Rdsb

[FateX8]

Hey everyone, I have a question about RDSB, how are they set up and designed?
i was thinking about getting a rubbermaid trash can and filling it up but that doesnt sound like a very good RDSB
i know i could probably look it up and find all sorts of information but i was wondering if theres anything special you guys do for these

 

[roshi719]

You got the idea. Fill up a garbage can w/ aragonite sand. plumb into place. put on lid. plug in pump.

Oh yeah, it's a good idea to seed it w/ some live sand.

 

[FateX8]

but where do you put the plumbing?
just on top? how well would that work since the water would pretty much just go straight through and barely have any contact time, or does it have to be like really slow flow?

 

[Saltysteele]

trash can would def be cheaper, but if i had space and my wife wouldn't shoot me, i'd get one of those huge rubbermaid tubs (what are they 1, 2, 300??)

i've seen where a reefer had one of those large rubbermaids, water came in to the tube via 2 square kitty litter buckets stacked one on top of the other. first one had chaeto and sand, the lid was cut to hinge, to which the clamp light for the chaeto attached. it dropped from the first bucket into the second bucket, and then out to the tub and skimmer. pretty sweet rig, especially with a huge asm skimmer power scrubbing

 

[coral88]

I don't think you need it to be that big. I think a 5gal bucket is good for up to 50-75 gal of tank maybe more. I'm going to use a drilled 10gal for my 75.

 

[FateX8]

oh really? that small
i figure trash cans are cheap so why not, and theyre easy to cut

 

[coral88]

Only cheap until you fill it with aragonite sand then the price goes up. I don't know of any reason to make it that big. Like I said I'm going to use a 10 gal for a cost of about $20 after I add the bulkheads. I'm using dry aragonite sand from petsmart at about $20 per 30 pounds. I'm using two so $40 after some tubing I think I'll be out about $65. I will be painting the outside of the tank black because light and DSBs are bad. I will post pics when it is done in a few weeks.

 

[Poseidon]

I have several local friends that have used RDSB's, and used silica sand from Home depot, just as effective and cheaper.

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

how would you set one of these up i have an unused trashcan

 

[coral88]

I really don't understand why you would want to use way more sand and room than you really need even if it is cheap. I'm not using silica sand because it has zero buffering capacity. Not only does aragonite sand help with PH it also releases some calcium and trace elements sort of like a calcium reactor but a lot slower.

 

[Saltysteele]

if you've got the room, why not? someday i'll talk my wife into letting build another reef, and i'll put it in my basement. then i'll have my rubbermaid sump

i don't have a problem with using silica. you've already got the aragonite in the tank. besides, with regular water changes, your getting your calcium and trace elements with your salt. some people actually dose silica to their tanks.

there was a time where anyone using anything but metal halides for a reef tank was crazy

 

[FateX8]

well aragonite isnt only for calcium but mainly for its buffering capacity of ph
i just thought why not

 

[Saltysteele]

oh, i'm not harshin ya

your tank, you do whatever you want. that's how new ideas are proven to be successful or unsuccessful

 

[coral88]

some people actually dose silica to their tanks.

What is adding silica suppose to do ???
I’m just curious I’ve not heard about this one yet.

To each his own. It doesn’t matter what you do or say in this hobby you can always find a different way and someone who disagrees. I don’t do sand. All my tanks are BB. So for me it seemed like a good idea to use aragonite . I also don’t have the room for a trash can. I need or at least want it to be in my stand. My 75 is sps only so the amount of calcium it will produce will not really make a difference nor will water changes. I’m going with it mostly for the buffering ability.

 

[FateX8]

dosing silica?! sounds interesting, what does silica do for reefs?
only thing i know about silica is that diatoms use them for their structure

 

[Saltysteele]

ya know, i honestly don't remember. i found that while searching for play sand for my tank, and why not to use silica based sand. now i'm going to have to look and report back

(btw: ended up buying used aragonite from a fellow reefer )

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm