Needs DSB advice- and how to search this site?

[kgoldy]

I guess this counts as a beginner question...

I'd like to search the forum for "deep sand bed" but get tons of results, because even when I use quotations it picks up every thread with the word "sand". So most of the search results are irrelevant.

I just set up a new tank- (which is broken and has to be exchanged through warranty)... so I have a good excuse to adjust the sandbed.

It's a 90 gallon RR, and currently has 80 lbs of oolitic aragonite and 20 lbs of 1.5-2.0mm aragonite. At the moment, the sandbed is about 3 inches on average.

I want to have pistol shrimp (randall's only, nothing too big) in there- and am concerned about them maybe disturbing the DSB too much, since they might burrow deeper than most sand sifters.

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

well i cant say much because other members will say im to inexperienced but i have a 4-6 inch sandbed in my 125 gal. DT and 5-8 inches in my sump. im a very big fan of dsb for many reasons. all i can say is YOU as the hobbyist dont disturb the sand. let the creatures move it as much as possible because they do it constantly in a natural way they dont move a whole bunch at onece. you kind of want it just sifting all day long not just to be there and you go messing with it because thats where it causes problems. Good luck!

I guess this counts as a beginner question...

I'd like to search the forum for "deep sand bed" but get tons of results, because even when I use quotations it picks up every thread with the word "sand". So most of the search results are irrelevant.

I just set up a new tank- (which is broken and has to be exchanged through warranty)... so I have a good excuse to adjust the sandbed.

It's a 90 gallon RR, and currently has 80 lbs of oolitic aragonite and 20 lbs of 1.5-2.0mm aragonite. At the moment, the sandbed is about 3 inches on average.

I want to have pistol shrimp (randall's only, nothing too big) in there- and am concerned about them maybe disturbing the DSB too much, since they might burrow deeper than most sand sifters.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

I used a dsb for many years. Check this link
http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

Dr Ron Shimek was a pioneer with dsb and I had a lot of success using his information

Good Luck with it

 

[albano]

well i cant say much because other members will say im to inexperienced

EXACTLY...:scratchch BUT you will, regardless, SAY TOO MUCH!...won't you!
And for that reason, we will all continue to call you ANTHONY, instead of A.J.!


I would also google Bob Goemans...he wrote a book about live sand filtration

 

[DREUTZ]

I used a dsb for many years. Check this link
http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

Dr Ron Shimek was a pioneer with dsb and I had a lot of success using his information

Good Luck with it

Thanks for the link, just read through and learned a lot.

 

[Anthony.Luciano710]

lol i only said a couple of things instead of the plenty more i could've.

EXACTLY...:scratchch BUT you will, regardless, SAY TOO MUCH!...won't you!
And for that reason, we will all continue to call you ANTHONY, instead of A.J.!


I would also google Bob Goemans...he wrote a book about live sand filtration

 

[kgoldy]

I used a dsb for many years. Check this link
http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

Dr Ron Shimek was a pioneer with dsb and I had a lot of success using his information

Good Luck with it

I've read all his stuff. Literally, all. Here's the part that troubles me though.

"Most sediment-dwelling organisms appear to have similar precise preferences. However, most will also live at least marginally well in mixed-sediments with sizes around their optima, and most sediment particle size optima seem to be in the range of 0.050 to 0.200. Consequently I suggest a range averaging about 0.125 as a good compromise. It isn't specifically the best for most infaunal species, but it will allow a diversity of species to live pretty well." -Dr Ron Shimek

I don't seem to see many people on MR or Nano-reef using sediment that small. From what I've seen, they mostly seem to use Caribsea Aragamax Oolite like I have- and people have had success with it, but that's .1-1mm... The grain size he's describing seems to be much, much smaller than most of the stuff I've seen available in this hobby... aside from Mineral Mud which is astronomically expensive.

Caribsea Aragamax Oolite

 

[LongIslandAndy]

My DSB was set up in 2004-2009 with about 75% ESV Oolitic sand and 25% HD Southdown play sand. The sandbed thrived and I kept all types of corals and inverts in the tank. IME, I did find that the dsb acted as an oxygen sink and if you lost power you did not have a lot of time before the bed started to die. I had a generator ready at all times.
Hope this helps

 

[kgoldy]

Can I get ESV locally, or do I have to buy it online? My google searches yield pretty scarce results.

 

[basiab]

Lots of info from expert.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

 

[lfsmarineguy]

3" isn't really considered deep, but I'm not sure if you were planning on adding to that. Typically 4-6 is what most consider a "deep" sandbed. I wouldn't worry about the pistol disturbing too much, while they do dig all the time they don't go very deep and usually stick to 1 or 2 spots in a small area.

I know you're on top of your tank and do your research, so the only thing I can say about the DSB is that if you relax with the husbandry too much down the line it's going to get bad real quick and you will end up having to remove the bed.