Diy Dsb

[andywg]

I am looking to add a DSB onto my frog tank, but don';t want to redesign the sump. Would it be plausible to fill an old Fluval 104 or 204 up with san (and no cartridges) and run it for a DSB?

The flow would rush across the top as desired, and I know for a fact that the 204 would be large enough to handle it. My fear would be any sand flipping up into the impellor. I could always throw some LR on the top to deflect the flow as I have done in my other tank's sump).

Any thoughts on good/bad idea? Anyone tried it before?

 

[SkiFletch]

Never tried it. What are the height and diameter of the filter?

 

[andywg]

The filter is about 8-10" tall without the motor head, probably about 4"x4" rounded corner square (Fluval 204). I have filled it about 6-7" with aragonite and silver sand. (5" aragontie, 2" silver) and put some DIY live rock over where the water flows in.

Sadly I sued a Fluval, so it leaked, but after porting over a different head for it it is now up and running. Will keep an eye on it and report back in a month or so.

Thus far there has been no mass transportation of sand from the filter to the tank (though I only have it at about half flow for now).

 

[SkiFletch]

Sounds decent for a small DSB. Let us know how it turns out andy . What are your current pre-dsb nitrates?

 

[andywg]

I'm not sure on the nitrates. The test kit keeps showing somewhere between 40 and 80, but this thing registered over 100ppm on RO water, so I am very skeptical on the actual accuracy of the readings.

It is showing around twice as much as the cube, hence why I am trying this. If it proves successful then I have another fluval filter I may try (104) oit is smaller, but by using finer sand you don't need as much depth (sugar grain size sand only needs around 3" to become effective, as opposed to 6"+ for standard aragontie sand).

 

[andywg]

Well, a couple of weeks later, and it seems to be working well, the display tank isn't covered in sand, and the dodgy nitrate test thinks the nitrates have fallen.

The nitrate test reads 40ppm now. It reads 20ppm for the reef cube. But then it reads 160+ppm for RO water+salt and 10ppm for pure RO. Suffice is to say that I don't trust it all, but the old Fluval does seem to have some effect.

As a result I have moved the skimmer to the reef tank where it fits in the sump (rather than hagning on the edge) and am going to set up some macro algae in the frog's sump.