DSB question,

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#1
afternoon,

so...ive decided to to make a chaetomorpha reactor with this large SSA media reactor i have. it was way bigger then i needed. so i bought a med size reactor for carbon/gfo and planing to make it.

article about the cheato reactor: https://reefbuilders.com/2016/08/31/chaetomorpha-reactor/

now, back to post. i now have an empty space in the external refugium and i was thinking on a deep sand bed.

a little info:
the refuge is a 40g breeder thats been sectioned off into two parts. the small part measures 9"x18"x14"t. the large section i have about 40lbs of large left over rock. the water flow comes from the manifold from the main sump so it been through filter socks. the flow rate through this refuge is small, maybe 30gph? the DT is a 220g (total water volume 250-260) has been up a little over a month now. cycled and had a 2" sandbed 4 beginner corals, 1 fire shrimp and 2 cleaner shrimps. 30 trochus nails and 30 hermits. also has like 12 chermois in it. i found the fire shrimp molted some time last night. ive had him a little over a week, so i must be doing something right. crapped myself this morning when i saw pieces of shrimp floating around.

now my question is, should i use that small space for a DSB? if so what sand is best? ive read "as fine as you can get" also, live or dead? can i use play sand? do i need to add snails and such?
detritus will be minimal in this area. the main goal for this is to cultivate more anaerobic bacteria and a place to grow pods. would setting up a DSB now upset what i have already?

what are your thoughts on this?
 
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#3
I would probably just add more chaeto to your empty compartment in the refugium. I know that might sound boring to you. I have a big sump under my 150 gallon with 4 chambers, the first being the skimmer chamber, I gutted the middle two and made them both one big chaeto refugium with two compartments and the last chamber is my return. I personally like chaeto alot. I have green caulerpa too that grow like crazy, every day i take a golfball size out and feed my tangs and rabbitfishes, plus the critters that are inside the macro, my leopard wrasse goes crazy picking at it all. That's just my 2 cents. You can never have enough macro algae. I just keep my light on 24/7 if its caulerpa to keep it from going sexual.
 
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#4
hi, thanks for the reply. decided to just leave it empty right now. been reading after i wrote this and it seems like a lot more could wrong could happen with a DSB so now im too scared to try it lol.
 

solitude127

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#5
I would not add a DSB but would add more rock and full it with pods.
 
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#8
i have this small rock with xenias on it, once it gets out of hand i'll throw in this section and let it grow out. thanks for all the advice guys
 
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