Refugium deep sand bed: To sift or not to sift?

[smartwater101]

I've been reading a lot of conflicting viewpoints on weather or not the DBS in the rufugium should be sifted. I wanted to see what other people's experiences have been.

DT:29 gallon
sump: is 20 gallon (15 gallon of water)
the fuge section is about 9x10", 6" Height of sand. Rock & rock rubble. Cheato. recently had a copepod bloom. 5 hermits, 1 banished Emerald crab, and 4 bumble bee snails (which don't do much sifting it seems.)

Should I add a couple nass snails to the refugium? Does sifting go against the idea of having a DBS in the refugium? What methods do you use?
Thanks!

[smartwater101]

bump

[don_chuwish]

I'm interested in the viewpoints as well. I've read that you certainly want to avoid anything that will consume the live micro fauna, but not sure about sand stirring critters like nassarius. But I wouldn't expect there to be a lot of detritus in the refugium to support them - is there a filter sock & or skimmer before the 'fuge?

- D

[smartwater101]

yes, I use a filter sock and skimmer in the first chamber.

Yeah, I'd also like to hear more from people. Seems like there are conflicting views on sifting creatures in a DBS. Was hopping to hear from others experience.

[sirreal63]

Nassarius don't sift the sand for food, they are meat eating scavengers and not predators, they dwell in the sand until dead flesh is sensed. I probably would not put then in a remote dsb, leave them in the display. Your sock will prevent meaty items from reaching the dsb.

[DaveMorris]

I would put as many different types of sand stirrers and critters in the DSB as possible, including nassarius snails. And you should never stir it up or sift it yourself. Let nature deal with sifting the sand. I have always based my opinions on DSB's on research done by Ron Shimek. Look him up. Lots of great articles about sandbeds.

[BigPurp]

+1 on that.

I have a dsb in my fuge, and i simply put a bunch of nassarius snails down there, along with a conch snail. I also think it is advisable to run skimmerless for a few days a month, as this provides doc for the benthic creatures in the sandbed. This also promotes growth of cyano in the fuge, which fuels pod reproduction.

Best!