DSB, SSB or BB Experiences

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by fresh

This is a cycle that never stops. It is partly a money scam, and partly proven facts and theories.

Fresh
I do agree with you on the most part. However I doubt that BB is a money scam since you're not buying anything for BB.
Also the DSB hype for the most part was timing of the eventual outcome. In theory as written by that good doctor, it sounded like a perfect solution. Fish poops and extra foods are eaten by critters in your "live" sandbed - what a wonderful theory but it took a few years for people to realize that they need the right critters in the right proportion to make it work correctly. Since then, the doctor has since changed his view somewhat to state that. How is an average aquarist able to stock 5-10 fish in his/her 100 gallon aquarium and expect that the 8 square feet of sand to house enough critters to eat all that bioload's waste? Compare this sand to bioload ratio in our aquariums to that of the ocean and one will realize that our aquarium's sandbeds would need to be extraordinary to accomplish that feat.
I'm sure another hype will come up sooner or later but regardless, a DSB is like playing russian roulette and the number of bullets in the revolver will depend on your fitration system, bioload, feeding frequency, and your dedication to your maintenance routine.
For the time being, go BB go.

[fresh]

you lazy bum lol

[Chad]

From everything I have read and Dr Ron himeself says something similar. That a DSB is not functional in anything less than 50 some odd gals. So don't even consider it if its not atleast that size.. you might have to search tho, cuz it might be a higher gal.. I just forget it.

I had a DSB in my 20gal.. and it eventualy went to crap because you just cannot get enough bio-diversity in such a small amount of area. So I had cyano issues, algae issues.. nitrate through the roof.. it was just a giant nutrient sink that filled up in short order.

Now I run a BB in my 50gal for over a year.. nitrates are zero, I didn't even "cook" my rocks.. but man did they shed, they shedded for about a year. I have one dead spot where all my ditirutus collects, I just syphon it out every week.

I do have a bit of a PH issue because of the lack of buffering from the SB.. but that is it and I just use Kalk to balance that out with a controller.

[ron101]

I havent read anything of R. Shimek's on DSBs recently but to me he lost alot of his credibility when the problems with them surfaced on a large scale. Much of his info on DSBs was personal opinion, not based on experimental evidence (a big no-no in the scientific community).

Like Chin-Lee said about bioload ratios as compared to the ocean. A DSB may be viable in a 100 gallon tank with a single 1" fish but who is going to stock it that way?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

Fresh
I do agree with you on the most part. However I doubt that BB is a money scam since you're not buying anything for BB.

I was going to say the same. If anything the dsb push would be, with all the different sands to by and all the creatures needed to maintain it. But then our hobby as a whole seems to be that way sometimes.

[Skimmerking]

Well I have have the pleasure of having DSB and the BB with the sand bed my tank is looking dirty yes the nitrates were ZERO, but i was never happy always buying snails to clean cukes and conches for the bed.

Now since I converted my Fowlr inthe the reef tank. I love the BB look ya it takes a while to get the coraline to come up, but be careful of what you wish for. Once it starts it's on it's way. With that being said my tank is always more cleaner looking. Sure i have to suck out the crap in the corners where it pools. But hey its easier then moving all the rocks around and then having a mini sand storm in the tank and then lettting it settle just to turn on the Powerheads to have it blown all over the rocks.

bottom line if you need to export the nitrates get clams or mangorves or Refuguims. IMHO i love the BB look. and the fishes love it too.

[marie]

I decided to go with a shallow sand bed years ago because I really didn't like the look of 6" of sand pressing on the glass.

I don't like my bottom being bare either and I've always been fascinated by the little critters in the tank (pods, worms and such) so I've always had some sand in my tanks and I've never regreted it

[mark]

Had a 75g FOWLR for 3+ years with a DSB and basically was trouble free. I did have little blooms of cyno but got that sorted out with flow and I believe using ro/di. Nitrates always zero and liked the look even the DSB from the side.

When I set up the new tank wanted sand again but wasn't prepared to fork over the cash for a DSB in 145g, worried about sandstorms with about 4600gph plus the wife wanted to try the look of BB (probably more the deciding factor). Thought okay, for nitrate control would either go DSB in the sump or run a remote in a separte vessel if they start to rise but still zero after being up 6+ months so never did.

I've been considering a SSB with large grains. My tank has coralline over most of the bottom plate but still want a sand bed specially when I see someone elses tank with sand. Probably a little less envious each time though so why I haven't done SSB yet.

Alway wondered about how coralline would look on a faux sand bed as nothing would stop it from growing.