# Freshwater Deep Sand Bed



## Wendy1B (Jan 8, 2017)

Hello,
I am considering experimenting with a FW DSB. My tank is on order: http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/red-sea-reefer-170-black-34-gallon-glass-aquarium-set-r42111.aspx It will be a high tech set up with pressurized Co2 and LED lighting. I am planning on using the sump as a refugium on an opposite lighting schedule as the main display. Plants will be high light demanding, delicate species. Inhabitants will include Crystal Red Shrimp and peaceful shoals of compatible fish/Snails. 
I have the 8 liters of SL aqua soil, which I was going to place on top of 30/60 mesh Black Diamond Blasting Grit (also black in color), which I was planning on placing on top of a sprinkling of Osmocote Plus and some mulm from one of my co-workers' well-established, healthy molly tanks. This is the article I am basing my decision on to try a FW DSB: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_7/volume_7_1/dsb.html. The thing which prompted me to research the DSB is seeing a 3-year old setup in person while visiting my sister in CA. It was stable, and without algae problems. It had metal halide lighting, pressurized Co2, and a canister filter. The plants were challenging species; I had never seen them in person before because my town is in the grips of the low-tech set-up. The thing that attracts me most about the DSB is the biological filtering large-scale capacity. Plus, I'm somewhat of an experimenter. One concern which has been brought to my attention is the lack of nutrients in the blasting grit. Also, the possible impaction of said grit. My thoughts on these issues are: 
The Osmocote Plus does provide nourishment to plant roots; I used it in my old low tech set up, and the Anubius, crypts, and swords thrived on it. However,
since particle size is important in the DSB, what if I manage to crush the Aquasoil fine enough to suffice? In the powder size which I ordered, it looks to be about 2-3x too large as it comes. It will be nutrient rich for the plant roots, and provide the different levels of oxygen zones required by the nitrifying bacteria along with the surface area required for the large amount of biological filtration I desire. The compaction issue is avoided by keeping enough live Blackworms and Malaysian Trumet Snails. I plan on using my sump refugium as a safe breeding zone for the blackworms so that I can continuously restock their population in the main display. At any rate, the depth of the sand bed is not something I am set on; I am open to foregoing a DSB if the possible consequences outweigh the benefits. But I am just hoping anyone on this forum might have some thoughts they'd like to share about the DSB?


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

One alarming mention in your link is the encouragement of keeping planarian colonies in the sand bed.

If you want to keep shrimp you should probably rethink this as planaria will go out of their way to kill and eat small shrimp. It's also theorized that their slime trails are toxic to shrimp. If you must have a small worm in living the substrate, one of the small species of Annelids that are commonly called detritus worms would suffice. You want the ones that move like accordions or Inch Worms, not glide like snails.

This is an interesting topic as I think there's too much focus on growing aquarium plants from their water column intake and not their roots. The health and vitality of the substrate gets ignored in lieu of loading the water column with fertilizer.


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## Phokey (Oct 16, 2016)

I did a DSB on my Reef tank when it was the thing either to do or not to do... I was able to keep a Mandarin alive so I guess it worked.



























I trickle flowed into it after the UV light thingy. Made a moat (pond liner) and Plumbed it into another room so it was easy to deal with plus I was on the third floor and that moat saved me twice.









I equate the amount of bugs you have to the well being of a reef tank. I called these guys Ralph mouths.

-Scott


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## Wendy1B (Jan 8, 2017)

GrampsGrunge said:


> One alarming mention in your link is the encouragement of keeping planarian colonies in the sand bed.
> 
> If you want to keep shrimp you should probably rethink this as planaria will go out of their way to kill and eat small shrimp. It's also theorized that their slime trails are toxic to shrimp. If you must have a small worm in living the substrate, one of the small species of Annelids that are commonly called detritus worms would suffice. You want the ones that move like accordions or Inch Worms, not glide like snails.
> 
> .


 Awesome to know that about the planaria, thank you so much! I have found a reputable LFS which stocks live blackworms. I've never seen them in person; do you know if they slide like a snail or crawl like an earthworm?



Phokey said:


> I did a DSB on my Reef tank when it was the thing either to do or not to do... I was able to keep a Mandarin alive so I guess it worked.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Yes! You have the same philosophy as I do about the bugs in reef tanks being the best indicator of overall system health. I had a soft coral/ captive bred seahorse 55 gallon with a mated pair of Blue Mandarin Dragonets, a DSB based on the teachings of Ron Shimek, and a hang on refugium and protein skimmer with a Fluval canister filter for the manual & chemical filtration. Even with the constant predation by the seahorses and mandarins, that tank was never lacking for little creepy-crawlers and very healthy and stable for the five years I maintained it. I also did a DSB in my other reef which was a 55 gal LPS/ community tank. I was very pleased with the micro fauna in both tanks. I kept this tank for 6 years; the only time I had problems was during initial cycling and weather related power outages. The best thing was showing all the nay-Sayers and harbingers of doom the results of such a set up. I was literally told I was crazy for even wanting to try the DSB. I was told eventually, of sooner or later, everything would die due to an anaerobic gas bubble. I guess that's why I'm willing to try the FW DSB.


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