Do DSB need a light?

I have a DSB in a 10g sump. The sump only has the DSB and my protein skimmer in it (different sections). Would it be beneficial to the nitrogen fixation aspect of the DSB to add a light of some kind over it or is that just begging to have algae grow over the sand. If algae did grow all over the sand would that inhibit the gaseous exchange?
Thanks for the help guys =)
~Mox

 

lots of microfauna feed on algae, so, it would be a good idea IMO. You would probably get denitrification without, but that's really only part of the equation. You don't want the DSB to go completely anoxic, so, some organisms to keep the sand strirred a bit is important. How well a DSB will work in a 10g is another question, but assuming it will, then yes, it would be more stable with some algae to keep the infauna alive.

 

So the DSB in a 10g sump = nigh unto useless?

 

or just inefficient use of such a small sump volume?

 

You can google the "Edge Effect" Ron Shimek has discussed this a bit in the past. I'd call it debatable, but there is some reason to believe that a dsb in a nano really won't do anything.