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#1
12/05/2007, 03:53 PM
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remote DSB question
I want to know if you can have more than 5" of sand in a remote container, what about 10 or 15" does it work better if you have more of it?
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#2
12/05/2007, 05:43 PM
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Well, the extra sand isn't going to do anything if water doesn't get percolated down into it. For a "DSB-in-a-bucket" setups, the percolation is done via high flow, and I don't think most setups will provide much flow at a depth of 10". For live DSBs, animals are used to do the water circulation, and generally, our systems don't seem to have animals that are active that deep, due to system size limitations.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
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#3
12/05/2007, 05:52 PM
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Oh so it has to have high flow in the bucket?
I was under the impression that the flow thru the bucket needs to be slow so it has time to export the nitrates? Much like, skimmer, PO4 reactor, carbon etc? |
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#4
12/05/2007, 06:26 PM
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As I understand the bucket concept, the high flow is said to move the nutrients down into the sand, where anaerobic microbes can reduce the nitrate. I've never tried this technique, so I can't comment much on it.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
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#5
12/05/2007, 09:41 PM
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Using a higher flow keeps the nutrient concentration in the bucket higher (the same as the tank water). This way the nitrates (and other molecules) will move through the sand column via diffusion (natural process where molecules of a higher concentration move towards an area having lower concentration).
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Good things come to those who wait..........easily said anyways. Last edited by pvtschultz; 12/05/2007 at 09:58 PM. |
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#6
12/05/2007, 09:52 PM
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The flow over the sand creates a pressure variance between the water above it and below it which causes water to flow through it. Nitrates are removed in the anoxic(oxygen free zones) of the sand usually below 3 to 4 inches. Deeper sand beyond 6 to 8 inches would likely create more oxygen free zones but it is doubtful that much water would flow that deeply and therefore nitrate reducition would be minimal.
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Tom |
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#7
12/05/2007, 09:55 PM
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How much flow should I run thru a typical 5 gallon bucket?
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#9
12/06/2007, 11:05 AM
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I think the other benefit to high flow if to keep detrltus from settling. And I would think contaminatlon would be more of an issue with a deeper sandbed (more anerobic area to go bad). Of course too much flow will wash away the sand. My thought was to maybe cover the sand with a semi-permiable membrane, or fine micron-filter cloth. This would help keep the sand in place even with verry high flow and keep detrltus out. Of course I'd be intrested to hear other thoughts on this.
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Some people say, "How can you live without knowing?" I do not know what they mean. I always live without knowing. That is easy. How you get to know is what I want to know. - Richard Feynman |
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#10
12/06/2007, 01:02 PM
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How about some hermit crabs that will clean the surface of the bed?
From what I have read, the detritus do not penetrate < 1mm substrate very well. |
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#11
12/06/2007, 02:32 PM
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I don't think you want anything disturbing the sand bed. Also, I think detrltus and other contaminates will penetrate more than 1mm. Where did you hear that?
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Some people say, "How can you live without knowing?" I do not know what they mean. I always live without knowing. That is easy. How you get to know is what I want to know. - Richard Feynman |
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#12
12/06/2007, 02:37 PM
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some long thread on another forum with Anthony Calfo guy the guy who invented this? I could have misunderstood tho.
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