I am still pondering whether I should go with a deep sand bed or glass bottom.
I have read a few articles concerning the import/export of nutrients in a deep sand bed. These articles are abit concerning to me.
Nutrient import - To keep a large variety and quantity of sand critters, one must feed the system with ALOT of food. I've seen food quantities of 10 OZ (wet weight) daily! WOW!
What do you feed your sand bed and how much???????
Nutrient export - One of the major components of removing excess nutrients is algal grow/removal. Algal eats nutrients, human removes algal.
Does this mean I have to live with algal infested tank with lots of husbandry to remove it????????
Shimek states 'Normal coral reefs are dominated by algal'. 'Coral reefs are algal dominated communities; up to 80 percent of the living mater on coral reefs is algal tissue. 'PERIODIC MAINTENANCE - manual algal harvesting about every two weeks from all tanks'.
If Shimek is trying to say that algal infested tanks is the way nature intends it to be, and we have to be the predators(clean it out), well then OK. But I have not seen deep sand advocates talk about algal problems.
I like to hear for DS advocates and ALGAL export removal experiences.
I am also concerned whether a beginner like me can manage a deep sand bed without resulting in a disaster, a sess pool of sh|t, food, and algal. This is especially true for a young sand bed. How do you know how much to feed a inmature/young sand bed without overfeeding/underfeeding???????
I've also read where the PH tends to stay low in a deep sand set up, but occupants seems to handle it OK. Anyone else hear of this.
I would really like to see some responds. I am ready to filler-up but not until I'm sure I have a reasonable chance to succeed.
oh yea,
I would like to keep some SPS corsls. I've always understood SPS like nutritionally poor waters. Are deep sand bed tanks bad choice for SPS???
Thanks, Link
I have read a few articles concerning the import/export of nutrients in a deep sand bed. These articles are abit concerning to me.
Nutrient import - To keep a large variety and quantity of sand critters, one must feed the system with ALOT of food. I've seen food quantities of 10 OZ (wet weight) daily! WOW!
What do you feed your sand bed and how much???????
Nutrient export - One of the major components of removing excess nutrients is algal grow/removal. Algal eats nutrients, human removes algal.
Does this mean I have to live with algal infested tank with lots of husbandry to remove it????????
Shimek states 'Normal coral reefs are dominated by algal'. 'Coral reefs are algal dominated communities; up to 80 percent of the living mater on coral reefs is algal tissue. 'PERIODIC MAINTENANCE - manual algal harvesting about every two weeks from all tanks'.
If Shimek is trying to say that algal infested tanks is the way nature intends it to be, and we have to be the predators(clean it out), well then OK. But I have not seen deep sand advocates talk about algal problems.
I like to hear for DS advocates and ALGAL export removal experiences.
I am also concerned whether a beginner like me can manage a deep sand bed without resulting in a disaster, a sess pool of sh|t, food, and algal. This is especially true for a young sand bed. How do you know how much to feed a inmature/young sand bed without overfeeding/underfeeding???????
I've also read where the PH tends to stay low in a deep sand set up, but occupants seems to handle it OK. Anyone else hear of this.
I would really like to see some responds. I am ready to filler-up but not until I'm sure I have a reasonable chance to succeed.
oh yea,
I would like to keep some SPS corsls. I've always understood SPS like nutritionally poor waters. Are deep sand bed tanks bad choice for SPS???
Thanks, Link