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Unread 04/29/2007, 12:35 AM   #1
n8ureman
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a question for all the DSB guys...

My question is this, how many people who keep a DSB, "gravel vac" the substrate? what are the pros and cons for doin so? or not doing so for that matter. just wondering...


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Unread 04/29/2007, 12:38 AM   #2
drummereef
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I would highly suggest you do not vacuum the substrate. This will defeat the purpose of the dsb and you could risk releasing hydrogen sulfide. You should only let your cleanup crew do the sifting. If you absolutely feel the need to 'groom' the sandbed then only stir the top 1/4" layer.

http://www.ronshimek.com/Deep%20Sand%20Beds.htm


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Unread 04/29/2007, 12:39 AM   #3
flyyyguy
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I dont touch it.

I go way out of my way to ensure i am getting great flow over all of it and there is never any reason to.

To be sure, if you have HA or cyano on it, you SHOULD pick off and or siphon the surface only to remove it and the excess nutrients that caused it permanently.


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Unread 04/29/2007, 06:14 AM   #4
tcollins
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I've got a DSB and had problems keeping it clean also. I never could get my DSB to look like the great pictures you see on RC, nice and white, right out of a real reef.

I have snails and a couple of serpent stars, but they didn't seem to be able to keep the sand clean, might be that I don't have enough as I see people recommending putting one hundred or more in. I removed the algae/crud on the surface of the sand and did a major water change. I also bought a diamond goby to sift the sand. It is amazing how quickly he turned the entire surface of my 75 gal tank over.

Of course along with his sifting, I have had a lot of dust getting on my rock work, which I've had to stay on top of by blowing with my turkey baster and power head. When I do this I have my HOB skimmer running real wet and I have a HOB filter which I'm just running a filter sponge and pad to trap the floating detrius dust.

It's a little bit of work, but it is getting better and better. Each time I blow the rocks there is less and less clouding. Also, I can tell as the goby sifts, he's creating a much smaller dust cloud and I expect that eventually this will diminish.

I've only been doing this for a little over a week and the difference in my tank is quite amazing.


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Unread 04/29/2007, 07:03 AM   #5
chris wright
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I stir the top layer, not deep, and do gravel vac on occasion, but not very often. You should not need to very often at all. I only do it to rearrange the sand/crushed coral, a little when it gets blown around.


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