reefnetworth
Premium Member
68551,
Sue, i would like to offer an appology for the distraction away from your questions.
anabolic, aerobic, and anerobic are the three layers need for a DSB to operate properly.
there has to be an oxygen supply in the sandbed to help release the sulfuric gas which will come after the tank cycles.
the cycle is created by the breakdown/denitrification of waste from rock deterioration as it begins to rot.
(FWIW, did you know you can cycle a tank in about a week or so with just a pinch of fish food? and nothing living gives its life for your tank to cycle.)
with sugar grain sized sand you cant have the 3 layers because it compacts to tighly in a DSB of 3-4" and your stars and snails cant efficiently move through the sugar grain packed sand to create the 3 layers of denitrification. therefore you have sulfuric gas pockets forming in compacted places just waiting to escape if disturbed by anything able to do so. (if you move a rock to a new location is a simple example) plus, if you have a reef tank the amount of flow needed to keep it healthy will create a constant sandstorm because the small size of the sand.
the 1/16" diameter sand i mentioned earlier, (before we were interupted by a 14+ year marine theoretical astrophysocist) has more surface area for bacteria to host than the smaller sugar grain or crushed coral put together. look at the 3 of them under a hand held magnifying glass and inspect the surface roughness of each.
the 1/16 dia. has a more pourous surface area per square inch, which allows more benificial bacteria to host/live on. therefore it eats the particulates the stars and snails cant/want eat keeping the sandbed cleaner. BB is microscopic bacteria that eats some nasty stuff.
please allow me to take a restroom break, ill BRB.
Sue, i would like to offer an appology for the distraction away from your questions.
anabolic, aerobic, and anerobic are the three layers need for a DSB to operate properly.
there has to be an oxygen supply in the sandbed to help release the sulfuric gas which will come after the tank cycles.
the cycle is created by the breakdown/denitrification of waste from rock deterioration as it begins to rot.
(FWIW, did you know you can cycle a tank in about a week or so with just a pinch of fish food? and nothing living gives its life for your tank to cycle.)
with sugar grain sized sand you cant have the 3 layers because it compacts to tighly in a DSB of 3-4" and your stars and snails cant efficiently move through the sugar grain packed sand to create the 3 layers of denitrification. therefore you have sulfuric gas pockets forming in compacted places just waiting to escape if disturbed by anything able to do so. (if you move a rock to a new location is a simple example) plus, if you have a reef tank the amount of flow needed to keep it healthy will create a constant sandstorm because the small size of the sand.
the 1/16" diameter sand i mentioned earlier, (before we were interupted by a 14+ year marine theoretical astrophysocist) has more surface area for bacteria to host than the smaller sugar grain or crushed coral put together. look at the 3 of them under a hand held magnifying glass and inspect the surface roughness of each.
the 1/16 dia. has a more pourous surface area per square inch, which allows more benificial bacteria to host/live on. therefore it eats the particulates the stars and snails cant/want eat keeping the sandbed cleaner. BB is microscopic bacteria that eats some nasty stuff.
please allow me to take a restroom break, ill BRB.
Please refrain from passing along bogus info on a public website and even worse in the RC sponsors own forum as some new people here may actually take your remarks seriously.
