DIY Natureef Style Denitrator Build and Data thread...
- Thread starter mrx66699
- Start date
mrx66699
New member
Thanks bill it came out better than I thought it would ....just don't like where I was going to install it ....think I will build a stand tomorrow at the end of the sump by my frag tank ....
Kids don't try this at home ...nothing a couple stitches won't fix...this crap can be sharp ...
Last edited:
bmanzie
New member
I think you should tear down that wall and go back a little further. Lol
mpfeiffer1
New member
Looking great...Excited about seeing the data as it unfolds. Stupid question but I will ask, "Why eggcrate?" I understand that you need to have some surface media to grow the bacteria but wouldn't the 90 angles make it difficult to flush without some type of buildup in the poor flow areas. Just curious...
Josh40996
New member
Built the stand to sit at the end of my system instead of on the side ....now it sits next to my frag tank with just as easy access .....almost there after thus location changes setback..
Drain hard plumbed .....
And it will drain into the back of my skimmer chamber ....
looking good, is it operational now?
mrx66699
New member
yes it is now operational will be seeding it with bacteria from another today.....
yes I have a diagram....some of the pics are through photobucket and others are through tapatalk so not sure why you can see them ....and for a 200 gal system you would only need 5-15 gal at the most
mrx66699
New member
lol ahh ok I will take some more pictures tonight of the inside chamber....it is one large chamber that has the eggcrate in the middle as a place for the bacteria to grow on....each set of eggcrate has a spacer in between the next set ...as bacteria start to grow it will start to clog up the eggcrate and you do not want the slow flow inside the chamber to have dead spots where the water is not circulating ....I just made the spacers out of 1.5 pvc cut to 1.5 in each and placed them between to act as a spacer then everything is zip tied together .....also the eggcrate has to be positioned so that it can not float up as nitrogen gas is produced in the reaction taking place in the chamber so some of these are cut just to fit all the way to the top and hold the entire amount of the eggcrate in place...
Josh40996
New member
Sorry for being a pest but I have a question. 
Are you using power heads inside the chamber to keep the water circulating? My understanding is that the bacteria responsible for converting Nitrate into Nitrogen gas are anaerobic? If so, how do you lower the O2 levels fast enough for there to be enough time for the bacteria to do their thing before the next batch of oxygen/nitrate loaded water comes in?
Does the presence of O2 in the fresh (salt) water not kill of the bacteria?
I understand that this is a proven method of Nitrate Removal so I must be going wrong somewhere
Thanks.
Are you using power heads inside the chamber to keep the water circulating? My understanding is that the bacteria responsible for converting Nitrate into Nitrogen gas are anaerobic? If so, how do you lower the O2 levels fast enough for there to be enough time for the bacteria to do their thing before the next batch of oxygen/nitrate loaded water comes in?
Does the presence of O2 in the fresh (salt) water not kill of the bacteria?
I understand that this is a proven method of Nitrate Removal so I must be going wrong somewhere
Thanks.
mrx66699
New member
Sorry for being a pest but I have a question.
Are you using power heads inside the chamber to keep the water circulating? My understanding is that the bacteria responsible for converting Nitrate into Nitrogen gas are anaerobic? If so, how do you lower the O2 levels fast enough for there to be enough time for the bacteria to do their thing before the next batch of oxygen/nitrate loaded water comes in?
Does the presence of O2 in the fresh (salt) water not kill of the bacteria?
I understand that this is a proven method of Nitrate Removal so I must be going wrong somewhere
Thanks.
Please ask away .....You are on the right track ....water circulation is needed but not surface tension introducing more o2 ...power heads are ok but more of a flow is needed than a push....koralia style pumps seem to work best although a maxijet in the first few months will work fine but eventually will clog up .....the bacteria will feed on the o2 rather than the nitrate as explained to me which is an easier process for them so if its present they will not work as efficiently for you and its this feeding on the nitrate that is what we are seeking so introduction of o2 is not a wanted result...o2's presence in the water is not killing the bacteria only slowing it but exposure to o2 will kill the bacteria as explained to me....Dr Thompson could prolly do a better job of explaining this than I can, he was over last night and said he would be putting up some information today that will help with some of the chemistry questions....
on another note we are operational as of last night and the seed bacteria was introduced, flush time measured which this 30 gal chamber being feed with a mag 7 through some short 1/2 in plumbing runs took 5:20, 1 in drain located just at the top of the chamber gravity release back into the sump worked flawlessly and best of all no leeks unless if we count when doc lifted the maxijet out of the water to adjust it and it sprayed him lol
mrx66699
New member
Another note on the build
1st .....I haddent noticed until upon further review last night the feed pipe would be nice if it feed the incoming water on the bottom of the chamber but this will cause a back syphon when the timed pump shuts off so the pipe will need to be positioned with a release just above the desired water level in the chamber (I had to adjust this) so it has no back syphon
2nd.....the drain coming back into the sump should be positioned right about the water level near your skimmer return as the water returning back to the system will be depleted of 02 as was discussed in the above post....but dont have the return pipe in the water as no added back pressure is desired and o2 is desired upon return to the system
1st .....I haddent noticed until upon further review last night the feed pipe would be nice if it feed the incoming water on the bottom of the chamber but this will cause a back syphon when the timed pump shuts off so the pipe will need to be positioned with a release just above the desired water level in the chamber (I had to adjust this) so it has no back syphon
2nd.....the drain coming back into the sump should be positioned right about the water level near your skimmer return as the water returning back to the system will be depleted of 02 as was discussed in the above post....but dont have the return pipe in the water as no added back pressure is desired and o2 is desired upon return to the system
mrx66699
New member
Maxijet or similar in chamber flow pump runs 24/7 for continual circulation....mag 7 filling running wide open and it took 5 min 20 sec to fill ....I am going to set my controller to power on this pump for close to 4 times this amount for the flush that will ensure almost a 100% flush of the chamber before the next cycle would start
Josh40996
New member
Please ask away .....You are on the right track ....water circulation is needed but not surface tension introducing more o2 ...power heads are ok but more of a flow is needed than a push....koralia style pumps seem to work best although a maxijet in the first few months will work fine but eventually will clog up .....the bacteria will feed on the o2 rather than the nitrate as explained to me which is an easier process for them so if its present they will not work as efficiently for you and its this feeding on the nitrate that is what we are seeking so introduction of o2 is not a wanted result...o2's presence in the water is not killing the bacteria only slowing it but exposure to o2 will kill the bacteria as explained to me....Dr Thompson could prolly do a better job of explaining this than I can, he was over last night and said he would be putting up some information today that will help with some of the chemistry questions....
on another note we are operational as of last night and the seed bacteria was introduced, flush time measured which this 30 gal chamber being feed with a mag 7 through some short 1/2 in plumbing runs took 5:20, 1 in drain located just at the top of the chamber gravity release back into the sump worked flawlessly and best of all no leeks unless if we count when doc lifted the maxijet out of the water to adjust it and it sprayed him lol
Ahh, I am on the same wavelength now. Thank you.
That was my next question about not cycling the same batch of water.
Keep up the good work.Similar threads
