Tip of the Day – 9/25/2014

For years, deep sand beds were highly touted for their ability (with the help of bacteria of course) to process nitrate into nitrogen gas. This led to many different trains of thought as to how deep the sand should be and how to maintain it long-term, but in recent times the DSB has gone the way of the dinosaur. Why? Well, it was revealed that DSBs become unstable over time, leading to massive tank crashes and a host of other issue. This led to some wild ideas about how to handle DSBs, including different techniques for refreshing them as well as various takes on removing and replacing them. But, as the hobby has progressed, the DSBs have disappeared. Hobbyists don’t want to fight issues that they know they are coming, and the shallow sand beds have risen in popularity due to aesthetic purposes.