Deep Sand Bed Depth?

[KyRo]

Hi,

I've ordered a 3 x 2 x 2 feet tank with sump which will come on tuesday. i intend to keep some fishes like dwarf angels and clown fishes with some soft coral. Was wondering how many inches a deep sand bed i should have and should i use grade 0 or grade 1 sand. A LFS told me to mix grade 0 and 1. Is this advisable? Also is the DSB the way to go or should i try other methods of filtration.

Do i also need to buy live sand ? and how much of it?

Pls advise me experienced bros and sis.

[jesperlam]

Was told by "don't know who" that DSB be needs at least 6inch to be effective. But i kiasu put 8inch .

If i didnt remember wrongly, mixing grade 0 and grade 1 sand together can cultivate different type of bacteria. (can anyone confirm this?)

DSB is not the only way of filtration but theres also others which uses only Liverocks as filtration and got some others i cannot recall.

Getting Livesand do help mature the tank faster but the main cycle is still needed.

Hope that helps

[lightningstrike]

Was wondering how many inches a deep sand bed i should have and should i use grade 0 or grade 1 sand

at least 4" DSB will be advisable. u can use grade 0 and grade 1 sand. any size larger is not advisable.

A LFS told me to mix grade 0 and 1. Is this advisable?

no problem with mixing grade 0 and 1.

Also is the DSB the way to go or should i try other methods of filtration.

there r many ppl utilizing the Jaulbert (DSB) Method as well as the Berlin (LRs) Method or both. there r some articles in RC mentioning DSB crash over a period of time 2. many German tanks r oso using the Zeovit systems for sps. think regarding this issue, u gotta decided what is the best.

Do i also need to buy live sand ? and how much of it?

IMHO, if u r patient, do not need to buy livesand, the sand u buy will turn "live" in time. juz be patient.

juz me 2 cents worth.

[marcvelous]

Hi,

Congrats and welcome to the fold.

For DSB, it is alright to mix grade 1 and grade 0 sand. However the percentage of the mix is entirely up to you.

IMHO and from experience, a 20/80 or 30/70 ratio (for #0 : #1) is more manageable.

Grade 0 is too fine and tends to be easily whipped up by current (which is also important to maintain water circulation to minimise detritus). Current is another subject altogether so I'd just stick to sand. However, #0 is finer and provides more surface area per unit weight for growth of denitrifying (beneficial) bacteria's growth.

Live sand helps cycling faster but you don't really need it. Just make sure to wash your sand well. Sand can be bought at most LFS for $6 per packet. I reckon you need about 8 bags.

For DSB, you need about 4"~6". I had about 4 inches in my previous 3ft tank and it worked just fine to keep NO3 at 0 after it matured.

Rocks can use live or dead ones as dead ones will eventually be colonised by bacteria to become LR. Live rocks accerlerate cycling but also introduces hitchhikers like worms, crabs, mantis shrimps, etc.

One thing to note when stacking your rocks (especially with use of DSB) is to try and place supports under the rocks to minimise accumulation of toxins under the rocks which is easily visible from the sides of your tank as unsightly dark patches in areas under the rocks.

You must also take care to provide enough space for current/water flow so that waste/detritus don't get trapped and produce NO3.

My humble 2 cents worth. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Just sharing my experience and hope it helps.

Cheers!

[KyRo]

Wow thanks for all the tips guys,

i guess i will be doing all of this according to yr valuable advises.

guess 5-6" of sand mix 30% grade 0 and 70% grade 1 sand and buy life rocks.

hmmm would around 35kg to 40 kg of life rocks be enough?

Then i can just take it from my uncle when hes away on an overseas trip.

hes a stingy b@st*&d. ehhe so have to get my auntie to pss me in secret. Wont even teach me how to setup

But ive done alot of reading as well and i like the look of the DSB.

HOPE TO HAVE AN ENJOYABLE MARINE LIFE EXPERIENCE.

[marcvelous]

Quoting from experiencing again, don't try to buy too much LR at one go. Start with minimal, say 15kg and gauage if it is enough for the scaping you have in mind. If not, buy 5~10 kg more each time until you have enough of the right sizes and shapes to form your preferred rock-scape.

You need to cycle your tank anyways and cannot introduce any livestock into your tank so you'd have plenty of time (at least a month) to accquire your rocks.

I was told I need 70~80kg of live (not life) rocks when I first started and spent a bomb getting them. Turns out I had too much and the rocks were trapping detritus and retarding current/water flow. Then had to buy powerheads, rescape, sell excess rocks, etc. Big waste of money.

It is never too late to buy rocks (or for that matter, anything). Some people use supports (PVC pipes, acrylic stands, egg crates, etc) when stacking rocks so that from the outside it appears that they have a mountain of rocks but actually the "mountain" is hollow. This method besides saving money (on LR) also minimizes the impact of rocks in retarding water flow.

Speaking of which, it would be unwise to get your aunt to pass you your uncle's LR. If not removed properly, some rock structures may collapse and his corals and other LS affected. It'd be more expensive (both financially and relations-wise) to remedy the mistake.

Try and start slowly or else you end up like some people who buy something out of fancy and then tries to sell it few days later little or even without having used it.

I can think of only three reasons why people give up the hobby:

1. Tank crash (heartache for money and effort gone down the drain and LS up the lorry)

2. Financial burden (for always wanting to upgrade and upgrade and buy the best and better items and spend more and more, be it your own money, borrowed money or someone else's money)

3. Time constraint (Due to work, family, etc)

DSB takes about 4~6 months to mature, so in that sense, you will have plenty of time to learn along the way. Just refrain from over-stocking or stocking too quickly.

Just my two cents worth and wishing you all the best in your new hobby!

Cheers