De-Nitrator

[adunn79]

I have been reading a lot lately about do it yourself DE-Nitrators using varying lengths of 1/4" tubing and allowing tank water to pass through it at a rate of approximately 1 drop per second thus allowing the oxygen to be depleted and natural bacteria to convert the Ammonia to Nitrite then to Nitrate and finally to N2 which will pass from the tank as a gas.

The negatives of this system seem to be that it produces an acid which reduces Ph in the tank. it seems that the commercial De-Nitrators compensate for this by using Crushed coral in the system along with the Sulfur which is used as food for the bacteria.

So to make a long story short I have been thinking about placing a 100' section of 1/4" tubing on the front end of my Calcium Reator and allowing the tank water to pass through it prior to entering my calcium reactor.

In theory at least in my head the bacteria will reduce the Nitrates, in the process they will create an acidic effluent that will increase the effectiveness of my calcium reactor.

I have the tubing in hand (100')and plan to install it this weekend and monitor the results over the next few months.

If anyone can think of any reasons why this won't work please let me know.

or if you have tried this or something like it I would like to hear that as well.

I have attached an old pic of my tank as it looked in Pa. before I relocated to Wa.

Andy
[email protected]

 

[LakeEd]

Andy,

1st... Welcome to Reef Frontiers!

I have experimented with making a De-Nitrator myself. Wrapped 100' of tubing around the outside of a 3" PVC pipe that was capped off at both ends. Had the PVC pipe filled with Bio-Balls, for larger surface area.

The basics were the slow moving water thru the tubing, would allow bacteria to convert Ammonia and Nitrites to Nitrates. By the time the water neared the end of that tubing, and entered the PVC chamber... its oxygen was depleted, causing an an-arobic (spelling???) area (no oxygen)... so the Nitrates could be converted to Nitrogen.

In theroy these should work. Mind did... but you had to REALLY slow down the water flowing through it, to perhaps 20-30 drips output per minute.

That being said... it didn't put out much Nitrate free water in a day... so it really didn't do much good for me.

Also... the way you are thinking about having that as the input to your Calcium Reactor... the water flow would be so very slow, that now your Calcium Reactor wouldn't be putting out enough effluent to do your system any good.

If you're thinking about this project, because you enjoy doing projects... by all means DO IT!!! I just would have it as a stand-alone unit, not as an input to your Calcium Reactor.

If your hope is to reduce your overall Nitrates... I wouldn't count on it helping enough to make a real difference. Attempt to localize down why your Nitrates are high. Over feeding? Low/Slow flow? Detritus in overflows? Filtersocks or sponges not changed frequently enough? See if working on those aspects can help your situation, stopping the problem before it becomes one.

 

[adunn79]

Thanks, I don't yet have a nitrate problem. Just looking to be proactive.

I appreciate your comments.

A.

 

[adunn79]

Ok, set it up today with 200' of 1/4" line as the intake to the Calcium Reactor.

A few weeks to mature and I'll start monitoring the Nitrates as well as the efficiency of the Calcium Reactor.

 

[LakeEd]

So you have a good reference point... test your Nitrate output now. Then, once you've had the chance to build up that anarobic area in the tubing due to the very slow flow thru there... you'll have a reference point to know how things have changed for you.

I'll be watchin for your results!

 

[adunn79]

Thanks will do, out of town now for a few days but will post current Nitrate when I return.

A.

 

[freetareef]

updates?

i have read about these coil denitrators and i thought only the sulfer one's had the ph drop... any ways i am going to make one out of pvc and lsm (live sulfer) and i'll be pushing the output through another diy media reactor full of a.r.m. i'll post pics next weekend.

 

[freetareef]

i decided to do a ats and bought a chiller also. they are cheap and easy (ats) and are very effective.

 

[plack]

I use a diy Calcium reactor for a sulfur denitrator it has a 1-2 drops per second output.

It is filled with midwest aquatics High Purity Sulfuer pearls then a sponge then Arm Media.


I tested it a long time ago and the tank water was higher than the effluent !


Knowing it worked I just leave it alone and except for power outages and similar mishaps I have zero to very little nitrates ever.

I have overfed and have had a poorly operating skimmer for a long time . It's some what in part due to this reactor that I have low nitrates!

Here's a link to there website and the sulpher beads/pearls are not expensive--- I also purchased there all natural Biological Concentrate to make douly sure it was seeded with the proper bacteria to start with and it took only a few days until it worked with this!

I also put some in my tank and had the sand bed was looking visibly more active in 2 days. Very Potent stuff !!!

http://www.midwestaquatic.com/PRODUCTS/HPS_PEARLS.htm

http://www.midwestaquatic.com/PRODUCTS/NBC_9.htm

http://www.midwestaquatic.com/




Paul

 

[aquariumdebacle]

You can add some vodka to the de-nitrator instead of sulfur. Do not place it behind your calcium reactor as the benefits of the reactor will be reduced.

 

[plack]

aquariumdebacle

How long Have you ran your denitrator for?

Did you ever actually measure the nitrates in the tank and out the effluent to ensure it was working?

How often did you add vodka and how much!

"You can add some vodka to the de-nitrator instead of sulfur."

The sulfur stays put for months on end with no maintenence slowly disolving. I,ve ran mine for over 2 years with no problems!



Paul