Simple DSB questions

[Dargason]

I recently purchased a complete 200 gallon system including 300 lbs of live sand and 200 lbs of live rock. I've read some things and I'm familiar with the theory and purpose of the live sand bed, but I have a few rather mundane questions that I haven't been able to find the answers to.

What sort of maintenance do you do on a live sand bed? Should I vacuum it the way I do my aragonite bed, or leave it alone?

The sand is very fine, and it is easily stirred up. How do you keep it from settling on the rocks and corals?

Are there any livestock that are incompatible with the live sand bed? I've read things that say you don't want things that are going to eat the critters in the sand, but is it also important not to stir it up? My yellow coris sleeps in the sand bed at night... does he have to go?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MedicineMan1]

You don't want to vaccuum the DSB. That removes not only sand but the critters and bacteria that live in it.
As far as how does one keep it from settling on rocks and corals, I don't. If I get some on my corals, I wash it off with a 60 cc catheter syringe (most people use a turkey baster, which is just fine).
I have a goby-pistol shrimp pair that lives in one of my DSBs. It SEEMS to be healthy. It IS important to have critters that stir it up but, if it is truly live sand, they should already be in there (bristleworms, spaghetti worms and various other small, worm like critters.)

 

[ReefStar]

I have the same problem with sand always covering some of my rocks. I have all Southdown Sand which is very fine. The smallest current will cause it to cover some of my rocks. Will this cause algae and/or detritus to collect on the rocks where the thin layer of sand covers the rocks? I didn't have this problem when I had the coarser sand in my tank.

And Advice/Experience??

 

[jdeets]

You'll battle sand residue on your rocks for several weeks. Over time your sandbed will stabilize and you won't have nearly the problems with it. Just keep the "dust" cleared off your rocks with a turkey baster and eventually you won't have to deal with it any more.

 

[Reefer33]

I agree with Tyoberg, you don't want to completely sift the sand over. What you are trying to achieve with a DSB is denitrafication which basically is achieved by the anaerobic bacteria at the very bottom of your sand where oxygen is absent. They basically substitute the molecule of nitrate for their ATP synthesis. If these bacterium become exposed to oxygen (i.e. too much sand sifting) they will die so then the process is lost. Hope this kind of helps your understanding.

 

[Dargason]

All,

Thanks for your comments. My thought at this point is that my yellow coris is going to have to either stay in my 20 gallon tank or go back to the fish store because he burrows around in the sand at night.

My goby on the other hand doesn't stir the sand much at all, so I'll keep him and see how it goes.

Also, I know the sand size distribution is important because of the critters in it, but what about putting a slightly larger size on the surface to keep the "dust" down? I'm thinking this probably wouldn't be a good idea, but I don't really have any experience.
What do you think?

 

[Anonymous]

Dust isn't going to be a problem. Once it gets colonized by bacteria, it won't be doing to much. Plus, it'll settle on it's own and the bigger grains will end up on top.

I don't know much about yellow coris--if it just digs a burrow, it's probably no big deal. If he's doing large scale landscaping all of the time in a small tank, then I'd worry. A 200 gallon tank is pretty big.

Ty

 

[Anonymous]

The fauna in the DSB doesn't really "stir" it--it really just processes waste and food. A DSB needs low oxygen content to keep it working--for that reason, you really don't want to stock the tank such that it's going to churn the heck out of it. a little stirring by the occasional critter may be ok, but you don't want it being literally plowed on a regular basis. the difference between plowing and light stirring can be tough to define though.

If you see bubbles and discolored areas below the surface, then it's working!

Ty