New set up!!

[awestruck]

I am upgrading to a 120g. in the next month or so and I have some questions; currently my 58g. doesn't have a sump or a fuge so I need to learn some things.

1. When you use a dsb as filtration, do you put a sand bed in the fuge AND the display?

2. I am going to have a 58g. sump and and a 60g. fuge in addition to the 120 display. So, when I do a weekly water change, is 10% 12 gallons or approximately 24 gallons?

3. If the 60g. is just a fuge, what does it need besides chaeto, water, and a light?

4. Dr. Shimek explains, in one of his articles, that people should not put sand sifting gobies in their sand beds to help with cleaning. While the gobies do help keep the sand really clean, they simultaneously deplete it of beneficial critters. Thus, should the sand bed only have snails? Right now I have many snails and a black cucumber which cleans the bed. I was going to get a diamond gobie but am now thinking that's a bad idea.

That's it for now, sorry it's so long. Any help is appreciated!

 

[JimKelly12203]

1) Either or both! I think many ppl are moving away from DSBs these days. As many people love them as there are people who think they crash IMO. My intention was to have a thin sand bed in the DT just for cosmetic purposes and a DSB in the sump/fuge. There is an interesting thread going on right now regarding the complete elimination of DSBs (fuge and DT).

2) technically a 10% water change on that system would be 24g. However, it's an arbitrary number. There are some people who don't even do water changes and have good results. If you did 12g every month, it would be a good number. So would 24g. Up to you really. I'd base it on how the corals are doing.

3) I'd put in some LR, detrivores and other interesting critters that you don't want co-mingling with the stuff in your DT.

4) Good question. I don't intend to get much bacterial filtration from the sand bed in my tank. I'm of the mind that adequate LR with solid and varied flow will do all the biological filtration you'll need. The sandbed for me is merely for asthetic purposes.

That's just my opinion though.

 

[awestruck]

Thank you Jim, great answers! Yes, I am aware of the ongoing debate regarding sandbeds although I haven't found the thread discussing eliminating them altogether. It's tough, because I view Dr. Shimek as an expert and he appears to believe they are really, really good for fish and corals. I like your idea of the sandbed in the fuge and just a little in the display, enough to cover the bottom.

Duh, I forgot about putting some liverock in the sump! Sheesh, I've been reefing how long...

If my total system is close to 240 gallons even though the display is only 120g, and my bioload isn't crazy, perhaps 40g. a month would be okay. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Anyone else?

 

[JimKelly12203]

No problem! I would seek out the advice of others as well though. I don't even have a bloody tank yet.

Been spending the last 1.5 years furiously reading up about reef tanks and lusting over the reef central tanks of the month while waiting to get a house suitable to put a big tank in!

I'm almost there, but unfortunately it's still all theory and no practice for me

 

[Playa-1]

1) Either or Both
2) Maybe 5 to 10 gal per week on a regular basis should be fine.
3) A little LR and rubble to aid with filtration and provide pods with a sanctuary.
4) My understanding is that the reason that you don't want critters in the tank that will stir up a dsb is because the dsb over time will accumulate gases that help to break down nitrates. But these gases are very toxic to the tank if they are released into the tank. Many people choose to put DSB in the fuge where it is less likely to be disturbed.
I'm in the process of building a 90 gal tank and will be going with a SSB in the display mainly for looks, a good skimmer in the sump, a fuge with Chaeto, LR, LR rubble to provide a predator free environment to raise pods. I think this will be a cleaner way to get a good end result. I will consider a DSB in the fuge if I have a problem with nitrates later.

 

[awestruck]

Thank you playa, gosh, there are so many ways to set up reefs and be successful. Right now my 58g. has no fuge and no sump. It does have a dsb, hob skimmer (aqua c remora) and a large canister filter that basically holds carbon. My water parameters stay good and constant w/weekly water changes. Even my nitrates are always at 0. Go figure...