looking forward to...

[BioMarine]

any and all the wisdom everyone has to offer from this forum! I'm currently maintaining a 55gal tank that i've started a DSB in with some live rock that i'm going to start turning into a reef. I'm also studying for a BA in Biology and wanting to get my masters in marine biology, so i'm open to learning any and all information possible. I appreciate any credible information and/or references anyone has to offer!
Thanks!
Eddie

 

[Eric]

I would read up on DSB and other natural filtration methods before moving on.

Welcome To RS!

 

[BioMarine]

I've been doing a lot of reading regarding DSB's and someone just gave me an interesting link from an ecologist if i'm not mistaken. Ron Shimek's Website...Deep Sand Beds . I've read a lot about this and asked questions on other forums, and I think I'm going to get some experience with DSB and see how it works, because my next tank is more than likely going to be big and there won't be any going back if i experimented with that one. I appreciate the advice though, I intend to continue doing more research on DSB's since i still have some time before the anerobic zone forms anything which can cause any potential damage to my tank if disturbed.

 

[GlassMunky]

personally, i would have the DSB in a fuge, not the DT. but thats just me

 

[Eric]

I would go with a remote DSB in a container that can be completely separated from the tank without a disturbing the fuge or the display, gain all the benefits of a DSB but none of the long term hassles.

DSB in the DT were once all the rage but that has passed, keep in mind this book was published in 2001 and says a bit revised in 2006 so Ron is a little dated not saying a DSB is bad but you can achieve the same goals with other methods that are less hassle in the end.

 

[tnwillia]

Welcome to RS!

 

[Reefmack]

Welcome to Reef Sanctuary Eddie!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

 

[BioMarine]

i would go with a dsb in a refuge but i don't have one, i'm trying to get my feet wet and hopefully not skin my knees too much while gaining as much practical knowledge as possible. So thanks for the info n suggestions!

 

[Eric]

Since you haven't told us much about this setup it's hard to offer any specific advice.

Is this just a standard tank with hang on equipment, what filters do you run, what are your plans for light?

 

[BioMarine]

Its a standard 55ga with 3" of fairly fine substrate with 1" of a more coarse substrate over the top, currently a FOWLR but will be turning into a reef tank as soon as i can afford to. I'm running an Aqua-C Remora Pro skimmer, 2 korallia powerheads, 1 1050gph and 1 750gph centered on opposite sides of the tank and pointed upward. I also have 2 Aquaclear 130gph pointed from the back of the tank towards the front. Live in the tank (that i've added) is 2 ocillaris clownfish, 3 margarita snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab and 8 hermit crabs. currently i do not have a sump nor a refug. I am currently running 2 T5 white lights (that came with the tank) but I'm looking into either finding a hood and building my own 4 light T5 set up, or if i can't find a hood soon, I plan on buying a T5 4 light setup. Any suggestions on brands, etc if i decide to buy the light set up?

 

[PSU4ME]

Welcome to RS!

If you have the rooms, a CPR Aquafuge may not be a bad addition. How much LR do you have? Has the tank ever been treated with medications (copper?).

BK

 

[Eric]

I would look to catalina if your budget is tight, they make decent fixtures for the money.

I would go 4" sandbed as 3 is to shallow from what I have read, also you should have different size sand to keep it from packing into a brick, I have see several people use this over the years but after watching the problems they had and eventually removed it I stayed away, so I'm not speaking from direct exsperience but I have read up on it and observed the tanks of others that have tried this method.

Drilling that tank or adding a hang on overflow box so you could have a sump/fuge would be very benificial to your tank as well, it will also open up your equipment options and a place to hide things such as media reactor, heaters, ATO, filter socks and so on plus you can get far better filtration vs the aquaclear.

 

[BioMarine]

Thanks eric, i appreciate the info. I am looking into the catalina aquarium t5's and i guess i'm not sure if i should go with 4 or 6 bulbs? I'm planning on keeping hammers, frog spawns, zoas, maybe a couple mushrooms, and some other LPS in the future, with a possibility of a BTA. What do you think, 4 or 6 bulbs? Most of what i've read says that what i want to keep requires "moderate" lighting...

 

[BioMarine]

Welcome to RS!

If you have the rooms, a CPR Aquafuge may not be a bad addition. How much LR do you have? Has the tank ever been treated with medications (copper?).

BK

I have started looking into the Aquafuge, not sure if i want to do the hang on or just do the fuge underneath. I have about 30lbs of live rock if i'm not mistaken, and no the tank has never had anything like that in it. I currently have snails, an emerald crab hitch hiker, hermit crabs, and peppermint shrimp in there with no problem.

 

[ChrisOaty]

Hi fellow bio nerd. Welcome. I also have a 60 that i'll be converting into reef. I've done my homework and If i were to be getting (or building) a t5 fixture, I'd stick with a 6 bulb. You can have better control of the color output by customizing the varioius bulbs. You'll also be set up in the future to house more light-hungry corals. If you plan to have a nem, they are extremely photosynthetic and require high light. But i wouldn't suggest putting a nem in a tank that hasn't been established for a fairly long period of time (this definition seems to vary but most experienced keepers would agree on 6 months to a year). The main reason for this is stability. Your tank should be able to maintain an extremely stable set of parameters, including parameters most people dont/cant test for in order for a nem to be happy.

 

[BioMarine]

Thanks! I did read the same thing about the nems, about 3-4 hours plus on it recently... wow this hobby is going to make my head explode... and i've decided to wait, and at which point i'll make an assessment depending on the coral i have in the tank at the time, if its worth getting a nem or not. I read they like to walk around until they find somewhere they like and depending on what i have, i may have to put a nem off until another tank... We'll see... I'm still undecided as to what i'm going to get as far as lights, there aren't too many 6 bulbs that fit over a standard 55, so its narrowing my choices.... decisions decisions...