown in both tanks so the sand is very fine, but I never here anyone else complaining about this. I'm thinking about doing a full change to a sand that is larger unless anyone has any ideas for me.

 

[carman9941]

you could always top off with something courser

 

[WhiteCloud]

With my DSBs I use CaribSea Aragamax Sugar Sized (comparable to Southdown in size I think), and the put an inch of CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand on top to keep everthing in place. The Seaflor is 1-2mm in size. My sand stirrers and burrowers seem to like it just fine.

 

[PL-Reef]

i had the same problem. i used southdown and then a courser grain sand. i ended up breaking up some rock with a hammer and using it in the higher flow areas of my reef.

 

[trueblackpercula]

There is only one sollution to your problem remove the sand JUst kidding. I would try a thicker course of sand but as we both know that it will not be as affective in acting as a denitrator.
Michael

 

[RichConley]

I use Kolorscape. Its much heavier than southdown (100x + turnover)

 

[twon8]

i used whatever aragonite sand petsmart carries, and i have a lot of flow, approaching 100x turnover.

 

[Serioussnaps]

rip it out...oh sorry....just put a 1/4" of the coarse shell like aragonite on top of it in a high flow area and see if it works...if it does dump it in there

 

[clkwrk]

I have around 26000gph flowing in my display plus a wave box . Sand is not an option.Personally I can't see how any fine grain can stay down above 75x. Even my buddies carbi sea is too light for his measely 60x and its got to be 4x bigger than southdown.

 

[pledosophy]

What about a crused coral substrate? It is huge compared to sand and could coat the layer of sand, so you could still have the anerobic bacteria region and the high turnover. JMO

 

[clkwrk]

Larger items will work their way down to the bottom IME. So crushed coral over sand will eventually have sand on top.

 

[MrPike]

I think with sand, you have to be creative with how you angle large flow pumps. Personally, I have around 90x turnover, DSB with an vortech, a tunze, and a penductor run from a 1200 pressure rated pump, and this is on a 90 so I have decent flow. You can't aim pumps at the substrate in the slightest, and you cant take a penductor and aim it at the front of the glass. Try to have your converging currents converge on the upper end of the tank so it blasts down on your rocks and not on your substrate.

Good luck

 

[GMAX]

Why not put your deep sand bed in your refugium and just go with a small layer of sand in your display tank? Works for me. Plus my gorgonian seems to really like the sand in the water, must put organics back into the water column. Probably the same for your SPS.