US ahead on DSB? Struggling to find support in UK.

[Sean Smith]

Struggling to find support in UK for the DSB method. Does this mean that US is ahead of the UK (and South Africa for that matter) on this aspect of the hobby?

As a slightly separate subject soncerns were raised about silica in sand?
Any views?

[HoopsGuru]

I think its tough to say whether or not we are "ahead" per say, but rather we seem more willing to embrace the simplicity of a deep sand bed. I think because the UK has been so successful with the Berlin method, they see no real need to change.

On the topic of silica sand, it is currently being used with much success in DSB's. There is no danger of the silica causing any problems.

[Pineapple House]

On the topic of silica sand, it is currently being used with much success in DSB's. There is no danger of the silica causing any problems.
IMO, and only IMO, I perfer calcium based sands, instead of silica. Nothing is wrong with silica sands, they will work just fine, but I find them very un-natural looking, esspecielly when you are trying to creat something just like the natural reefs. Remember, this is JMO! So please do not take that as a fact! :)

PH =)

[Zack]

I also find them un-natural looking keep us updated

[viking]

Struggling to find support in UK for the DSB method. Does this mean that US is ahead of the UK (and South Africa for that matter) on this aspect of the hobby?


I dont find that surprising. DSB's were introduced about 30 years ago in the UK and anyone who tried them then went through a period of wow this is great etc. Then the problems and failures started happening. They got a bad reputation for OTS. We ddnt understand why they failed only that they did. I still today wont use one in the main tank. I am trying one out in the sump using mangroves, but thats only to see how that might work. I personally don't see any need for a dsb and in light of what DR S is finding now with toxic heavy metal build up, even more reason to avoid one.
Cheers,
Viking.

[Sean Smith]

I have bounced off every source I can find in the UK about DSB's. Unanswered questions and concerns seem to keep coming back to: what happens after a year... You say Viking "then the problems and failures started happening".

[viking]

Sean,
You have to remember i'm talking a long time ago and we had no access to info like we have now, limited books of any value and lots of myths. 18 to 24 months would have been tops for a dsb then. Most not that long. As i remember we started off with undergravel filters and the sand beds went from a couple of inch to about 5-6 inch. We might run 6 separate plates with uplifts then we stared to cap the uplifts. Basically they became plenums, so in effect we were running a type of jubert system. In the end we all (local group) went the way of the berlin system with the exception that we didn't always go bare bottom. No more than 1 and half inch of sand though. Things were much better with a more stable ph and less mystery deaths and strange problems.
Recently i have been speaking with guys who have kept reef and marine tanks from around that time in the US. I have found many with the same opinion of DSB's. Most of us have tried the DSB's as Dr S has suggested and still find those same strange symtoms happening in the latest style. I've never managed to get one to work well for me over a long period of time. As i said i still am trying one out in one of the sumps but with mangroves. Maybe in a year or so i can let you know how it went :D
I'm not a scientist i just keep a marine tank. A tank that most would say you cant keep at all (hard and soft corals and 6 types of anemones) but it can be done.
If you were asking my advise it would be to forget the DSB in the main tank, but thats just me. Everyone has a different approach and different goals.
Different forums have to some degree different ideas too. A lot of the guys i found that were anti DSB were found on the about.com forum and the most pro DSB on Reefcentral.
What ever way you decide to go i hope it all works out for you. It has been interesting hearing of the UK aspect though. I've been in Australia for over 10 years so lost contact with what was happening there.
Cheers,
Viking.

[phistio]

i do have to agree that there are some problems with a DSB... :? :( :roll: