Are Deep Sand Beds really a thing of the past?

[Sean Clark]

I used this fine sand in a refugium area. I kept some sand dwelling critters in there too. Worked well for me.

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[Mellotang]

Let’s bring back Southdown

and I’ve been to a few rodeos in Central America

always a good time on Friday night, highly recommended!

 

[areefer01]

South down tropical play sand!!

throwing it way back

Lol. What, about 1999 - 2001 ' ish. It was stupidly cheap and it worked. I had about 18 bags of that stuff myself.

 

[areefer01]

But all detritus is the same. It’s organic matter that is rotting in your sand bed.

But is it? Inert at some point.

 

[Nonya]

Then let’s agree to disagree.

Whatever.

 

[Nonya]

Lol. What, about 1999 - 2001 ' ish. It was stupidly cheap and it worked. I had about 18 bags of that stuff myself.

I tried to order a railcar full of aragonite in those 200# bags for my former club. It almost happened.

 

[Mellotang]

Lol. What, about 1999 - 2001 ' ish. It was stupidly cheap and it worked. I had about 18 bags of that stuff myself.

Back when the hobby was about fun and good times

lol

remember trading frags!!

 

[Nonya]

Back when the hobby was about fun and good times

lol

remember trading frags!!

I did up until recently when a guy in the local group made everything about money to line his pockets. It ruined my fun, so I left.

 

[Nonya]

I tried to order a railcar full of aragonite in those 200# bags for my former club. It almost happened.

I meant 2,000# bags.

 

[Mellotang]

How would you Move a 2000 # bag of sand?

 

[Nonya]

How would you Move a 2000 # bag of sand?

Forklift.
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...ERP8gewTpu5kYfhLPExoCAK8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Mellotang]

I thought a bunch of club dudes would hang out, eat some crispy Cheetos and then lift the bags together

team lift

 

[Nonya]

I thought a bunch of club dudes would hang out, eat some crispy Cheetos and then lift the bags together

team lift

Not enough handles.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Not sure what you mean by corals being nutrient sinks. They produce waste. Chaeto can work, but you need it to grow rapidly or in a large quantity, then remove it from the tank. Whether you reduce feeding and reduce the livestock, you will still accumulate nitrates. You need nutrient export, not reduction. As I said earlier, DSBs are for nitrates.

They uptake nutrients as they grow, quite a bit in fact. Some people even use xenia instead of macro algae.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I used a dsb around 2010-2013ish. Worked well imo.
I used fine on top of some of the more rocky. I also placed pieces or rock in their.
Polishes the water well imo.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

It was the left side of a 50B
See I knew the playground sand was a thing. Lol. Before my time...
D

 

[Nonya]

They uptake nutrients as they grow, quite a bit in fact. Some people even use xenia instead of macro algae.

OK. Nutrient sink usually means a place where detritus collects and releases nutrients (nitrates mainly) into the water.

 

[Kitjo]

So, from what I’ve gathered from the responses here, as well as additional reading, this is my conclusion…

Deep Sand Beds are not just a thing of the past.

Many people still use Deep Sand Beds.

Many people who have used Deep Sand Beds in the past often say it was their most stable tank.

Deep Sand Beds are not trendy now.

Deep Sand Beds have a ton of fear associated with them that are passed on by many people who have not experienced it firsthand.

Tank crashes can occur, but if it occurs in a tank with a DSB, the the DSB often gets blamed.

There are other benefits in addition to denitrification, but that’s what a Deep Sand Bend is most well known for. And there are other “simpler” or “cleaner” or “prettier” systems that remove excess nitrogen, and Deep Sand Beds take up real estate in the display tank, so the other systems are often used.

Deep Sand Beds do work if set up correctly… 4-6” deep, fine grain sand.

Deep Sand Beds do require some maintenance, typically deep suctioning, only in small sections at a time (methodically working your way through the bed over a few weeks to months), starting after 1.5-3 years of establishment.

Deep Sand Beds may need to have more sand added, typically with the maintenance above.

 

[Kitjo]

A couple of interesting links on Deep Sand Beds…

http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

https://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/deep-sand-beds-just-thing-past/

 

[Nonya]

Deep Sand Beds do require some maintenance, typically deep suctioning, only in small sections at a time (methodically working your way through the bed over a few weeks to months), starting after 1.5-3 years of establishment.

Deep Sand Beds may need to have more sand added, typically with the maintenance above.

The only maintenance I've ever been "required" to do is to add sand once a year to maintain bed depth. Suctioning is not necessary. IMO, anything that disturbs the deep region of the bed could release unwanted contaminants, so it would have to be done with great care.