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Deep Sand Bed Methods


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I would like to simplify this discussion by focussing on two different methods. The Jaubert Plenumn and the Standard DSB.

The Jaubert Plenumn consist of a depth of 4"-6" of Caribsea Crushed Coral (aroggonite with a grain size between 2mm-5mm). This grain size favors bacteria. Because of the large grain size, oxygen extends deep down into the sandbed. This lower oxygen area is the facultative zone with de-nitrification chemistry in which bacteria convert NO3 to N2. This is nutrient export, as the nitrogen gas molecule is exhausted from the water. With bacteria populations that can double every 30 minutes, these sediments are powerful biological filters. While the composition of the substrate is insignificant to the bacteria, alkalinity buffering is accomplished using aragonite as the substrate. With the hard water I get from the Trinity

Aquifier, I do not add calcium or buffers. It goes straight into the tank.

A deep sand bed (DSB) should be 4" minimum, composed of a grain size between .5mm and 1.5mm. This smaller grain size will provide de-nitrification conditions at a shallower depth. The most important thing about this grain size is that it provides optimum conditions for the worms and other micro-inverts. The inhabitants of the sand bed process nutriants and convert it to food. Both larvae and free swimming adults feed the inhabitants of the display tank.

More to come

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I've got a four inch sand bed in my seahorse tank, as I originally wanted to plant some sea grass (which never took unfortunately). In any case, the sand bed is crawling with life - spaghetti worms galore, nassarius snails that have bred and produced at least one or two living baby snails that I've seen, bristle worms, etc.

I have used crushed coral in my clown and anemone tank, granted not as deep as Dr. Jauberts method, but I have not liked it. It's harder to see the micro fauna, the worms never reproduced well and the tank was constantly having nutrient issues. I found that the larger crushed coral just trapped debris and it never broke down enough.

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Janitors used with Jaubert Plenumn would be different than janitors with DSB. Jaubert Plenumn methods do not included the biodiversity of worms and micro inverts. Teresa, you have a mature DSB. Depending on grain size, you may not have de-nitrification bacteria. Instead of nutriant export of NO3 as a nitrogen gas molecule, micro inverts absorb nutriants. This is nutriant exchange and is stored biomass of the system. This stored biomass of the system includes coral biomass.

With respect to larger grain size trapping detritus, a different clean up crew should solve that. I have never maintained Sea Horses with their eating requirements. I can see where a fine grain sediment would solve that. I also,think that snails, amphipods, copepods and micro stars would solve the detritus problem. If these populations were allowed to proliferate before adding horses, I suspect you would have had different results with you crushed coral.

My crushed coral has much coraline algae and is clean at the surface. I stir the top 1" regularly and cloud up the water with detritus. It works for me and Sea Apple.

Patrick

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Patrick, I have a question for you. Dr. Jaubert's aquarium build at the Hawaii aquarium utilized a tube running down into the plenum. This was used to test the efficacy over a three year test.

My question is this; if I did the same setup with a sealed tube running directly to the plenum, could I drain this water for water changes? ( Ref. Page 348; The Reef Aquarium vol. III) It's the highest concentration of nitrate in the system. Since the nitrifying bacteria reproduces so quickly and is colonized primarily on the surface area in the plenum as opposed to the water column, I shouldn't be removing much beneficial bacteria.

It makes sense in my head but, that rarely works out in real life! It seems to me that it would make my water changes considerably more effective.

-Ben-

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Yes, water in the void would be highest in nitrates. I would not do water changes with this water. Think of it as food for the tank and it's inhabitants. Multiple nutriant pathways back into the bottom of sand bed is the goal of the plenumn void. In addittion to nitrification bacteria and de-nitrification bacteria, there is much chemistry in action. As water depth into sand bed increases, oxygen and pH drop. When pH drops to 8.1 aroggonite begins to dissolve calcium and trace elements. I prefer this method of alkalinity buffering then dosing. I can only surmise that you would be removing what was dissolved in the sand bed. This would not be desirable to me.

Patrick

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Tagging along. I've been debating utilizing Dr Jauberts plenum method vs. Dr Semlicks method.

- Ben -

Ben,

I do not have as much experience with DSB as I have with Jaubert Plenums and mud filters with macro refugiums. I think that they all work. What are you housing in your display tank and gow much vertical height do you have in tank?

Patrick

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I have been planning this build since I picked up the tank in February. It is only now becoming a build. See thread DSA Neo 185 build... Kinda, wherein we were taking about redundant life support systems. The DSB will be in the fuge and I'm still debating whether to mount the light to the sump or to the inside bottom of the stand.the sump is 20" vertical height with a 16" water level.

I believe investing in planning will only help the success rate of any tank.

-Ben-

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I should add that I'm planning on utilizing a cross between the Le Chin Eng, Berlin and possibly Monaco methods. The Eng influence will be with a macro lagoon section in the DT. Less tech and more biology is my goal. Berlin influence will be in the form of about 200lbs of rock. (most dry seeded with LR I already have). The Monaco influence will possibly be an area of debate due to the fact that the Berlin contradicts the Monaco. I will however utilize a DSB of some form. Be it a Jauberts or Shimek. This is where I'm hung...

-Ben-

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My interests lay heavily on coral and inverts as opposed to fish. I'd say 65/35.

I haven't really started a stocking plan for fish yet but, it will likely be mostly small fish with only a few large fish. I also originally designed the theme of this tank to be a captive bred/aqua cultured only tank. I don't think I can make this happen 100% but, I don't want to lose sight of its theme.

- Ben -

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I should add that I'm planning on utilizing a cross between the Le Chin Eng, Berlin and possibly Monaco methods. The Eng influence will be with a macro lagoon section in the DT. Less tech and more biology is my goal. Berlin influence will be in the form of about 200lbs of rock. (most dry seeded with LR I already have). The Monaco influence will possibly be an area of debate due to the fact that the Berlin contradicts the Monaco. I will however utilize a DSB of some form. Be it a Jauberts or Shimek. This is where I'm hung...

-Ben-

I also embrace Le Chin and Monaco. I see no conflict adding live rock (Berlin) to DSB or mud. While I successfully operate my 75G DT with a Jaubert Plenum, I marvel at the visable biodiversity in DSB methods. For future builds, I would put DSB in display and a mud filter with macro refugium in sump. I also like using decorative macro in DT to pick up lagoon theme.

Patrick

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I have a question. I'm going to be looking into a DSB to help me keep some pearly jawfish in my next tank. What are the cleaning requirements for a DSB? Do you have to stir it, vacuum or otherwise clean it? I've heard of people going with a natural method of keeping a large cleanup crew for sand maintenance but I'm not sure how effective that would be. The usual crew consists of worms, sand sifting stars, hermits and conch. Thanks for the info.

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Until mature populations of sand bed critters are established, it may be necessary to perform light gravel vacuuming. Be careful with sand sifting stars as some will consume your sand bed critters. I feel the same way about hermit crabs. I like Nassarius and Cerith Snails. Serpent and Brittle Starfish replace Hermit Crabs. Mini Starfish round out the janitor crew.

I will assure you that the right clean up crew will eliminate sand bed maintenance. I stir my Jaubert Plenum sand bed to feed my filter feeders. Often twice a day.

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What about FOWLR tanks? (Im planning on setting up my 105 as a FOWLR soon) I plan to have a grouper and triggerfish, both which will not allow a lot clean up crew with hermits and little snails. If I had a deep sand bed, would it require consistent cleaning or at leas stirring?

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I have never had a predator tank, but am familiar with the disposition of Trigger Fish. They eat or terrorize most everybody in the tank with them. I do not think a DSB will work with these predators due to the demand from their heavy eating coupled with their destruction of CUC.

Will you have a sump/refugium or will all nutriant processing be done in the DT? If it needs to be done in the DT, I would use less than 1" of Caribsea Florida Crushed Coral. In a 100G tank, that would be 100 lbs of substrate. This course substrate at 2mm-5mm is a perfect matrix for amphipods. I suspect that amphipods would be too small for your Trigger Fish. Without a refugium using DSB and a macro filter, I would foresee a problem with nutriant control with high nitrates. If you had subdued lighting, high nitrate should not be that big of a problem.

Patrick

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I like mud filters with macro filters.

Let's talk about nutriant export coupled with nutriant recycling. In my observations of predator tank husbandry, it seemed like high nutriants were the rule. Nitrates below 50 ppm while not detrimental to fish, will fuel nuisance micro algae. Reduced lighting will not eliminate this nuisance micro algae. If ammonia is a problem, the fastest biological response is with bacteria. They can double in population in 30 minutes.The coarse substrate which I recommended will enhance nitrification thru oxidizing chemistry. At this point, you have a nitrate molecule which is a nutriant required by coral, macro, micro and facultative and anaerobic bacteria. The bacteria consume nitrate in a reducing environment of low oxygen and as a by- product give off a nitrogen gas molecule. The gas leaves at all water/air interfaces. This is nutriant export. When macro and micro algae grow and when fish eat macro and micro, this is nutriant recycling. If you remove pruned macro, this is nutriant export. If you eat the macro, this is good.

We have talked about the nitrogen cycle. Let us talk about phosphate. In our aquariums, phosphate is a nutriant just as is nitrate. I like using fast growing macros to remove phosphates. Every chance that I get, I like to provide a matrix for amphipods to reproduce. In my reefkeeping husbandry, I use amphipods as my hidden janitor crew. They are not only herbivores consuming nuisance micro, they will also consume detritus and rotting fish flesh. I protect my Tigger Pods from predatation. They do much work in my lagoon tanks with Mollies as companions. To this end, I use large HOB filters with rock rubble and allow it to act as a high energy refugium. I have seen anemones located at return flow capturing this automatic feeder of pods .

I have given you plenty to digest. To be continued.

Patrick

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Yeah, Thats kind of what I was thinking. I will have a sump/refugium. Im thinking of packing it with either marco algae and or Live rock or both? Any recommendation?

Because of its large capacity of bacteria, I would recommend a Jaubert Plenumn using Florida Crushed Coral as a remote biological filter. Also in the sump would be a macrofilter. Chaeto is the easiest to maintain and provides a perfect matrix for amphopods to grow. Even though your predators will not eat pods, you could use it as a food source for your other smaller fish. More importantly, the pods will feed on micro algae and if given help, will maintain nusiance microalgae. I would use my live rock in the main DT.

Depending on bio load, detritus may accumulate. I like the way my mud filter handles detritus. My sump is a 30" long 20G tank,with three compartments. Compartment #1 is 4" wide and is filled with bio balls. Bio balls perform several important functions. Oxygen and carbon dioxide gases are exchanged rapidly at this interface. Bio balls break detritus into smaller pieces to be assimilated into the mud section, which is also the macro filter, this compartment is 20" wide. Pump is in the last compartment and it is 6" wide.

If you had a longer sump, I would include a fourth compartment to accommodate a Jaubert Plenumn DSB. I would not use a protein skimmer but I would use a large cannistar filter with carbon.

Patrick

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