I love this site for the ability to have discussions on topics that can tend to be "heated". There is a great thread on
Jaubert Plenum that has some wonderful information....it's lengthy, but worth reading. Anyway, I plan on having a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) in my tank, and understand there are some cons that go along with this system. What I'm looking for is a discussion on how to make this system work. It has been argued that DSB's only work for a few years, then begin to leach phosphates back into the system....it is argued by others that this system maintains itself, and can last many years. There are many quotes I can pull over from the thread on the Jaubert Plenum, but I don't want to make the initial post of this topic very long.
Tell me, what can I do to make my DSB last? If you have a DSB, what are your experiences, what is your maintenance, and how long has your system been running with a DSB? What are your feelings about stirring the top of the DSB?
Understanding the downfalls of this system may help to make changes in order to keep it healthy.
This is just a start...feel free to quote any comments on DSB from the plenum thread mentioned above.