Go from 2 inch to DSB safe?

[JHuneke]

Hello All :kiss:... am considering going from a 2in live sand bed to a DSB in my 3 month old 60 gallon DT. Any advice would be great..I have been battling with nitrate and despite less feeding and frequent WC no improvement..all else tests at zero..but nitrates remain above 25..no refrugium either..(sump too small). Now I have green hair algae which niether a (now deseased) sea hare or emerald crabs will touch! In researching dsb, it sounds like it's worth a shot, however I am woried about adding sand..and causing a cycle or more problems. Thanks for any input..

 

[Giancarlo]

Well I have a deep sand bed, 8 inches in the sump. To be honest I don't think it really does much. I have been considering taking it out. If you do go with a deep sand bed. Skim the top of the current sand to put on top of the sand you will add.

 

[JMSKI333]

Your best approach, along with everything else in this hobby is go slow. You should add a a few pounds of sand a week over the course of 2-3 months or so. There is a video on youtube which goes into great detail about this. Search Deep sand bed and you'll find a serious of videos by NewYorkSteelo. Even though these videos are very long winded, they are very helpful.

 

[Pkunk35]

I'm wondering if a remote deep sand bed or perhaps using something like biopellets would be a better choice than adding sand to an existing system. If you did I would do it slowly over time as I think the sand would cycle the tank.

Also, I think at 3 months having things like hair algae and higher nitrates is probably just a natural part of the maturation process of the tank. You don't have the anaerobic bacterial populations to consume the nitrates yet in your system.

Some other things that I might research to help out would be mud and Algae turf scrubbers. Also, vacuum your substrate if you don't already, it can be a significant source of nitrate.

 

[JHuneke]

I have watched those on you tube..but it hasn't addressed modifying an existing sand bed..as for the remote sand bed..that requires building a fuge ,correct? I feel silly, but I HAVE NOT been disturbing my sand bed, on the "advice" of my lfs....any thoughts?

 

[Pkunk35]

Yes I think you should vacuum the sand bed, don't worry about disturbing a 2 inch 3 month old sand bed. If you still are just vacuum in parts over time.

 

[JHuneke]

thanks everyone for the input..It has been so frustrating! And everything I buy for the algae eats NONE of it! ..so weird..even the emerald crabs have been scraping off my long awaited Purple coralline and eating it!:cry:
I will start syphoning around on the sand bed ,and see if the Nitrates lower any..everybody in the tank seem fine..but I always see people posting "Nitrates :Zero" and I am so jealous!

 

[Dumnorix]

In my experience from a tank long ago...Emerald crabs eating coralling algae means they are starving...feed them some seaweed please...

 

[AZDesertRat]

You are correct in that 2" is not deep enough for a functioning DSB, it will not support the anoxic and anaerobic bacterias required for denitrification.
I love my 5-6" DSB in my 100G display, its comprised of 330 lbs of Southdown sugar sized sand. It is 9 years old, still as white as the day I installed it, never been disturbed or vacuumed other than 1/4" deep in small sections if I notice and detritus which is rare and both nitrates and phosphates are undetetable.

Adding sand is not big deal since what you have isn't really very live, taking a DSB out though is a bigger issue.
On some of my other systems I used a piece of 1.5" PCV a little taller than the water surface with a large cut out funnel taped on top to slowly pour the new sand into. I place the bottom of the pipe right on the sanbed and add slowly so I don't stir things up too bad and it works pretty well.

 

[JHuneke]

Had been feeding seaweed for the sea hare..they never touch the stuff..as well as the all you can eat buffet of green hair algea, they ignore...

 

[JHuneke]

That is a great idea using the funnel...Using this method of adding sand..is it necessary to place a layer of the current cycled sand over the top of the new layer? Also..the live sand I purchased is not sugar fine..I'm not sure of the brand but it was what my lfs sold.. I would say more of the size of cracked pepper..or even raw sugar..if that helps..

You are correct in that 2" is not deep enough for a functioning DSB, it will not support the anoxic and anaerobic bacterias required for denitrification.
I love my 5-6" DSB in my 100G display, its comprised of 330 lbs of Southdown sugar sized sand. It is 9 years old, still as white as the day I installed it, never been disturbed or vacuumed other than 1/4" deep in small sections if I notice and detritus which is rare and both nitrates and phosphates are undetetable.

Adding sand is not big deal since what you have isn't really very live, taking a DSB out though is a bigger issue.
On some of my other systems I used a piece of 1.5" PCV a little taller than the water surface with a large cut out funnel taped on top to slowly pour the new sand into. I place the bottom of the pipe right on the sanbed and add slowly so I don't stir things up too bad and it works pretty well.