DIY Sulfur Denitrator

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I dont know if it is ok to link it but I will and if it is a violation the moderators will remove it. I got mine on Ebay and someone else I know did as well. The quality of the tubing is good (it is extruded but I am not going to be shooting at it or slamming it around) and it was only 68.00 shipped for 3-24" pieces (they cut the 6' length for me). It is 6"OD tubing.

I bought the flanges from MRC and they cost me more than the tubing :) but the quality is there and they are the keyhole lids. I did not want to skimp on that part at all because a water tight lid is pretty important :)

http://stores.ebay.com/All-Acrylics-LLC_Round-Tubes_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ3QQftidZ2QQtZkm
 
Hope i dont detract from the thread too much but has anyone ran the media without any mods in a phosban reactor? I know there is no degassing ability but could you compensate for this by taking it off line every couple of days and just opening it up? I understand the advantages of doing these mods but would it be the end of the world if i tried this without any mods on the PB reactor? Has anyone tried this? Please post your experiences.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12557019#post12557019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Solitaryensis
Hope i dont detract from the thread too much but has anyone ran the media without any mods in a phosban reactor? I know there is no degassing ability but could you compensate for this by taking it off line every couple of days and just opening it up? I understand the advantages of doing these mods but would it be the end of the world if i tried this without any mods on the PB reactor? Has anyone tried this? Please post your experiences.
Click to expand...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1288082&perpage=25&pagenumber=29

djfrankie
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12557019#post12557019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Solitaryensis
Hope i dont detract from the thread too much but has anyone ran the media without any mods in a phosban reactor? I know there is no degassing ability but could you compensate for this by taking it off line every couple of days and just opening it up? I understand the advantages of doing these mods but would it be the end of the world if i tried this without any mods on the PB reactor? Has anyone tried this? Please post your experiences.
Click to expand...

Without the extended return line in the reactor, the gas will build up in the top of the cap, & eventually stop the drip / flow rate.
simply unscrewing the cap will add more air / gas to the top of it.
Both mods are necessary for it to operate trouble free.

If you design something to improve it, PLS share it with us :D

Steve

:smokin:
 
ok so mine has been running wide open for a while now and I tested my nitrates and they are around 3-5.

I slowed my flow back down to 3 dps and the effluent readings went back to zero and I started getting gas buildup again.

Should I just leave the flow slower or should I add more sulphur?
 
Hello everyone. Just set up my Korallin calcium reactor as a denitrator. Its been running at 1 drop per second for about 24 hours. Tested my effluent and like photos posted by IBASSFISH back in February, both nitrates and nitrites are off the scale. Is this what I should expect after 1 day? No one really responded negatively to the February pics I mentioned so I'm wondering if this is good or bad. Thanks, Mark
 
Thanks Jarrod. I knew I had to give it a few days or so but wasn't quite sure if the nitrites were supposed to be part of the cycling process or if I botched something up. :confused: Looks like I'm on the right track then. pH effluent is 7.8. Thanks also to DJ Frankie for the time and getting this thing going. Mark
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12471093#post12471093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Black71gp
ya in the reactor.. the display they stay the same around 60-70.. reactor 0 then if i up it after a few days they are up to like 10-20.. so then i slow it back down... so we shall see.. nitrite is 0
Click to expand...

Jarrod--------- I have been following your progress and I am interested in some of your tests and your hookup, for example are you getting 0 Nitirtes out of the of SR or your tank??? and is your SR hooked up to your tank ??.

I ask because, while I have not posted recently, I do still follow this great thread, why? because dj's methods work !!!

I noticed your high tank Nitrates as I to struggle in this area and still mine as not cylced hooked to my tank, but NOT the effluent, as it discharges into a bucket which I dump every 2 or 3 days, a nice slow water change don't you think :mixed:

If hooked to your very large system I would think there is no way for Nitrites to showup, except as Nitrates, as the tank bio instantly converts it. Let me or us know know of your updates.

Thanks
 
hey...

just getting on to update.. the water coming out of my SR will be at 0 nitrate ONLY if i run it at 1dps.. anything faster than that and the nitrates coming out are around 10-20... tank nitrates are still 60-80. 4 L of bio matix.. 2L of sulfur.. mag 3 recirc pump.. about to shut it down and take it off line.. i will just have to live with the crazy high nitrates.. there is nothing i can do to take it down.. tried the vodka... nope.. now this isnt really working either.. hopefully things will get better though...
 
Jarrod,

that is pretty crazy. I'll go out & measure my effluent in terms of volume ... but my nitrates have been 0 ... and i'm running quiet a bit of flow through the reactor.
 
DJ, et al, can you give me some info on this ? TIA!

"Operational Question...
How does the acid production affect the process? I am wondering if it would be better to have the Carbonate media only in the effluent, rather than inside the recirculating unit.

Does the acid production make the unit turn sour faster, or do the bacteria "work" better in the lower pH environment? Would the unit process Nitrate slower or faster at lower pH?

This may have been covered before, I just want to be sure I fully understand the proccess to build a great reactor"
 
I'm currently running approximately 300 ML /min on the effluent side. If my math is correct, thats 18 Liters /hour, or about 5.3 Gal /hour. on my approximately 500-550 Gal system
 
Jarrod,

15 lbs of Sulfur = 6.8 Liter
5 Lbs of aragonite
1 Lbs of large schuran style media

I just tested again,

My Effluent is ZERO on the reactor, and between 0 - 2.5 for the tank ... Red Sea test kit.
 
SulfurDenitrator-1.jpg


Jarrod,

I found your post over on MASM ... Do you have access to more sulfur media?
I'm running almost 7 Liters of sulfur media ... on a tank 1/2 the size of yours. If I was you, i'd start with doubling - tripling the amount of sulfur media. Even if you trippled, you'd still be short of where i'm at.
 
btw .. here is a picture of my unit ... next to it for comparison .. a 160 gal salt mix (reef crystals)

IMG_5118.JPG


The following are my test results:

Left are TANK | Right are Effluent
IMG_5111_001.JPG
 
first time I've got to take pictures ... in a while!

this is the reason for why you should run a PRE-FILTER to the sulfur reactor ... this one used to be WHITE .. about a month & 1/2 ago.
IMG_5113.JPG


IMG_5115.JPG
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12580469#post12580469 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
DJ, et al, can you give me some info on this ? TIA!
Click to expand...

"Operational Question...
How does the acid production affect the process? I am wondering if it would be better to have the Carbonate media only in the effluent, rather than inside the recirculating unit.

My preference will be to run the aragonite in a separate reactor. Even running the effluent through a calcium reactor will provide some benefit and maybe you can create and all in one unit.

Does the acid production make the unit turn sour faster, or do the bacteria "work" better in the lower pH environment? Would the unit process Nitrate slower or faster at lower pH?

I don't understand what you mean from turning sour faster, but I'll answer the second questions though.

T. denitrificans, the bacteria we're all dealing with here, is more dependent upon temperature than pH. Studies have shown the optimum pH ranges from 7-9. They have been found living in pH ranges from (1.0-10.5) so I don't think the pH we deal with in our aquariums will really make any difference in their effectiveness.

Here's some reference if you'd like to do some reading:

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/chagedor/biol_4684/Cycles/Soxidat.html

http://genome.jgi-psf.org/finished_microbes/thide/thide.home.html

This may have been covered before, I just want to be sure I fully understand the proccess to build a great reactor"

I built one out of PVC and it works wonderful :D

Can't wait to see what you'll come up with. You can always send one my way to be tested :eek:

Let me know if this helps you out?

djfrankie
 
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