coil denitrator

[outy]

i built my own out of 30' of 1/4" drip irragation tubing and a orange juice bottle now fitted with a plexiglass top and filled with bioballs.

my ? the bottle is clear should i paint it? the unit sits in my basement next to my sump only lit with a 90W light i dought enough light will get to it to grow algea. just curious if anyone else has a clear coil denitrator

 

[WarDaddy]

interesting, I have one sitting in my garage that I built.. I am wondering if I should use it.

I have not seen one mention of a Coil Denitrator here, so I was wondering if they are worth running. I am considering placing it on my Sea Horse tank, seeing it does not have a sump.

Here is a pic of mine... Almost 50ft of 1/4" tubing inside it.

I made 3, one is on a fresh water tank, It seems to work, one is at a friends and I have the 3rd sitting.

Anyone else use these?

 

[douggiestyle]

i do. cant say i noticed any difference for about six months or so. from what ive gleamed off the net that is normal. i have not done a water change in over a year. i do add suplements. must admit that ive seen better looking tanks, but there are far more that are worse. everything is healthy and growing. only one casualty in that time period, a star fish.

i used 100' of 1/4" pex tubing. and 2 gallons of bio balls my drip rate is about 3 drips per second and i route the drips over a marine land commercial bio-wheel.

the lazy mans reef.

 

[douggiestyle]

i would think that a clear denitrator would defeat the purpose. the idea is to remove all the oxygen from the water so that anoxic bacteria can break down the nitrates. thats the idea behind the long tubing. if you had a clear container with algae growing in it, the algae would produce oxygen.

 

[h2joe]

ok sorry i cant help (not trying to hijack) but could someone please explain how to build one of these? im wanting to built one but i would like some insight into the purpose and what materials are needed.

 

[douggiestyle]

this was my source.

http://www.aloha.net/~hqf/indexdondenitrator.htm

 

[WarDaddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6524906#post6524906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douggiestyle
this was my source.

http://www.aloha.net/~hqf/indexdondenitrator.htm

I used the same source for mine. I tapped the output of my main pump to power my coil. I drip about 5 a secon on my ciclid tank, and I have now ntrate issues.

Now to hook it into the seahoarse tank.

 

[douggiestyle]

african cichlids?

anyways i would love to find someway to test this things true effectiveness. i guess if i could introduce a known quantity of nitrate into the thing and then with a known quantity of water. then calculate what the ppm of nitrate should be and compare that to the actual results.

 

[outy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6522091#post6522091 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douggiestyle
i would think that a clear denitrator would defeat the purpose. the idea is to remove all the oxygen from the water so that anoxic bacteria can break down the nitrates. thats the idea behind the long tubing. if you had a clear container with algae growing in it, the algae would produce oxygen.

with no light and this unit is in the dark and 5' away from a 90w floodlight i dont think algea will grow and i know it wont grow in the tubing part with no oxygen. I want to see the color change in the tubing from the oxygen rich part and the the good bacteria. maybe ill paint the half facing the residual light

 

[reverendmaynard]

Put the whole thing in a colored tote or something.

 

[douggiestyle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6527694#post6527694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reverendmaynard
Put the whole thing in a colored tote or something.

yeah put in a black garbage bag or something.

 

[WarDaddy]

yea africans...
Theory is the same as in Salt water...anorobic bacteria that consume the nitrate relase nitrogen.

It seems to work. I have not had any nitrate issues, and only do waterchanges every blue moon.

 

[MayoBoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6524539#post6524539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by h2joe
ok sorry i cant help (not trying to hijack) but could someone please explain how to build one of these? im wanting to built one but i would like some insight into the purpose and what materials are needed.

Also do a search on Remote Deep Sand Bed. 2 bulkheads, a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of sand.

 

[douggiestyle]

cant find anything on remote deep sand bed

 

[JimW]

Good thread on RDSB.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=595109

 

[BeanAnimal]

There are some very good coil threads here at RC. RSMAN is the guy to talk to.

 

[hahnmeister]

WarDaddy, are those brass fittings on those denitrators of yours? You know those are a no-no, right?

 

[NCreefwannabe]

rdsb doesnt work that well with such a small size. its not even worth buying the sand for if its only in a 5 gallon bucket. You should also have more tubing in there. At least 75-100 feet.

I mean they only take a few hours to make lol. and thats only from coiling the damn tube...