DSB Maintenance

cd77 · 09/03/2007, 06:23 PM

My 70 gallon reef tank is approaching being nearly one month old, and is doing wonderful so far. After some advise (mostly from members on this forum) I chose to go with a deep sand bed.

I've recently read that regular maintenance is required to keep it from "crashing" the tank. One particular thing I read was to use a small long tub, place it into the sand bed, then pull up and release your thumb (I imagine it's creating a vacuum to circulate a small portion of the sand)

Any advice, resources, or links would be greatly appreciated

chinoxl3 · 09/03/2007, 06:27 PM

I have never done this to my tank and I have a 4" DSB. The only thing I do is carefully move the sand on the surface. I have been using a DSB for three years with no problems.

spike78 · 09/03/2007, 07:20 PM

You should rely on the infauna to turn over the sand. I would recommend a book, "Sand Bed Secrets" by Dr. Ron Shimek or "Reef Invertibrates" by Calfo and Fenner. They both contain some good information about Deep Sand Beds.
The following article also has some good background information on Deep Sand Beds: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

Roy G. Biv · 09/03/2007, 07:26 PM

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=220

spike78 · 09/03/2007, 07:39 PM

I would do some research before purchasing that fish with a DSB. If I'm not mistaken, that's a "sand sifting" goby. This fish will eat all the infauna in the top layers of the DSB and limit its benefits.

cd77 · 09/03/2007, 08:29 PM

spike -- thank you for the references

And no, I'm not putting a Goby in there. When I first started the tank I had a sand sifting starfish and learned very quickly that was a bad idea so back to the LFS it went.

HBtank · 09/03/2007, 10:48 PM

I like cerith snails and a few nassarius to maintain my sand. My yellow wrasse helps some but also eats some fauna soo..

#1 thing though, is flow. The more flow you can have without a sandstorm the healthier your sand bed will be long term.

cloak · 09/04/2007, 12:00 AM

I like the worms. Feed the tank and the ground moves...

cd77 · 09/04/2007, 12:57 AM

Worms? Something I need to get or LR/LS hitchhikers?

spike78 · 09/04/2007, 01:20 AM

They can be imported in Live Sand or you can buy them separately. You can get detrivore kits including worms from sources such as inland aquatics: http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/prod_detrit.html

09/03/2007, 06:27 PM	#2
chinoxl3 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kendall, FL Posts: 369	I have never done this to my tank and I have a 4" DSB. The only thing I do is carefully move the sand on the surface. I have been using a DSB for three years with no problems. __________________ All your reefs are belong to us Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon Mixed SPS and LPS

09/03/2007, 08:29 PM	#6
cd77 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fishers, IN, USA Posts: 1,169	spike -- thank you for the references And no, I'm not putting a Goby in there. When I first started the tank I had a sand sifting starfish and learned very quickly that was a bad idea so back to the LFS it went. __________________ -Chris Current Tank Info: 70G Reef (Aug 2007), 45G Reef (Dec 2007)

09/03/2007, 10:48 PM	#7
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I like cerith snails and a few nassarius to maintain my sand. My yellow wrasse helps some but also eats some fauna soo.. #1 thing though, is flow. The more flow you can have without a sandstorm the healthier your sand bed will be long term. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

09/04/2007, 12:57 AM	#9
cd77 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fishers, IN, USA Posts: 1,169	Worms? Something I need to get or LR/LS hitchhikers? __________________ -Chris Current Tank Info: 70G Reef (Aug 2007), 45G Reef (Dec 2007)

09/03/2007, 06:23 PM	#1
cd77 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fishers, IN, USA Posts: 1,169	DSB Maintenance My 70 gallon reef tank is approaching being nearly one month old, and is doing wonderful so far. After some advise (mostly from members on this forum) I chose to go with a deep sand bed. I've recently read that regular maintenance is required to keep it from "crashing" the tank. One particular thing I read was to use a small long tub, place it into the sand bed, then pull up and release your thumb (I imagine it's creating a vacuum to circulate a small portion of the sand) Any advice, resources, or links would be greatly appreciated __________________ -Chris Current Tank Info: 70G Reef (Aug 2007), 45G Reef (Dec 2007)

09/03/2007, 07:20 PM	#3
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	You should rely on the infauna to turn over the sand. I would recommend a book, "Sand Bed Secrets" by Dr. Ron Shimek or "Reef Invertibrates" by Calfo and Fenner. They both contain some good information about Deep Sand Beds. The following article also has some good background information on Deep Sand Beds: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

09/03/2007, 07:26 PM	#4
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=220

09/03/2007, 07:39 PM	#5
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	I would do some research before purchasing that fish with a DSB. If I'm not mistaken, that's a "sand sifting" goby. This fish will eat all the infauna in the top layers of the DSB and limit its benefits.

09/04/2007, 12:00 AM	#8
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I like the worms. Feed the tank and the ground moves...

09/04/2007, 01:20 AM	#10
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	They can be imported in Live Sand or you can buy them separately. You can get detrivore kits including worms from sources such as inland aquatics: http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/prod_detrit.html