How old are your DSB's??

[pcremone]

Hello everybody from Italy.. I'm going to project my new reef tank, a 160 gals.. and I am in doubt between the BB or DSB setup.. the question is.. how old can get a DSB tank without giving problems? What are your experience with old DSB's?? What do you do to keep a old DSB healty?

Thanks!

 

[bulfraw215]

I stir up the first 2" every week to allow the gasses to release. I didn't have to do this until my sand sifter died. i will go BB if i ever have to move the tank but until then Dsb works for me.

 

[FSOL]

I have a 180g DSB with about 3"-4" of sand in the bottom. Been there for almost a year now. Don't do any stirring, but I have sea cucumbers/hermits/snails to keep it clean.

By the way I was in Italy this summer. Beautiful country. Rome was amazing, so much architecture and history.

 

[pcremone]

Thanks FSOL, i just live near Rome..
How do you deal with PO4 and NO3 values?

 

[Harville]

I have 90 gal mixed reef (50% sps)

5" DSB
approx. 110 lbs live rock
small skimmer (deltec mce 600)
algae turf scrubber (for NO3, PO4)
4 mj 1200s on wave maker

tank has been set up 3 yrs.

no "bad" experiences with DSB

I do nothing to the sand besides make sure there are no "dead spots"

I do a 10% water change about once a month.

check out my gallery for tank pics if you want.

dates should be included under photos

 

[Ocean Drive]

I would like one DSB in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) only to denitrate. I don't care for trace elements, I want use calcuim reactor and all liquid or dust trace elemets. Aragonite or Hoolitic sands in sugar sized, are very expansive in Italy. Here we can find CaCO3 at good price, good business.

 

[Ti]

4yrs

 

[FSOL]

For phosphate control I run a phosphate reactor and also grow chaeto in my refugium. Never had nitrate issues. I have a good skimmer, I skim wet. The I have lots of live rock. I don't feed too much, and do biweekly water changes.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8678981#post8678981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ti
4yrs

You realize that thing is going to explode and take out your whole house right? j/k

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8679315#post8679315 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REEF-DADDY
You realize that thing is going to explode and take out your whole house right? j/k

What can I say, I live DANGEROUSLY. :smokin:

 

[pcremone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8679181#post8679181 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FSOL
For phosphate control I run a phosphate reactor and also grow chaeto in my refugium. Never had nitrate issues. I have a good skimmer, I skim wet. The I have lots of live rock. I don't feed too much, and do biweekly water changes.

What's a phosphate reactor? Can you explain me this?
Thanks!

 

[Ocean Drive]

phosphate reactor, maybe fluized bed?

 

[Brisc0]

I have an Aquapod in line with the rest of my reef that has an 8" DSB in it. I have only recently set it up, but should I start to have DSB issues down the road all I have to do is break it down, rinse and repeat.

Previously on my first system I did a 5" DSB of some really coarse grain sand and that exploded nearly two years to the day I set it up.

A phosphate reactor is like a micro calcium reactor without the gas. A small powerhead runs water thru phosphate reducing media and then back into the system. I think precision marine or maybe GEO makes a decent one.

 

[pcremone]

Up! No one else??

 

[Dazed And Confused]

Mine is only about 18 months old. I have a remote fuge with the 6" DSB in it. I seeded it with critters from Bill's Reef. I use a tigertail cuke to keep the top stirred up along with Nassarius snails. I couldn't stir the top of mine if I wanted to, sand is way too fine as recommended by Dr. Shimek. To this point, I've had no issues, but I also have a very lightly loaded 140 gallon reef tank and a football size chunk of chaeto fenced off in the corner of the fuge. I plan to recharge the critters at 2 years. Right now, it's full of tiny worms that live in the sand and send their tiny fishing lines into the water column. Looks like a bunch of fly fishermen right after I feed the main tank. I feed the fuge from time to time to make sure I keep it's critters alive. As I understand it, the DSB critters are what pump the water down thru the sandbed, so we're obligated to make sure they stay alive and healthy. That seems to be what kills most of 'em - people fall into neglect after they run awhile with no problems, then the neglect causes tank crash. HTH

 

[LeslieP]

5 years old, ~4" in a 55g. I have had some hair algae problems now and then for two main reasons:
1. neglected water changes and kalk dripping due to the birth of my child
2. heavy fish load
I only feed my fish 2-3x/week, nori is available more often, I have a refugium to help export the nutrients and for pod reproduction which in turn, supplement the feedings. I do 10% water changes every 2-3 weeks and try to drip kalkwasser for top-offs. I do try to get sand from various sources to keep a good population of sand critters.
Everything is very healthy and growing well. I have softies, LPS and some SPS. When I am good with the kalk and water changes, I have very little algae, but if I slack off for a few months, it starts to return. If you are diligent, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[lynn53]

I have a 5 year old DSB that is a true 6" deep. Running beautifully

 

[Aqua Keepers]

Threre's someone on RC that has had one for like 14yrs

 

[greenbean36191]

Eric Borneman has had one for something like 18 years.

I've had a 2'' SSB going on 5 years and haven't had any problems from it so far.

 

[TrojanScott]

DSB crashes are a myth, IMO. I had one for a good 8 years, no issues at all.