Well, I ran my 70 gallon for 3 years, 3"+ sandbed, and not a shred of
caulerpa...never had detectable nitrates, even after a coral beauty died and
disappeared in the tank.
The anaerobic bacteria in the sand eats the nitrates, same way the live rock
does. The key is a "LIVE" sandbed, i.e. proper micro/meio-fauna, so that
there is constant movement within the bed.
Derek
See my reef at Http://www.geocities.com/reefsalot/
Under HEAVY construction!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shane Clays" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 1:44 PM
Subject: RE: need help
> Tom,
>
> See, I think that is key to deep sand beds. You have caluerpa as an export
> for DOCs. People go off and set up deep sand beds, but do not understand
> that even with deep sand beds, you need some type of export. The deep sand
> bed still will produce large amounts of DOCs as an end result to the
> "process" and if you don't have anything to export those, then they build
up
> in the tank. Caluerpa is very effective at this. So are other forms of
> alage. So, is what ends up happening is that the DOCs build up and then if
> there is no caluerpa, other algaes take off and take over the tank. The
> problem is that, by the time that happens, the system is totally out of
> whack and it takes a lot of time and patients to get it back under
control.
> Often, the detritus and DOCs are in such large amounts, that you have to
> vacume the bed (which, as I understand, you are not supposed to do), do
huge
> water changes and also try to implement some type of nutrient export in
the
> system while at the same time, limiting the amount of nutrients entering
the
> tank.
>
> To be honest, whenever I have tried to help someone who had a deep sand
bed,
> that was having serious problems with their system, I have always
suggested
> that they remove most of their sand. The reason is not to get the sand bed
> out, but instead to get all of the detritus and bound organics out of the
> tank. At the same time, I emphasize that once the tank is under control, a
> deep sand bed, correctly set up, could/should be re-implemented.
>
> I am not arguing that deep sand beds are not effective. I think that they
> can be and are very very effective tools to reefkeepers. However, I think
> that they are something that has to be set up correctly and managed
> carefully for long term success. I don't think enough people understand
the
> entire process, and have read or been told that you just need to dump 5 or
6
> inches of sand into your tank, and you will never have to touch it again,
> when in reality, there is much more to it than that, both in bioligical
> processes that take place and in the physical set up of the system (ie:
> refugiums with caluerpa).
>
> Here is an example. Dr. Ronald Schimeck (sp) had an article in one of the
> mags this last month where he told everyone about how wonderful deep sand
> beds are. How you put one in your tank, and it does everything. Made me
want
> to put one in my tank! The only problem is, I don't remember seeing
anything
> in the article that says, to have a succesful sand bed, you have to have
an
> export mechanism (caluerpa). That is pretty crappy, really, since he uses
a
> refugium with a crap load of caluerpa in his system. IMO, he should have
> emphasized the need for the caluerpa and why it is used. Now, how many
> aquarists, from reading this article, are going to incorrectly implement a
> sand bed, without an export mechanism. Only, to have problems 6-8-12
months
> from now? None, maybe. Or hundreds??
>
> Obviously, you know your stuff! And I, by no means, claim to know
> everything. I do think that there needs to be caution used when those who
> aquarists look to for help (from the authors of magazines to LFS's) are
> giving advice. The thing that sets you apart, is that you are willing to
> admit there is many ways to accomplish a successful reef, where many
others
> say their way is the only way.
>
> Anyways, enough babbling... sorry all for the long post...
>
> Shane C.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 11:17 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: need help
>
> Ditto on the refugium, I run one on all my systems .
> Tom
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