A
Anonymous
Guest
Yes, I know I had some great idea that a DSB was just what was needed for a tank packed full of diverse life and creating the ideal conditions for LPS/softies and maybe at some stage a Mandarin (with lots of planktonic food etc). Yes, I know a DSB isn't exactly the most popular of ideas right now and I had some crazy idea I'd discovered the niche for making one work. I might have done, but to be honest, I'm no longer sure that I'm the right person to make it work.
I don't have a huge problem with nuisance algae (yet?) and most of my coral is looking perfectly healthy with my parameters reading fine. But I'm finding it almost impossible to get any decent flow going with the sugar sand recommended for best DSB effect. Also I was unable to get the right sand bed CUC (no Nassarius here, no hitchhiking bristle worms or brittle stars, despite other hitchhikers that would be the envy of most), so the bed isn't getting turned over in the way I'd like. If I try and dial up the flow even a fraction, corals get coated in sand, as do the rocks. The lack of flow is I think behind the growth in various types of algae, as the waste from the Strombus snails and now the Blenny is not getting taken away with the flow (and yes, I know I said I wasn't too bothered about having different interesting algae growing - turns out I was wrong about that as well - it's bothering me quite a lot!).
So would I be mad to remove the sand bed now? I'm only 3 months in now (actually more like 2 and a bit) and maybe it's that I need more patience. But on the other hand, I'm tempted to cut my losses now and start again, washing off most of the algae and sand stuck to the rock and rebuilding in a BB/SSB tank.
If the answer is yes, then I will have quite some task on my hand, with no garden to dump sand in, no friend who needs that much sand and very few containers to hold water while I try to do this. But all these factors can be overcome with a bit of planning and a couple of days off.
The key questions in my mind would be:
First and foremost - how? What's the best way to remove the sand bed without causing a whiteout (as far as that is possible). Would siphoning a little out every time I do a water change work? It would take a long time and doesn't easily answer the question I'll need to deal with of what to do with it, but it would negate the need for lots of containers. Is there another way? I might have one friend in need of enough sand for a SSB in his 30"l tank, but haven't asked him yet. If there were a way to remove what he needed, that would be ideal
Secondly - do I go completely bare bottom or shallow sand bed? Is the only advantage to the SSB aesthetics? Or does it increase the variety of critters/fish you can keep (wrasses need a DSB don't they?).
Thanks in advance. Please don't hesitate to tell me not to be a impetuous fool and to stick with a DSB if that's what you think, but "I told you so" posts are also welcome. I can't remember if anyone did tell me explicitly not to have a DSB (they might have done and I'm blocking it out), but don't let that stop you...
I don't have a huge problem with nuisance algae (yet?) and most of my coral is looking perfectly healthy with my parameters reading fine. But I'm finding it almost impossible to get any decent flow going with the sugar sand recommended for best DSB effect. Also I was unable to get the right sand bed CUC (no Nassarius here, no hitchhiking bristle worms or brittle stars, despite other hitchhikers that would be the envy of most), so the bed isn't getting turned over in the way I'd like. If I try and dial up the flow even a fraction, corals get coated in sand, as do the rocks. The lack of flow is I think behind the growth in various types of algae, as the waste from the Strombus snails and now the Blenny is not getting taken away with the flow (and yes, I know I said I wasn't too bothered about having different interesting algae growing - turns out I was wrong about that as well - it's bothering me quite a lot!).
So would I be mad to remove the sand bed now? I'm only 3 months in now (actually more like 2 and a bit) and maybe it's that I need more patience. But on the other hand, I'm tempted to cut my losses now and start again, washing off most of the algae and sand stuck to the rock and rebuilding in a BB/SSB tank.
If the answer is yes, then I will have quite some task on my hand, with no garden to dump sand in, no friend who needs that much sand and very few containers to hold water while I try to do this. But all these factors can be overcome with a bit of planning and a couple of days off.
The key questions in my mind would be:
First and foremost - how? What's the best way to remove the sand bed without causing a whiteout (as far as that is possible). Would siphoning a little out every time I do a water change work? It would take a long time and doesn't easily answer the question I'll need to deal with of what to do with it, but it would negate the need for lots of containers. Is there another way? I might have one friend in need of enough sand for a SSB in his 30"l tank, but haven't asked him yet. If there were a way to remove what he needed, that would be ideal
Secondly - do I go completely bare bottom or shallow sand bed? Is the only advantage to the SSB aesthetics? Or does it increase the variety of critters/fish you can keep (wrasses need a DSB don't they?).
Thanks in advance. Please don't hesitate to tell me not to be a impetuous fool and to stick with a DSB if that's what you think, but "I told you so" posts are also welcome. I can't remember if anyone did tell me explicitly not to have a DSB (they might have done and I'm blocking it out), but don't let that stop you...
