Increasing bio-dversity in reef tank

do not use a DSB, refugiums are good but he is saying turn your filter into a refugium not use it for biodiversity.
 
I would get familiar with setting one up before starting out, but in all honesty for a tank as small as 8 gallons, you shouldnt need one.
 
i have an HOB on my small 10 gallon tank and no problem there, i also have a 2inch sand bed on in my tank and some cheato in the HOB

im using the marineland 350 HOB filter and i was already thinking about making it somewhat of a refuge for the tank since before i started my system , since the 350 has two compartment i run carbon on one side and the cheato is stored on the other side , great place for copepods to live in without getting eaten

i would NOT add the sand to the HOB thought all my sand is in my display ,
with the small force that the water goes into your HOB it will cause the sand to always be mixing and making your display all murky and sandy looking

@cathic im confused how will it create problems maybe im missing something , but its been my understanding that DSB are always good no matter the size of the tank or maybe you meant a DSB in the HOB ?
 
A DSB isn't even effective at its desired task of denitrification until its somewhere between 4-6". Other than that its just a detritus trap and will INCREASE your nitrates. Basic rule of thumb is sand > or = to 1" OR 4" or more. Anything between is wasted time space and money.

Also the risks of a DSB can far outweigh the rewards.
 
Also if you are not cleaning the HOB filters regularly, all the gunk they trap will rot and release nitrates back into your water column.
 
RyanG said:
A DSB isn't even effective at its desired task of denitrification until its somewhere between 4-6". Other than that its just a detritus trap and will INCREASE your nitrates. Basic rule of thumb is sand > or = to 1" OR 4" or more. Anything between is wasted time space and money.

Also the risks of a DSB can far outweigh the rewards.
Click to expand...

Wait, so what you are saying is that in my 220 that I am about to set up I should either put a 1 inch sand bed or 5" or 4 and up.

1 Inch seems so small that I won't even see it over the tank frame. It would save me money though. If I put in the 1 pound per gallon that is at least a 2 inch or more.

Or are you only referring to a refugium because I do not use any sand in there. Too much trouble no matter what in my opinion.
 
Unless you are going to go for a true deep sand bed in your display, which I really don't recommend, then get it up to a level that is pleasing to youe eye (ie top of the tank rim) and call it good enough. You don't need to use a ruler or anything...

DSBs are known to cause random tank crashes in mature systems. Look up old tank syndrome if you are skeptical of this.
 
I am not skeptical at all. I know all about it and that is why I like a shallow bed. I was just not wanting a Nitrate producer.

My current tank is roughly 2-3 inches depending on the area but I have gulf sand and it has some big pieces so I thought that was the reason for 15 Nitrates.

It is the same as D2 Minis sand and he has 0 Nitrates. I have my stuff set up really nice but recently removed my filter socks hoping it would lower them because I have left them in too long on too many occasions.

Thanks
 

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