Removing a DSB safely

[Anonymous]

Personally I really like the look of a DSB. I like being able to have a natural looking up-and-down look to the substrate w/o having glass peeking through. I think I am going to invest in a cuke or two though at least.

 

[Anonymous]

I do too, and I also advocate considering outside the "sand box", cc in the range of 1mm-5mm can be used to create something of a DSB as well (saw a great example out at Mary Middlebrooks' place).

Beyond and along with the cukes, consider Archaster typicus to eat detritus as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Righty,

I honestly didn't mean for my post to sound snotty...I apologize for that.

My wife (and some here, perhaps) thinks I'm crazy for messing with a tank that is doing well, but based on some discussions with Laura and some of the posts in this thread, I'm going to try to ease it down to 3". I'm not telling anyone they should do it in their tank, only that I think it's the right thing for me.

And if it really screws up the tank, I can at least share my experience here!

Chris

 

[Anonymous]

Sharkky,

Fwiw, I have an 8" tiger tail and he travels through at most 1/4 of the tank.

Chris

 

[Anonymous]

Righty,

I honestly didn't mean for my post to sound snotty...I apologize for that.

It didn't! Sorry if my post made it sound like I thought yours was. I am a little out of it today - long couple of days - so it was prolly my fault.

My wife (and some here, perhaps) thinks I'm crazy for messing with a tank that is doing well, but based on some discussions with Laura and some of the posts in this thread, I'm going to try to ease it down to 3". I'm not telling anyone they should do it in their tank, only that I think it's the right thing for me.

Swingin!
I would be easing mine down too if mine was as deep as yours. Go for a cup a week and I don't think you will have any problems.

And if it really screws up the tank, I can at least share my experience here!

Chris

Please keep us posted either way!

:mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

I had abouit 5 tiger tails, but I haven't seen them in months. Maybe I will check late tonight.

I do have one of those 'turd' cucumbers, and he travels all over the place, even up the glass.

RR

 

[Ben1]

I also had a tiger tail cuke and at one point it split. Usually about once a year. After I crashed the tank with a ph spike a few years back I lost them all and never got a new one. Time to replace them though as they did sweep the bed nicely.

Archaster typicus I will go do a search but what is this?

 

[Ben1]

http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/inve ... sandsr.htm

never mind I found the stars here. Some good info on them.

 

[IllSolutions]

to get rid of sand fast and with little disruption to you bacteria is use a large hose to siphon it out. Just suck out what you want. 1 1/2" to 2" spa flex works the best especially if you have turbo and other snail shells littered in your gravel. then top back off with fresh salt water! How deep is it? sand beds around 3 to 5 inches works best for me!

 

[Anonymous]

I also had a tiger tail cuke and at one point it split. Usually about once a year. After I crashed the tank with a ph spike a few years back I lost them all and never got a new one. Time to replace them though as they did sweep the bed nicely.

Archaster typicus I will go do a search but what is this?

It is a sand-sifting obligate detritivore. Some piccies..

The Bobster's pic..

And another (not the Bobster's)..

"Do I Make You Horny, Baby?"

And one showing some of the differing coloration (cryptic)..

 

[Anonymous]

I am keeping my varying depth DSB(2"-4"). I use a fighting Conch that does most of the surface of my DSB daily. I have two brittle stars and many worms and pods. My tomato clown digs a hole in the same spot every hour or two.

My opinion....leave the DSB. I think conches and cukes are necessary for DSB maintainence(unless you stir the top layer manually).

Plus the goby/clownfish digging thing should not be a problem unless they dig up much of the DSB. One or two spots should not be a problem. One or two spots in a 125 will not release enough gas to wipe out a tank.

If you notice some cyano or algae on the sand bed stir that section up to release the detrius and gases trapped below the surface.

Maintainence is the key, whether it's done by you or critters.

No matter what I'm keeping mine.

 

[Anonymous]

me too. i just put a DSB together a few months ago.

(i typed a lengthy response to ChrisPrusha last night in regards to this thread but threw it away because i couldn't sound open minded though i definately am).

i think Chris ought to keep his DSB until it no longer serves it's purpose.

i actually like the thought of everyone embracing the barebottom theme... i'm not certain why, but i do.

 

[shr00m]

i think barebottom is a step backwards.... wasnt the whole point of the dsb to complete the nitrogen cycle?

 

[Ben1]

Yes but there are other ways to complete the cycle. Even the center of live rock will become o2 free and break down nitrate. A DSB does it faster but some people have great luck with bare bottom and end up at 0 nitrate anyhow. Saying that my DSB isnt moving anywhere. I just set up my 150 with a 4" bed and feel the best method would be to take out say 10% every year on one side to the glass and replace it with fresh sand. The way over many years the bed would always have fresh areas and never become "full" and have to leach back to the tank. I would go with the large diameter hose to remove the 10%, JMO.

 

[Anonymous]

One or two spots should not be a problem. One or two spots in a 125 will not release enough gas to wipe out a tank.

This idea is thrown around in the hobby quite a bit. Anyone have any links that have any data on the release of posion gas in an aquarium?

 

[hillbilly]

I think the panic to remove DSB's is unfounded. If you don't let your sand bed fill up with crap, it's not going to crash. Jeez!!!

 

[shr00m]

so what if you removed say an inch after about 2 years, and replaced with fresh sand? i have a sandbed that is around 8 months old.

 

[Anonymous]

so what if you removed say an inch after about 2 years, and replaced with fresh sand? i have a sandbed that is around 8 months old.

that work great if you could remove the lower inch :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

so what if you removed say an inch after about 2 years, and replaced with fresh sand? i have a sandbed that is around 8 months old.

that work great if you could remove the lower inch :wink:

Not sure if that is true. The papers I have been reading seem to indicate that the 'stratification' of sandbeds doesn't really happen, that you can get all the different kinds of sand enviornments alt all levels of hte sand bed. More like pockets than layers.

 

[Anonymous]

so what if you removed say an inch after about 2 years, and replaced with fresh sand? i have a sandbed that is around 8 months old.

that work great if you could remove the lower inch :wink:

Not sure if that is true. The papers I have been reading seem to indicate that the 'stratification' of sandbeds doesn't really happen, that you can get all the different kinds of sand enviornments alt all levels of hte sand bed. More like pockets than layers.

my comment is in regards to the settling po4 aspect. if that is the "stratification" you speak of then i have gotten conflicting info.

from conversations past with Galleon and Bomber, the bottom pane of the aquarium would be the cause of the buildup inside the tank.
if we could keep bottomless sand beds the phosphates would be enabled to continue a downward travel and the total amount built up and released to the water column would level off to a consistent amount (of course this depends on a myriad of other factors remaining constant as well).

i think this is an accurate, though terribly simplified, summary on my part.

i recall a thread at TRT where the topic was coming up with ideas to create a fully functioning DSB that would not fill up with nasties.
the thread is probably 30 pages longer than when i read it, but at the time Chris proposed the idea of elevating the bed to allow a space below (plenum like), and have a petcock type of valve down there to periodically remove the detritus.

LMK if that is accurate Galleon.