Refugium crashed?!?!?!?!

Snailpowered · 12/30/2008, 07:39 PM

Can some please help me out. I went to pull some sand out of my 12" deep sand bed for a new pico tank and noticed that all of my cheato had turned white and didnt smell too well either. Is there a reason that all the sudden a fuge would die off? Nothing new has gone into the tank recently. There was also a film on the top of the water and the bottom of my DSB has started to turn a gray color within the past 2 weeks. SOme one please chime in.
Oh and everything in the display looks great still. Thanks for the help.

FranktheTankTx · 12/30/2008, 08:14 PM

If the chaeto has turned white you need to get it out of there. It will leach into the water column. I thought chaeto was damn near impossible to kill - practically surviving nuclear blasts. You may be the first to kill it in man kind.

stylolvr · 12/30/2008, 08:16 PM

Pictures? Before and after. How long has the tank been running?

Garage1217 · 12/30/2008, 08:48 PM

Can be killed easy, especially in ULN systems *LOL*

Snailpowered · 12/30/2008, 10:08 PM

So i need to get it out of there still hu. The tank has been set up for about 5 months now and alot of the rock and the sandbed (oh yeah sorry it a RDSB about 70lbs worth) came from my previous tank that was set up for about 2 years. I have had a LN system but i dont dose anything to get it to a "ULN" system. My nutirants are just about untracable though salafert test but thats about it.

Albanets202 · 12/31/2008, 11:23 AM

Never disturb DSB. It is potentially disastrous. It will leach trapped toxins generated as a byproduct of anaerobic bacteria.

thomasp123 · 12/31/2008, 11:39 AM

Does it smell like rotten eggs? The Problem with deep sand beds is they go anaerobic and produce hydrogen sulfide. The grey color is precipitated iron sulfide it will eventually turn black. If you release the hydrogen sulfide it will kill everything in its path. I would disconect the fuge from the main tank and clean it out and start over again.

Tom

Snailpowered · 01/01/2009, 02:19 PM

okay well ill start cleaning it out tonight, what a bummer because it was going really well. Do you think that i should set up another DSB but not make it as deep in the fuge or just have cheato in the fuge and let it be BB? The RDSB that i have now is about 14 inches deep. As stated above i have a BB display tank.

This is for peoples opintions to share as they like, i know this is a fairly heated topic but everyone is intitled to their own opinion please just have some reson why you like your setup over others you have seen.
Thanks all!!!

Shmax · 01/01/2009, 02:37 PM

I don't like the idea of a DSB very much... and even less once I thoroughly read this. I would encourage anyone to read it, as it's been a great debate on DSB's, and having long term success with your reef.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1520368

noahm · 01/01/2009, 03:41 PM

Typically chaeto dies out and bleaches due to lack of nutrients. I don't think it is the RDSB IMO. It is just not enough excess nutrients to get taken up by the chaeto. You do have light on it, correct?

E.intheC · 01/01/2009, 08:49 PM

The more I've read about DSB's, the more I believe they ARE good, and many of the quoted problems really are unfounded.

12/30/2008, 07:39 PM	#1
Snailpowered Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orlando Posts: 322	Refugium crashed?!?!?!?! Can some please help me out. I went to pull some sand out of my 12" deep sand bed for a new pico tank and noticed that all of my cheato had turned white and didnt smell too well either. Is there a reason that all the sudden a fuge would die off? Nothing new has gone into the tank recently. There was also a film on the top of the water and the bottom of my DSB has started to turn a gray color within the past 2 weeks. SOme one please chime in. Oh and everything in the display looks great still. Thanks for the help.

12/30/2008, 08:14 PM	#2
FranktheTankTx Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 2,306	If the chaeto has turned white you need to get it out of there. It will leach into the water column. I thought chaeto was damn near impossible to kill - practically surviving nuclear blasts. You may be the first to kill it in man kind. __________________ Frank the Tank "What, I thought we were in the trust tree... in the nest? Are we not?" Current Tank Info: Custom Rimless 60g (30.5"x24.5"x18.5")

12/30/2008, 08:16 PM	#3
stylolvr Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Longwood, FL Posts: 734	Pictures? Before and after. How long has the tank been running? __________________ Some call it a hobby, others an obsession. I just call it good, clean fun! Current Tank Info: Acquiring equipment for a Waterbox 20 Cube mixed reef

12/30/2008, 08:48 PM	#4
Garage1217 GET OFF MY LAWN Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Globally Posts: 5,863	Can be killed easy, especially in ULN systems LOL __________________ No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness ~ Aristotle If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? ~ Albert Einstein I'm just as bent as ever. Hellishly so ~ Captain Jack Sparrow Current Tank Info: Systems and goodies by Lee-Mar / Coralvue / Neptune Systems / Jager / Spectrapure / Cree / Meanwell + more!

01/01/2009, 08:49 PM	#11
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	The more I've read about DSB's, the more I believe they ARE good, and many of the quoted problems really are unfounded. __________________ -Eric

12/30/2008, 10:08 PM	#5
Snailpowered Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orlando Posts: 322	So i need to get it out of there still hu. The tank has been set up for about 5 months now and alot of the rock and the sandbed (oh yeah sorry it a RDSB about 70lbs worth) came from my previous tank that was set up for about 2 years. I have had a LN system but i dont dose anything to get it to a "ULN" system. My nutirants are just about untracable though salafert test but thats about it.

12/31/2008, 11:23 AM	#6
Albanets202 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Troy NY 12180 Posts: 133	Never disturb DSB. It is potentially disastrous. It will leach trapped toxins generated as a byproduct of anaerobic bacteria.

12/31/2008, 11:39 AM	#7
thomasp123 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hadley MA Posts: 345	Does it smell like rotten eggs? The Problem with deep sand beds is they go anaerobic and produce hydrogen sulfide. The grey color is precipitated iron sulfide it will eventually turn black. If you release the hydrogen sulfide it will kill everything in its path. I would disconect the fuge from the main tank and clean it out and start over again. Tom

01/01/2009, 02:19 PM	#8
Snailpowered Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orlando Posts: 322	okay well ill start cleaning it out tonight, what a bummer because it was going really well. Do you think that i should set up another DSB but not make it as deep in the fuge or just have cheato in the fuge and let it be BB? The RDSB that i have now is about 14 inches deep. As stated above i have a BB display tank. This is for peoples opintions to share as they like, i know this is a fairly heated topic but everyone is intitled to their own opinion please just have some reson why you like your setup over others you have seen. Thanks all!!!

01/01/2009, 02:37 PM	#9
Shmax Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 596	I don't like the idea of a DSB very much... and even less once I thoroughly read this. I would encourage anyone to read it, as it's been a great debate on DSB's, and having long term success with your reef. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1520368

01/01/2009, 03:41 PM	#10
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Typically chaeto dies out and bleaches due to lack of nutrients. I don't think it is the RDSB IMO. It is just not enough excess nutrients to get taken up by the chaeto. You do have light on it, correct?