DIY Sulfur Denitrator
- Thread starter djfrankie
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zachtos
Active member
Post a photo of your design maybe that will help us.
-Are you recirculating the water?
-Is the ph of the effluent lower then your tank?
-Did you check the nitrites at the start and see a change in nitrite?
-does it smell a bit like burning sulfur in the effluent? Maybe your rate is too low and it isn't getting enough food. I have 4L of meida and have a flow rate way higher then 1 drop/sec, more like 500ml/min!
1scienceguy
New member
pH will be lower on the effluent side. The different between the in and out will help diagnose the efficiency/functioning of the reactor.
saltydog64
New member
asch803-It does matter, as scienceguy stated, it will you a "rough' idea what's going on in side, for example if your tank is pH 8.3 than you would except a big drop to say..pH 7.3. Now as your's is setup as single reactor w /ARM some "acidifying" by the sulfur will be offset by the ARM, but overal it should be will below the tank pH, are you hooked to your tank ? What is the Nitrite reading out of your unit ? and finally what was your orginal tank Nitrates? DON'T give up as I'm having the same problems along with VERY high Nitrites, like +20ppm(not hooked up to tank) and I'm using the LSM media. I don't think it's the media, just our percicular tank(s), some get it within 4 or 5 days, some like you and me it's going weeks not days....In some way I hope this helps...
Dick
1scienceguy
New member
Hang in there buddy. All these issues are cycles that can be dealt with and eventually evened out. I know that this does not seem like much of a consolation but if there is one thing this hobby continually reinforces in my life it is patience.
Keep the numbers and questions coming and we'll keep helping!
Keep the numbers and questions coming and we'll keep helping!
saltydog64
New member
scienceguy- Excellant point(s), having just rechecked MY pH's see what you think: 4 days ago pH 6.67, 3rd day pH 6.66, 2nd day pH 7.01 and today pH 7.18(all readings out of the sulfur reactor, no ARM), unit has approx. 6" LSM sulfur setting on top of 9" Matrix then drips into a 2nd unit filled ARM. Think the increasing pH indicates a concern with the sulfur??? Also could you or anyone shed some light on the VERY high Nitrites...My Nitrates at the start where VERY, like +100ppm Nitrate'N'....
THX for your thoughts in advance.
Dick
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
And I thought making a reactor out of my old eheim 2217 and $5 was clever... these are very cool. I havent even seen this thread until the TOTM nomination, but glad I didnt miss it. Great work guys.
1scienceguy
New member
The way I understand it, with a sulfur reactor, the pH will drop (become more acidic). The concern would come into play if the pH was creeping toward the 9's on the pH scale.
Someone please double check me here:
Without getting into the chemistry lesson, in anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) nitrates are converted to nitrite and eventually to nitrogen gas. If the reaction is short lived, meaning the reaction does not finish, then the effluent goes into the tank and gets converted back to nitrates. The idea of the SLOW flow is to get the reaction to completion (nitrogen gas) but not to the the hydrogen sulfide production. If the nitrites do enter the tank, the aerobic bacteria convert the nitrites back to nitrates and the process continues.
I really hate to say it but a product like (Seachem) Prime and a 30% water change to knock down the levels and try to get things under control. I know there are differing opinions on chemical sequestering.
Someone please double check me here:
Without getting into the chemistry lesson, in anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) nitrates are converted to nitrite and eventually to nitrogen gas. If the reaction is short lived, meaning the reaction does not finish, then the effluent goes into the tank and gets converted back to nitrates. The idea of the SLOW flow is to get the reaction to completion (nitrogen gas) but not to the the hydrogen sulfide production. If the nitrites do enter the tank, the aerobic bacteria convert the nitrites back to nitrates and the process continues.
I really hate to say it but a product like (Seachem) Prime and a 30% water change to knock down the levels and try to get things under control. I know there are differing opinions on chemical sequestering.
Thanks to all for the great info on this thread !!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO "DJFRANKIE" FOR ALL OF HIS EFFORTS
:thumbsup:
TOTM is well deserved & has been voted for :dance:
I would like to build a smaller version of this for my 50 gal.
My plan was to use 2 phosban reactors, one with a rec. pump & added JG valves, the other with the ARM media.
Is there a formula for the amount of sulphur media to use per gal. of water ? Will I need to use a lower rec. gph. pump ( Mj 400 ~ MJ 600 ) instead of the MJ 1200.
Would the ARM reactor benefit with an rec. pump also, or is this just over kill.
Thanks for a reply
Steve
:smokin:
A SPECIAL THANKS TO "DJFRANKIE" FOR ALL OF HIS EFFORTS
:thumbsup:
TOTM is well deserved & has been voted for :dance:
I would like to build a smaller version of this for my 50 gal.
My plan was to use 2 phosban reactors, one with a rec. pump & added JG valves, the other with the ARM media.
Is there a formula for the amount of sulphur media to use per gal. of water ? Will I need to use a lower rec. gph. pump ( Mj 400 ~ MJ 600 ) instead of the MJ 1200.
Would the ARM reactor benefit with an rec. pump also, or is this just over kill.
Thanks for a reply
Steve
:smokin:
Paul_PSU
In Memoriam
It starts out with ammonia that it used as food by bacteria and converted to Nitrites which is used by other bacteria and converted to Nitrates. The Nitrates are then converted by bacteria to Nitrogen gas. It is the last step that is occuring in the denitrator. The bacteria that convert Nitrates to Nitrogen gas only occupy oxygen poor areas. The key to the reactor is the lack of oxygen that help this bacteria thrive by maintaing very low flow and degasing to remove any gas build up. There are some quick fixes that like you mention, but the idea of the reactor is to be able to feed the tanks inhabitants more, do LESS water changes and still maintain a Nitrate level around 0. After the reactor is functioning properly, there really isn't much cost involved due to the life of the media.
Paul
Paul
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The amount of acid produced, and therefore the amount of calcium media dissolved, will depend on the amount of nitrates that the reactor is processing. If you have a large tank, but your nitrates are just trace, this system wont do much to buffer the system. If you have a small tank with constantly high nitrates though, then the acid production by the bacteria will be much higher, and you get more 'buffer'.
Ive always thought that this system would be great for a clam prop tank... dose ammonium nitrate right into the reactor to feed it and dissolve media and the clams will soak up the rest (clams in the pacific farms get barrels of ammonia nitrate dumped into their runs to boost their growth.
Ive always thought that this system would be great for a clam prop tank... dose ammonium nitrate right into the reactor to feed it and dissolve media and the clams will soak up the rest (clams in the pacific farms get barrels of ammonia nitrate dumped into their runs to boost their growth.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
If nitrate goes down too fast it could stress the inhabitants? I have never heard that, nor can I imagine how that could be true. Perhaps there is some other side effect of some rapid nitrate reduction methods that causes stress, but removing a toxin/poison TOO fast doesnt seem to make sense.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
If nitrate goes down too fast it could stress the inhabitants? I have never heard that, nor can I imagine how that could be true. Perhaps there is some other side effect of some rapid nitrate reduction methods that causes stress, but removing a toxin/poison TOO fast doesnt seem to make sense.
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