Denitrification WithOUT live rock.

[DonW]

I 'm going to build 2 columns 8 in diameter and 24" tall. These will be the only LR remaining in my tank 110g. These are to stick the few sps colonies that I'm going to keep, all the rest are going. The tank will be filled to capacity with clams. At this time there is about 45" of clam if you add up their shell length.
Now I'm searching for alternative means of denitrification. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks
Don

 

[Herefishyfishy]

You could always have a large sump full of rocks and a fuge. Simpler than a reacter and massive water changes. This is assuming that the tank has Nitrates to rid itself of with few fish if any. Have no knowlege if clams are a nitrate producer or consumer. I assume they don't produce much...

What are your plans for your other corals?

 

[gman0526]

Massive skimming + massive flow, don't let the waste break down

 

[chris&barb]

here you go Don

http://www.spc.int/coastfish/News/Trochus/Trochus8/Trochus8-07.htm

 

[DonW]

You could always have a large sump full of rocks and a fuge. Simpler than a reacter and massive water changes. This is assuming that the tank has Nitrates to rid itself of with few fish if any. Have no knowlege if clams are a nitrate producer or consumer. I assume they don't produce much...

What are your plans for your other corals?

Plans for other corals? I have probably 25 sps colonies now, I'll probably break them up and attatch 5 or 6 different one to the pillars and the rest will go.
Clams are natural nitrate filters but I cant find a single study that can say how much they consume only that they do.
My guess with three good size fish and a few other smaller one that N will become a issue. I'm also guessing that the pillars will weigh about 30lbs each, so not much in the way of LR.
Tank is bb and extremely sterile so I dont worry about detritus build up and the columns should stay clean with only about 10,000 gph of flow. So the tunze's are also going.
Denitrification is my only real concern.

Don

 

[DonW]

here you go Don

http://www.spc.int/coastfish/News/Trochus/Trochus8/Trochus8-07.htm

Thanks that will be a big help!!

Don

 

[reeftnk101]

I'm not big on bio-balls, but you can try a bio-ball tower. 5' -6' tall about 12" in diameter and just let the water be gravity fed as it enters the top of the tower down thru the thousands of bio-balls into a sump then pumped back into your tank.
Matt

 

[Maxx]

Clams consume nitrate, so that helps.

Also try a DSB in a bucket. Easy to take offline, easy to set up. effective at removing nitrates.

Nick

 

[MikeS]

I think you'll be fine...as maxx pointed out, clams will uptake nitrate and phosphate...

I'm assuming this will be a BB tank, right? Or do you plan on having a substrate? Actually, with a plan like yours, with lots of clams, a shallow substrate of fairly coarse (2-5mm) material that is easily cleaned might not be a bad idea. Combine that with good flow, heavy skimming, carbon+mechanical filtration and regular water changes and a reasonable bioload, I don't see you having any problems...

MikeS

 

[reeftnk101]

You can also use the Korallin bio denitrator.

http://www.korallin.com/s1501eng.html

Matt

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Don, if and when you decide to part with some of your well fed corals , I am definitely in the market.

 

[DonW]

Don, if and when you decide to part with some of your well fed corals , I am definitely in the market.

Most are already gone. I kept a half dozen sps and am just going to let them grow huge. This way I wont have to keep cutting them back. The caps are the only problem, they want to shade the clams.

reetnk101,
Ive got a geo carx that I may use to remove nitates if need be.


Thanks
Don

 

[Boomer]

Don, look into Autotrophic Columnar Denitrification (ACD) and Heterotrophic Columnar Denitrification (HCD) .

A couple of quicky's for you

A comparison of organic and inorganic carbon controls over biological denitrification in aquaria
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13708636

Nitrate Removal in Closed-System Aquaculture by Columnar
Denitrification
http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/32/6/808.pdf

Biological Denitrification Using Upflow Biofiltration In
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems:
http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/vsgcp/vsgcpc98001/vsgcpc98001_part4.pdf

 

[ecobalance]

the 80's

the way we did it back in tthe good ole days was by putting 50 or 100 ft of airline tubeing in a 5 gallon bucket[coiled up]]and hooking one end to a power head airline hook up and tthe other end in the tank to a venturi,or bubble counter at a rate of aboutt 2 drips per second and wala.Carefull to slow and u end up with anoxic problems.

 

[tasos]

Α remote dsb or the clams will keep your nitrate down, especially in a BB aquarium......A good skimmer will help also!!.Don't be so concerned with the nitrate issue...

 

[MikeS]

I've had no nitrate problems in the BB tank...14 months now...skim...carbon, water changes...no problems...

Mojo said something about BB reeftanks that is by far the best description I can think of...he called it "real-time" reef keeping...excellent description...if you neglect a BB tank, ie water changes, carbon, not enough skimming, ect...you'll have problems...but correcting those problems fixes it fast as well...it's real time...you don't have the biological crutch of a substrate like a DSB....but in the other hand, you are not dealing with the side effects of that either....things happen fast in a BB tank...but can be corrected quickly also...keep that in mind and you'll be fine...

MikeS

 

[DonW]

I've had no nitrate problems in the BB tank...14 months now...skim...carbon, water changes...no problems...

Mojo said something about BB reeftanks that is by far the best description I can think of...he called it "real-time" reef keeping...excellent description...if you neglect a BB tank, ie water changes, carbon, not enough skimming, ect...you'll have problems...but correcting those problems fixes it fast as well...it's real time...you don't have the biological crutch of a substrate like a DSB....but in the other hand, you are not dealing with the side effects of that either....things happen fast in a BB tank...but can be corrected quickly also...keep that in mind and you'll be fine...

MikeS

Not debating BB. We know it works. Its BB without sufficient LR to perform denitrification.

Don

 

[MikeS]

Not debating BB. We know it works. Its BB without sufficient LR to perform denitrification.

Don

Agreed Don, that wasn't my point....amount of LR in the tank is not the issue here...it's doing the other things that make it work...

simply put....less LR = more water changes, more skimming, more carbon, and more attention to water parameters....if you can do that, you'll have no problems at all....

MikeS

 

[DonW]

Agreed Don, that wasn't my point....amount of LR in the tank is not the issue here...it's doing the other things that make it work...

simply put....less LR = more water changes, more skimming, more carbon, and more attention to water parameters....if you can do that, you'll have no problems at all....

MikeS

If I do any more water changes IO needs to give me a office and parking spot.

Don

 

[MikeS]

If I do any more water changes IO needs to give me a office and parking spot.

Don

:lol: "Reserved for Dan....Most Valued Customer...":lol: That bad, huh? Make it up with very agressive skimming and carbon....

I don't have much more wisdom to offer on this...we really need mojo mike's input...I'm sure he'd have a good suggestion....

MikeS