Anyone have experience using?

that's great, i'll try it htis weekend. Can't thank you guys enough for your info.

 

now how long would it really take for Algae to clog our sand? I have a dsb in my main tank that doesnt have algae clogging it up? you could put a hermit in there and groom the top layer once a month. and i didnt say i would be fast or slow flow. It could be both. im gonna plumb mine after my overflow, as it is the only place i can. just maintain it and it will work. This hobby isnt all about having a set and forget equip, its about having effective equip or husbandry/maintanance skills. I have only a dsb as means of nitrate export and i havent had a single ppm of nitrate yet. What i do have is the want to mantain a good tank, so i do maintain it properly and as a result have what i believe to be a succesful tank.

 

The idea with the RDSB is that its maintaince free. If you add the light it adds work.

You can eliminate the sand in the effluent by placing a thin layer of crushed coral over the top of the sand. When I say fast flow I mean like Maxi 900 fast. So really not that fast but enoguh to ensure the top water in moving in a laminar pattern over the top of the bucket. Atleast thats the way Calfo says to do it. Thats the way I did and it seems to work.

 

Oh I will use them. I'm not writting a book either. I am just backing up my opinion with fact from others. I like when people disagree with me. Thats how we make discoverys. However it would be nice to post a little something more comprehensive than "Don't use them" I am not trying to argue or make anyone look bad. I am trying to discover.

Hope you don't have a negative opinon of me Reef guru.

Scott

 

OK thats slow to me because I was thinking MJ 1200 with a bit of head, and a 900 would be slower than that. I was thinking you were talking about a mag 5 or something which is what I have through my fuge. The crushed coral idea is good I hadn't heard of that.

 

i never said "dont" what was said was "i wouldnt", no hard feelings at all, there is nothing wrong with debating issues, thats how people learn form each other.

 

see, i was thinking of putting a piece of plastic that covers half of the output pipe, so imagine a circle with one half open 1 half closed. this would work like a baffle, keeping a level of water over the DSB. From there i can make a PVC contraption that would slow the flow down and spread it out. Heck i actually have one right now. Its a pvc tee with two 2 inch pieces coming out if the bottom two openings (with small holes drilled all over them) and the input in the other hole. this should spread water flow and the plastic piece would keep the water from rushing down the output. I also could take some crushed coral (as suggested by Scott Osborne) and place it on top. then i could put some chaeto and a screw in bulb over it and grow some macro algae. simply sticking your finger in and stirring up the top of the bucket (the crushed coral) isnt a very laborius task. If it is, then maybe you should recosider keeping a reef. JMHO

 

I wouldn't be doing anything to stir up that sand with your finger. Thats the whole idea behind making it remote. If you want to make a fuge from it then get some snails and a sand sifting star to maintain the top of the sand bed. The whole principle doesn't work if its clogged with algae. A DSB needs to be treated with care. Remember the things a ticking time bomb. Its very beneficial but if you disturb it you could be looking at a tank crash.

 

I never thought about putting in inverts...Great idea...Thanks.

I didnt mean to strir deep, just the very top to get the algal build up that may occur. but with inverts that wont be a problem. I have to Agree with you Scott, by debating we are creating.

 

I wouldn't touch it...Just because the results potentially could be very, very bad. Inverts are designed to do it.