[prow]

anaerobic bacteria grow and live in LR. you dont need a DSB for this, just a surface area with a anoxic zone, like found deep in LR. you can put LR and a sandbed in a QT tank. i have full blown little reefs for my QT's. the reason i think most dont is because they use their QT as a hospital too. in a hospital tank if you use medication it gets into the sand and rock and you have to treat it before putting back into the main display.

for a hospital tank you really dont need to allow the anaerobic bacteria to grow. the nitrates are not really that much of an issue for fish. they would have to be really high to bother fish, inverts and stuff are a different story. besides if your using meds you will be doing enough water changes to deal with the meds and whatever die off. its mostly the ammonia we worry about in a hospital tank.