So, DSB, how ya doin'?

lakee911 · 07/07/2007, 04:06 PM

How do I know how my DSB is doing? It's about 7 months old now. It's silica sand (no problems with diatoms or critters or anything) and has finally settled down a few months ago. It was very loose, if that's the right term, initially. Is there an gauge to how "healthy" it is?

Thanks,
Jason

Jamesurq · 07/07/2007, 04:16 PM

Sure - are there lots of worms sticking their heads out of it. Lots of little pods crawling around? If you have access to a microscope look for the microfauna....

(something I HIGHLY suggest everyone does at least once - especially those of you with kids. It's really incredible what you'll see in amongst a few grains of a healthy sandbed.)

lakee911 · 07/07/2007, 05:32 PM

Well, I don't see a lot of worms sticking their head out ... I do see tunnels on the edge of the glass, and sometimes I see really long thin (like diameter of a hair) worms in them. Does that count?

Heck with kids (I have none)--I want a microscope...hehe I don't see pods crawling around, but they're on the glass before I clean it... sand is so white its hard to see little stuff.

It must be doing something I guess....my nitrates are only at 7ppm and I've not done any substantial amount of water changes in a while. (I do need to up my salinity and kalk though over the next few days).

Jason

Jamesurq · 07/07/2007, 06:17 PM

This is the one I got. It's pretty fun:

http://www.celestron.com/c2/product....=31&ProdID=444

lakee911 · 07/08/2007, 09:39 AM

Looks pretty neat. I don't think my fiancee would let me buy something like this, at least right now. We've spent 10s of thousands in home remodeling as of lately and we need to have a no spending period

(its ok, I dont have to eat 'til October

). How many bazillions of dollara was that scope? Maybe someone has one I could borrow.

Thx

bbehring · 07/08/2007, 09:58 AM

Little too pricy for my kiddos at $299.

Jamesurq · 07/08/2007, 11:47 AM

There are plenty of more reasonably priced microscopes out there. You can get by with much lower power too. I got one with high power for examining phytoplankton.

07/07/2007, 04:06 PM	#1
lakee911 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,988	So, DSB, how ya doin'? How do I know how my DSB is doing? It's about 7 months old now. It's silica sand (no problems with diatoms or critters or anything) and has finally settled down a few months ago. It was very loose, if that's the right term, initially. Is there an gauge to how "healthy" it is? Thanks, Jason

07/07/2007, 04:16 PM	#2
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Sure - are there lots of worms sticking their heads out of it. Lots of little pods crawling around? If you have access to a microscope look for the microfauna.... (something I HIGHLY suggest everyone does at least once - especially those of you with kids. It's really incredible what you'll see in amongst a few grains of a healthy sandbed.)

07/07/2007, 05:32 PM	#3
lakee911 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,988	Well, I don't see a lot of worms sticking their head out ... I do see tunnels on the edge of the glass, and sometimes I see really long thin (like diameter of a hair) worms in them. Does that count? Heck with kids (I have none)--I want a microscope...hehe I don't see pods crawling around, but they're on the glass before I clean it... sand is so white its hard to see little stuff. It must be doing something I guess....my nitrates are only at 7ppm and I've not done any substantial amount of water changes in a while. (I do need to up my salinity and kalk though over the next few days). Jason

07/07/2007, 06:17 PM	#4
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	This is the one I got. It's pretty fun: http://www.celestron.com/c2/product....=31&ProdID=444

07/08/2007, 09:39 AM	#5
lakee911 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,988	Looks pretty neat. I don't think my fiancee would let me buy something like this, at least right now. We've spent 10s of thousands in home remodeling as of lately and we need to have a no spending period (its ok, I dont have to eat 'til October ). How many bazillions of dollara was that scope? Maybe someone has one I could borrow. Thx

07/08/2007, 09:58 AM	#6
bbehring Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hemet, California Posts: 917	Little too pricy for my kiddos at $299.

07/08/2007, 11:47 AM	#7
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	There are plenty of more reasonably priced microscopes out there. You can get by with much lower power too. I got one with high power for examining phytoplankton.