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Sk8r · 05/30/2014, 12:57 PM

The DSB or deep sandbed is about 4 inches or so, some areas shallower, some deeper: that's an average. And anything below the surface is something you don't want kicked up. It regularly releases bubbles of nitrogen gas, which is the finished product it makes of fish poo. The bubble goes to the surface and just goes away.

There's been a lot of word-of-mouth about superfine or sugar sand being the way to go with a DSB. I had it and pulled it, since it 'walked' in strong current, never settled, and killed corals. I do fine with medium-grade aragonite: makes a very nice DSB.

There is also a thing called an RSB, or remote sandbed, for people who for some reason want an extra sandbed or A sandbed if their tank has none... (some coral and some fish-only tanks have none, but this reduces the capacity of the tank to process waste. An RSB provides that.) You just pipe your water to pass through a tank with a DSB. Think of it as a sandy refugium. I have one, in addition to my main one, and it can carry the whole tank or vice versa if I have a problem turn up.

05/30/2014, 12:57 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The DSB or deep sandbed is about 4 inches or so, some areas shallower, some deeper: that's an average. And anything below the surface is something you don't want kicked up. It regularly releases bubbles of nitrogen gas, which is the finished product it makes of fish poo. The bubble goes to the surface and just goes away. There's been a lot of word-of-mouth about superfine or sugar sand being the way to go with a DSB. I had it and pulled it, since it 'walked' in strong current, never settled, and killed corals. I do fine with medium-grade aragonite: makes a very nice DSB. There is also a thing called an RSB, or remote sandbed, for people who for some reason want an extra sandbed or A sandbed if their tank has none... (some coral and some fish-only tanks have none, but this reduces the capacity of the tank to process waste. An RSB provides that.) You just pipe your water to pass through a tank with a DSB. Think of it as a sandy refugium. I have one, in addition to my main one, and it can carry the whole tank or vice versa if I have a problem turn up. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.