RDSB results

fade2black

fade2black

Premium Member
I know this has been discussed at length in the other thread (Part 1 & Part 2), that isn't the purpose of this one. This is to get feedback and overall results (good or bad) from people that ran, or are still running, a RDSB and put it all in one place.

If you are currently running one, how long has it been online and what maintenance have you had to do? What is your overall impression of the usefulness of it?

If you had one and no longer use it, why not? What caused you to remove it? What side effects did you observe that made you remove it?

Any more info you can add would be helpful. That thread is very long and the same questions seem to get asked over and over again, this is just a feedback thread. If you have a question about RDSB, please post it in the other one. I think this will help people that are thinking of doing this and will give a good overall impression of if it is worth the time and effort
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11660336#post11660336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fade2black
No one has results?
Click to expand...

Fade2....Great idea for a thread. You are right the how to thread(s) got so long, but good:lol: As far as results on my set up it is count down time, as I will post results good or bad in about 2 and at the most 3 weeks, as it has been running now for 4 1/2 weeks, so we'll know in the time frame.

Good thinking on this one:lol:

Dick
 
I have a RDSB but I also have a refugium for nutrient export with macro and aiptasia. So which do I attribute my results?
 
This concept intrigues me greatly, but who still uses them? Was this a momentary fad or a real application that people use?
 
I think I've seen a lot of people on the other thread... but no one has reported their results. The ones that intend to obviously haven't had enough time.
 
There is so many factors that goes into a tank doing well that I think it will be hard to know for sure whether your RDSB is truly responsible for the tank's stability (or instability). The changes will not likely be dramatic enough to report. I recently converted a DSB to RDSB in my refugium to make space for frags. It's been only a week, but no significant changes. Then again, I have a healthy 6" DSB in my 300G display tank anyhow and will not likely notice any benefit from the RDSB. I hope to hear from people with BB system and RDSB and hear their experience since I expect this group will get the most out of a RDSB.
 
So if your using a RDSB to reduce nitrate can't you just test your water coming out of the unit and compare with tests done to the tank water over time a trend should tell you the awnser
 
So if your using a RDSB to reduce nitrate can't you just test your water coming out of the unit and compare with tests done to the tank water over time a trend should tell you the awnser

Unless the flow through the RDSB is very low, you are unlikely to be able to detect any difference with a test kit.
 
The simple problem (as a few of us pointed out in the other thread) is that people implement RDSBs when the have a problem but at the same time also make MANY other changes to reduce or eliminate the problem.

If stop eating fat, start jogging, take Lipitor and throw away the smokes, pray, use mental healing and go to acupuncture and yoga sessions... which one of those acts what is it that actually worked to slow the heart disease?

On the other hand, some folks install them before they have a problem. Does the RDSB help prevent the problems or is it just wishful thinking.

I believe they do help. But, you are not going to find very many people that run into a nitrate problem and ONLY add the RDSB and change nothing else.
 
I hope to see results on this. I am about to begin a 180 in-wall build and am planning to incorporate a DSB. Does having it incorporated into the sump qualify it as remote? I want to cube off one section of the sump and fill it with sand only. The flow over the top will equal whatever is flowing through the sump. I may be able to adjust that, but time will tell. I may have to adjust my plans based on this thead.:eek1:

Please keep this thread going!
 
I used a 20 gallon RDSB on a 280 gallon SPS tank with a high fish load for about a year. When I started I had about 10 ppm of nitrates,when I took it offline the number was about the same. I did not change much over the course of the year. My feeling is that with a properly designed system its really just an extra layer on your system. I've found that over the last year or so I've taken layers of complication off my system and I find the hobbie much more enjoyable. just my .02
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11966170#post11966170 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
The simple problem (as a few of us pointed out in the other thread) is that people implement RDSBs when the have a problem but at the same time also make MANY other changes to reduce or eliminate the problem.

If stop eating fat, start jogging, take Lipitor and throw away the smokes, pray, use mental healing and go to acupuncture and yoga sessions... which one of those acts what is it that actually worked to slow the heart disease?

On the other hand, some folks install them before they have a problem. Does the RDSB help prevent the problems or is it just wishful thinking.

I believe they do help. But, you are not going to find very many people that run into a nitrate problem and ONLY add the RDSB and change nothing else.
Click to expand...

Bean - I do agree with you that most people try many things at once and will find it hard to attribute a positive result to one thing. The only reason I started this thread was because a lot of info was getting lost in the huge RDSB threads and so many people were asking if they worked. Personally, I have never used one.
 
I think we are both on the exact same page fade2black. In a way that is why I really hate threads like that. The meaninfgul information gets burried in 100 pages of mush. It is not any single persons fault, it is just they way things evolve here and on any other forum. To get any semblance of what is going on you have to read all 100 pages and you still walk away scratching your head.

Good luck :) I would also love to see some good replies.
 
With a forum this active it seems to happen a lot. You find a good topic and it quickly balloons into 50 pages. Good thing I have a day job so I can sort through all of them! :D
 
All right. Maybe I can test this. I've been concentrating on getting my new tank setup and have neglected a 10g with nothing in it but 2 clown fish, a few snails, some live rock, and a bunch of algae. I haven't tested in some time, but I've got to believe that nitrates are high in that tank. I will test for nitrates tonight, and if they are indeed high, I will start trying to find sand for an RDSB and put one together.

I have been very curious about this. I've read where A. Calfo believes this works and I was considering using one on my new setup as I won't have a DSB in either my display or refugium. Plus, maybe I can contribute something to the forum for a change.

Anyway, my initial thoughts are this:

1) Make a PVC overflow to get the water to the RDSB
2) Use a 5g bucket filled to within a few inches from the top with sand (will have to see what I can find, but since I'm not worried about buffering, I will probably not use Aragonite)
3) Dig up a small return pump
4) Not make any other changes to reduce nitrates while testing
5) Test nitrates 2x per week until I notice a change in the nitrate level...at that point I'll likely test every other day

Does this sound reasonable? Am I overlooking something? If I'm going to do this, I might as well do it right, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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