Deap sand bed or not?

[SleepyMike]

I have had a deep sand bed since I set up my tank. The refugium sump has deep sand with live plants. I have been thinking that if there is a lot of fish in the tank the sand cant break down the solids fast enough. I think?

[Sisterlimonpot]

What else do you use if any for denitrification?
This is (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1652103) a great thread for DSB's

[SleepyMike]

In my sump I have live rock in the first section, sand and live plant in the middle and a skimmer that is rated for a 65 gallon tank with my return pump at the end. I have been thinking of getting a reactor.

[Sisterlimonpot]

I'm not an advocate of DSB's just because I read too many problems with them and plus I don't know a lot about them. I prefer a safer route like using macro algae to remove N03 and P04.

[SleepyMike]

One of the LFS I go to swears by deep sand beds. They say the micro organisms break down the solids. But can it build up too fast to break it down?

[SleepyMike]

I am farelly new to any kind of technical lingo. What is N03 and P04?

[rocksoldier1]

nitrate and phosphate

[Sisterlimonpot]

Sorry, N03 is nitrate and P04 is phosphates. DSB's are more complicated than what your LFS says. I would suggest reading the first page of that link I gave you to get a better understanding as to what is going on with a DSB. I often wonder if people that had DSB's knew more about what they are doing, there wouldn't be so much controversy around them.

[SleepyMike]

Thanks for the link. I just started vacuming my sand in my mane tank and it seems to be helping. I thought about doing it in my sump but now I think I will leave it alone.