# View on remote DSB



## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Curious to know how many of you guys run a remote DSB and do you find that it actually helps?

I'm asking because I don't plan on a DSB in my DT because I prefer the look of less sand. But, I would like the properties a DSB provides in denitrification. 

Which is why I would prefer having a bucket of sand under my stand as opposed to losing 6" from my 20" tall tank.


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

the best info you can find I think.

I personally have 2 DSBs, one in the Fuge in sump, and another under seahorse tank, they do remove N but take a long time to get fully seeded. you also gotta be worried about disturbing it, hence why I like the Idea of sand in a bucket even more, if mistake then you can simply remove it. now that I use Zeovit ... there is no more need for the DSB.

there is a good thread on RC about this as well, I'll see if I can find it.


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## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

More stuff by Ron on Sand Beds and DSB
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.php


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Thanks Big Ray. It's one of those never ending topics. I find so many contradicting views on RDSBs. 

I will have to test this out.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

+1, go for the remote. I have a DSB in my display that I set up for jawfish - after about 1.5years, they decided to both dig new holes. The result? My tank went through a pretty crappy patch because of the spike in N/P.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Does anyone ever use a 5 or 10 gal tank? Seems more efficient in terms of utilizing space under the stand. Just not as portable I suppose.


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

gucci17 said:


> Does anyone ever use a 5 or 10 gal tank? Seems more efficient in terms of utilizing space under the stand. Just not as portable I suppose.


I like tanks better, like under my seahorse tank  plus, maybe one day u can put a fish in there too 
just so you dont make the mistake I made, if you are getting it drill, drill a large hole, dont go cheap on the hole lol mine is too small for the flow I want :S .


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Big Ray said:


> I like tanks better, like under my seahorse tank  plus, maybe one day u can put a fish in there too
> just so you dont make the mistake I made, if you are getting it drill, drill a large hole, dont go cheap on the hole lol mine is too small for the flow I want :S .


lol thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I was thinking of a 1" hole. Think that's enough?


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

gucci17 said:


> lol thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I was thinking of a 1" hole. Think that's enough?


I think so, mine is half an inch, too small. almost walked into a mini flood last night :S


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Yeah, I would feel safer with more flow and just using a valve to toggle down if need be.


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## aquanutt (Aug 27, 2010)

gucci17 said:


> Curious to know how many of you guys run a remote DSB and do you find that it actually helps?
> 
> I'm asking because I don't plan on a DSB in my DT because I prefer the look of less sand. But, I would like the properties a DSB provides in denitrification.
> 
> Which is why I would prefer having a bucket of sand under my stand as opposed to losing 6" from my 20" tall tank.


I'm not a pro in this hobby, but after talking to many people and reading tons of articles I learned this, for newbies like me, its much easer to run a reef with DSB. It helps to keep the water parameters more stable.

I have 5" DSB in my DT tank and about 6" dsb in my sump.

cheers
sly


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## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

I prefer the idea of a remote one. I run a 5 inch in my sump under the main DT. I have read alot of people on reefcentral who run a DSB find that it crashes in 4 or so years. Im not shure if this always happens or if its just with some systems but thats one of the reasons I did not do it in the main DT.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

I don't plan on running a DSB in my DT mainly because the tank that I plan on using is 20" tall. 6" of sand will make my tank pretty shallow.

Plus I like the fact that with a remote DSB I can take it offline if anything were to happen.


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