hydrogen sulfate discussion

[jhale]

so what happened to discussing H2S?

man you guys get sidetracked easy

aside from sulfate possibly existing in live rock there is not much need to drag this into a dsb , bb debate. and since the only way I'm going to know if my rock is full of sulfate is to smash them to pieces, well that's not going to happen.

so, getting back to H2S- and people wondering about how much sand is too little or too much according to the article there does not seem to be much difference. Unless you have a 3/4" sand bed sulfates can be produced.

"marine sediments often accumulate hydrogen sulfide and deplete in sulfate. This zone often starts a few centimeters below the surface, and can extend up to a meter or more before the sulfate is fully depleted. Below that depth, other processes take place, such as methane production."

most people would not want a 2 meter sand bed, so this means anything from 1" down be careful of sulfates forming.

herman if you have a BB what's the benefit to having a DSB attached to the system?

 

[spykes]

hey john i see sulfate on my rock, it's on the inferior part of the rock where it has been sitting over the sand before. the creaves has formed some black spots. look at your rocks and checked if there are some blackspots.

 

[herman]

herman if you have a BB what's the benefit to having a DSB attached to the system?

1. Filtration. First of all, the deeper regions of the sandbed provide a great anaerobic environment for denitrifying bacteria. Live rock may not provide enough living area for sufficient bacteria to keep all the nitrates out of your water, but a sand bed will. Second, sandbeds are home to numerous meiofauna which will enthusiastically devour any uneaten food or waste material that falls from the main tank. Every bit they consume is a little less material to be converted directly into ammonia.
2. Biodiversity. The key to a natural reef's success is the wide range of organisms that keep the system in balance. The diverse life in a sandbed ensures that all of the necessary roles are filled, and can compensate if another population crashes for some reason.
3. Food supply. A sand bed provides a fertile breeding ground for all manner of critters, many of which will prove more tasty and nutritious to your fish and invertebrates than anything you can buy in a store. If nothing else, it's a lot cheaper to let your food grow itself. If the system is gravity fed its a constant supply.

Why have a detached DSB

Easy to remove clean exchange if H2S buids up. I do not have the time or skill to take the steps outlined in the reefkeeping issue to remove the sandbed due to h2s issues.

 

[stingnyc]

Why have a detached DSB

Easy to remove clean exchange if H2S buids up. I do not have the time or skill to take the steps outlined in the reefkeeping issue to remove the sandbed due to h2s issues.

Herman,

At what point do you know when to change a detached dsb?

 

[jhale]

1. Filtration. First of all, the deeper regions of the sandbed provide a great anaerobic environment for denitrifying bacteria. Live rock may not provide enough living area for sufficient bacteria to keep all the nitrates out of your water, but a sand bed will. Second, sandbeds are home to numerous meiofauna which will enthusiastically devour any uneaten food or waste material that falls from the main tank. Every bit they consume is a little less material to be converted directly into ammonia.
2. Biodiversity. The key to a natural reef's success is the wide range of organisms that keep the system in balance. The diverse life in a sandbed ensures that all of the necessary roles are filled, and can compensate if another population crashes for some reason.
3. Food supply. A sand bed provides a fertile breeding ground for all manner of critters, many of which will prove more tasty and nutritious to your fish and invertebrates than anything you can buy in a store. If nothing else, it's a lot cheaper to let your food grow itself. If the system is gravity fed its a constant supply.

Why have a detached DSB

Easy to remove clean exchange if H2S buids up. I do not have the time or skill to take the steps outlined in the reefkeeping issue to remove the sandbed due to h2s issues.

counter point's

1. my BB has zero nitrates, and I feed heavy, I also have a huge clean up crew that will eat any food the fish do not get. By the way I include the pods in my tank as part of the clean up crew, along with the spaghetti worms and other fauna that live in and on the rock.

2. our tanks are anything but natural. I can keep the water clean with a skimmer and O3, and by siphoning the sump.

3. you don't need sand in a fuge for critters to grow. just a safe place for them to breed. the gravity thing helps get them into the tank of course.

do one or the other, I don't think you need both. IMO.

 

[ShaunW]

man you guys get sidetracked easy

But they are all interconnected. DSB and H2S go hand in hand! BB is an alternative to that.

 

[spykes]

IMO also rocks has a large enough surface area for a breeding ground for pods, we dont know how much surface area the interior of the rock contains, microfuna exist in rocks enough where i also concure with john where it's enough for a balanced biofiltation without the sandbed. the skimmer and o3 would be the aftermath of whatever the biofiltration doesnt handle. you dont want to strip the water clean, but some people in reefcentral noticed stripped clean water lowered their coral coloration, but once they start feeding frozen food more then normal, their colors return darker then before. My hypothesis is, the bacteria now feeds on whatever you feed the tank, the microfuna population is enhanced with the nutrients that we feed the tank with and the corals feed on that. that and my 2nd hypothesis is feeding the tank and the corals feed directly on the food as well, since the water column now starves the coral.

I think BB might be the best way of keeping H2S under a minimal.

 

[jhale]

But they are all interconnected. DSB and H2S go hand in hand! BB is an alternative to that.

yes an alternative to avoiding it. :lol:

 

[jhale]

dave it depends on what types of corals your speaking about.

acans, frilly shrooms, frog spawns, acropora, they all like to eat different things.

 

[ShaunW]

I think BB might be the best way of keeping H2S under a minimal.

I agree, since there is very little anaerobic bacteria to produce it.

 

[spykes]

chris5 please read this forum.

 

[jackson6745]

Every piece of info in this thread confirms my FIRM belief

Check the sig

 

[stingnyc]

way to go dave, 1st thread in the advanced topic forum!

 

[SlamaJama]

wtg david very nice work...

 

[spykes]

LOL thanks guys now we just need another one (0.o)