How Freshwater Deep Sand Beds Work

[DeeDeeK]

I am looking to set up my own variation of a fresh water DSB. Would you provide more details about how Justin's approach differs from yours? Your DSB tank has inspired me to try one.

Well, I wrote this whole, long reply offline and forgot my flashdrive today!

Basically, Justin uses sand a minimum of 3" deep to maybe 7" at times, in places in his 100+ gallon size tanks. He sometimes has blackworms but usually they're for food and just escaped so their numbers are modest. He doesn't add mts but they're sometimes there, sometimes not, depending on the tank. His think is sand and plants and not overfeeding. Generally, even the high stocking levels of the store don't overwhelm the biofilters. His shop IS a shop, so has much higher stock levels than most hobbyists would keep. The plants and sandbed/bacteria eat up the poo and ammonia just fine.

That's about it.

 

[thebrandon]

I too have a dsb tank. My 120 and my 50 and my 30 all have between2 and 3 inches of sand. My experience with the mts is that I have seen them burrow into the sand, I've also scooped out handfulls of them in my sand, so I know they are indeed burrowing.

Btw my sand in my 120 is pure play sand. And in my other tanks is a mixture of play sand and flourite.

As for you mixing facts and fiction, just include my signature with everything you say lol

 

[DeeDeeK]

Btw my sand in my 120 is pure play sand. And in my other tanks is a mixture of play sand and flourite.

As for you mixing facts and fiction, just include my signature with everything you say lol

I am interested in your experience w/playsand. Everything I've believed about it has been either from info provided by other hobbyists or from my own fevered imagination, i.e. I surmised (to believe something without adequate information - my newest vocabulary word!) rather than investigated.

Sooooo, how long have you been keeping the 120? Do you vacuum? Stir? Or do you let nature, such as it is within a glass box, take it's course?

I am currently aquariumless, so my life aquatic must needs be vicarious and my internet access is spotty (I'm jacking a local business's "private" WiFi at the present - tee hee hee!) so please-oh-please tell me something nerdy and scientific and juicy!

 

[Fishfriend1]

what if you used SW sand(not live) in 2 of your 3 FW tanks? Would that be safe? Would it help? Would it even make a difference?

 

[DeeDeeK]

what if you used SW sand(not live) in 2 of your 3 FW tanks? Would that be safe? Would it help? Would it even make a difference?

Methinks it depends on composition of the sand. If it is calcareous then it prob'ly will not be helpful and possibly harmful - raises pH and hardness. Perhaps good for certain African cichlids but they tend to dig up plants I think.

Siliceous sand is good so long as any salt is rinsed out and as you said, not 'living.'

 

[Industrial]

I am confused on something.

You can just throw blackworms into a tropical tank? I was under the impression that they just get into the gravel and eventually die polluting the tank water.

Also, how can you tell when there are none left?

 

[ducatigirl]

I dont know what went wrong but i will be stripping my dsb tank and making it normal, I concluded in the end as there was no other water parameters etc tht could cause fish death,this became my hell tank, and everything in it eventually died, now i just have 2 australian rainbow fish that are doing well in there, everything else over a period of months died.

maybe the black worms were diseased?

 

[wespastor]

I am confused on something.

You can just throw blackworms into a tropical tank? I was under the impression that they just get into the gravel and eventually die polluting the tank water.

Also, how can you tell when there are none left?

Yes you can just put BW in your tank. They will survive well and will not pollute the tank. They need to be black works to be sure though. Also, It has been my experiendce on two notes, that I have only used sand or soil substrates as opposed to gravel as you mentioned and that the fishes that I keep will eventually eat them up.

You can tell there are none left because they wag their tail in the water. Most hang out at or near the glass so they will be easy to see.

Hpre this helps.

Best wishes,
Wes

 

[knifegill]

I dont know what went wrong but i will be stripping my dsb tank and making it normal, I concluded in the end as there was no other water parameters etc tht could cause fish death,this became my hell tank, and everything in it eventually died, now i just have 2 australian rainbow fish that are doing well in there, everything else over a period of months died.

maybe the black worms were diseased?

:nilly:

I'm about to set up a DSB refugium. I'd like to know what grain of sand you used. Perhaps your sand compacted too well and created dangerous conditions?

 

[xVitox]

Yes you can just put BW in your tank. They will survive well and will not pollute the tank. They need to be black works to be sure though. Also, It has been my experiendce on two notes, that I have only used sand or soil substrates as opposed to gravel as you mentioned and that the fishes that I keep will eventually eat them up.

You can tell there are none left because they wag their tail in the water. Most hang out at or near the glass so they will be easy to see.

Hpre this helps.

Best wishes,
Wes

I have had them in a gravel substrate and they have done fine. This is my invert tank so they really have not had too many predators. I have also noticed that sometimes they tend to stay hidden in the substrate, while other times I find them all over the driftwood even. They always are in mass supply in my HOB filter (thats really the only reason i keep it since it provides an area filled with muck and they seem to love it)