DIY Sulfur Denitrator
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
I've read through this thread from the beginning and I must congratulate everyone who has successfully built and run one of these DJ Denitrators, and wish better future results to those with a little less luck. Hang in there.
And, of course, props to djfrankie for starting this thread and knowing exactly what he wanted to accomplish and how to go about it, right from the start.
And, also of course, I have a few questions.
Steve 926 - I think your design will work beautifully in my soon-to-be 60-gallon set-up. Can you offer any details at all, beyond the pics that you already posted, that could help me duplicate your model?
djfrankie - First, thanks again for sharing your brainstorm with us.
So you now have the unit running with no recirc pump, just the flow from your tap-in from your return pump.
What do you think the consequences would be if a unit, built out of a phos-ban reactor with just a gas release valve out of the top and a return outlet an inch or two below were allowed to run on a newly set up system with no recirc pump?
There would be no urgency to get the unit cycled so I'm wondering if the recirc pump would be necessary in this case.
I understand, of course, that I would have to wait until my tank was fully cycle through the nitrification process before adding the DJDenitrator so the bacteria would have food to proliferate.
Any help would be much appreciated
.
And, of course, props to djfrankie for starting this thread and knowing exactly what he wanted to accomplish and how to go about it, right from the start.
And, also of course, I have a few questions.
Steve 926 - I think your design will work beautifully in my soon-to-be 60-gallon set-up. Can you offer any details at all, beyond the pics that you already posted, that could help me duplicate your model?
djfrankie - First, thanks again for sharing your brainstorm with us.
So you now have the unit running with no recirc pump, just the flow from your tap-in from your return pump.
What do you think the consequences would be if a unit, built out of a phos-ban reactor with just a gas release valve out of the top and a return outlet an inch or two below were allowed to run on a newly set up system with no recirc pump?
There would be no urgency to get the unit cycled so I'm wondering if the recirc pump would be necessary in this case.
I understand, of course, that I would have to wait until my tank was fully cycle through the nitrification process before adding the DJDenitrator so the bacteria would have food to proliferate.
Any help would be much appreciated
.
djfrankie
In Memoriam
I'm assuming, correct me if I'm wrong, that you will be installing this sulfur reactor in a new system with zero or very low nitrates form the get go.
I think if you start it off this way you shouldn't need a recirculation pump. Please wait until your tank has completely cycled before adding the sulfur reactor into the equation.
Again this is totally dependent on individual systems as no one system is identical to the next. Your bioload, feeding habits and maintance schedule will dictate wether you will need to add one later on or not.
There is a big difference between bringing nitrate levels down in an old mature tank and just "maintaining" them low in a new setup.
I have currently removed the unit from my tank since I wanted to experiment a little further with it.
For example, I wanted to check:
1- How well the midwestaquatic media was holding up inside the reactor. (excellent)
2- Check exactly how much bacterial slime was accumulated in there as well. (very little no none)
3- Keep and eye and document how fast my nitrate levels start accumulating now that the unit is off. (in progress)
4- See how long it will take to cycle the unit when installed back into the system now that the media has been washed and stored in a sealed container. (not tested yet)
Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
djfrankie
djfrankie
In Memoriam
Thanks for the info...that's what I suspected with Lamotte.
Again...nitrites will interfere with all nitrate test kits since they all convert nitrite to nitrates first. This should not be a concern with a tank that has already cycle, but it will be evident while "cycling" a sulfur reactor, as others have already noticed.
djfrankie
Thanks much for your response, DJ.
Yes, the tank will be a new set-up.
I have one other quick question. With no recirc pump, is the valve on the out-gas necessary? Could I just install a 6" or so piece of rigid airline tubing out the top of the unit to de-gas continuously?
In this way, I could use the input and outputs on the phos-ban unit as they are. I welcome your thoughts.
TIA
I'm tagging alon to seee how your
Yes, the tank will be a new set-up.
I have one other quick question. With no recirc pump, is the valve on the out-gas necessary? Could I just install a 6" or so piece of rigid airline tubing out the top of the unit to de-gas continuously?
In this way, I could use the input and outputs on the phos-ban unit as they are. I welcome your thoughts.
TIA
I'm tagging alon to seee how your
interesting. when I though my nitrates were 0 on the API kit I tested it with my seachem kit and it showed 2-4.
Seems like for 10 and under the seachem is better, and 10 and over the API is better.
But even with the seachem kit anything between .5-2 is hard to read.
Man I hate color charts, must increase income and get digital testers
wizsmaster
Moved On
LaMotte makes a sweet digital field tester ... tests up to 16 different parameters i think
wizsmaster
Moved On
Thank You saltydog. I was unaware of that, and my reading was direct. Good to know!
skippyreef
New member
COngrats Reef_only!!!
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