DIY Sulfur Denitrator

[saltydog64]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12644157#post12644157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wizsmaster
Thank You saltydog. I was unaware of that, and my reading was direct. Good to know!

wiz.........Your very welcome and continued good luck with your project.

A quick thought on the LaMotte Nitrate kit, as you know the range(s) on it is : 0.25 0.5 1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 and 10.0 Nitrate-Nitrogen, now your tank @ 0.25 is great, but what do we do when our tanks are outside these ranges ? we can use the LaMotte kit to determine higher Nitrates by simply diluting the sample with Nitrate free water such distilled water, for example let's say our tank water is over 44.0 ppm(the limit of the kit) and we still want use it, what you do is take, for example, 10 cc of the tank water and add 90 cc of distilled water for 100 cc total. You know have a 10% sample, test it, we get let's say 4.0 on scale, to determine actual Nitrate we would do the math... 4.0 X 10 X 4.4 = 176 ppm.

Now keep in mind this procedure is only as accurate as the care taken in the prep of the sample(s) but it works and still allows us to use our LaMotte kits in these higher ranges, hopefully you will never be in that range, but trust me, there are those who are, me for example:mad2: :mad2:

 

[wizsmaster]

Great info - Thanks!

Do you use the full line on LaMotte tests?

I just picked up the Nitrate, Calcium & Alk tests .. have had the Phosphate one for a while.
The Calcium is the only one that stinks, since it needs distilled water for the test.

 

[Steve 926]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12647634#post12647634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steven M
What is the white slime that forms when the reactor is not adjusted right?

I'm sure that you know it is a form of bacteria, which one, is a good guess ?

I noticed that you are mixing the sulfur & ARM media together.
If so, I can only guess that the sulfur, can not act as a full strength biological separate media in mass. The ARM is to buffer the effluent only, & a good chance causing your problem being mixed in with the sulfur.

Doing the research on several commercially sold units, you will find that each media has a separate mass volume within the reactor

JMO, but I think that it is something to consider.

Good Luck

Steve

:smokin:

 

[kcress]

Steve; nice theory. Seems like a good one.

Speaking of theories. I have been thinking on the mush angle. Since all this pelletized sulfur claims to be 99.x% pure I honestly can't see how one can be different from the next. You couldn't put some binder in, for instance and still have that kind of purity.

I think the mush people are getting is because they are allowing the sulfur to move. In short order it grinds itself to mush and that leads to clogged outlets too.

 

[Steve 926]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12652069#post12652069 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kcress
Steve; nice theory. Seems like a good one.

Speaking of theories. I have been thinking on the mush angle. Since all this pelletized sulfur claims to be 99.x% pure I honestly can't see how one can be different from the next. You couldn't put some binder in, for instance and still have that kind of purity.

I think the mush people are getting is because they are allowing the sulfur to move. In short order it grinds itself to mush and that leads to clogged outlets too.

Possible, But I believe that the peletized media is formed under pressure to compact the sulfur to it's size. The compacted media will allow less dispersion & dilution. One reason to using the pelletized media is to prevent chanelling, which seems to be a problem with the LSM media, & the higher rate of dispersion ( melting) with it.

Steve



:smokin:

 

[ReefingBuddha]

I had an interesting extra to throw in. I had a sales rep out with a colorimeter a few weeks ago and one of the only tests she had with her was a sulfide test. I tested my water and the sulfide was through the roof... can't remember the exact amount but enough to significantly worry me. I tested it again a couple of weeks ago after the reactor had been offline for a few weeks and it had dropped significantly.

Just thought I would mention that. Obviously some of the media was making it back into my tank even though it wasn't fluidized and therefore rubbing up against itself.

Just thought i would throw that in there as its something I never test and had the opportunity to.

 

[Steve 926]

What media were you using in you reactor.?



Steve

:smokin:

 

[Bruno3047]

Suilfide in the form that it would exist in the SW aquarium would be in the form of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), the presence of which is accompanied by a distinct smell of rotten eggs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_sulfide

So, unless your house smells of rotton eggs, I wouldn't worry.

Tell your sales rep to throw out the rest of her sulfide test reagents. They're obviously expired.

 

[Black71gp]

so since i added all the new sulfur should I run my recirc pump or not? with out it running i get VERY little gas build up.. with it running I get lots of gas build up???

 

[ReefingBuddha]

aqua medic media

 

[Steven M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12650413#post12650413 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steve 926
I'm sure that you know it is a form of bacteria, which one, is a good guess ?

I noticed that you are mixing the sulfur & ARM media together.
If so, I can only guess that the sulfur, can not act as a full strength biological separate media in mass. The ARM is to buffer the effluent only, & a good chance causing your problem being mixed in with the sulfur.

Doing the research on several commercially sold units, you will find that each media has a separate mass volume within the reactor

JMO, but I think that it is something to consider.

Good Luck

Steve

:smokin:

Thank you. The Sulfur and ARM worked fine in tell the Nitrate went to zero and I did not adjust the reactor. It was my fault for not checking it more often.
Steve M

 

[cb747]

Ok been following this thread for awhile and built my own. I built a set for my friend too. The smaller reactor will be used for calcium media

[/IMG]

 

[pecan2phat]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I read in Carlo's thread that either Seachem Matrix or DeNitrate was acceptable as the colonization media. Has anyone tried the DeNitrate vs the Matrix?

Hey CB747, them puppies look ready to rock

 

[reefplicate]

Steve 926

those are the stuff that will clog and slow down the flow of your reactors..... u should do a overhaul...

cheers

 

[saltydog64]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12652190#post12652190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thirschmann
I had an interesting extra to throw in. I had a sales rep out with a colorimeter a few weeks ago and one of the only tests she had with her was a sulfide test. I tested my water and the sulfide was through the roof... can't remember the exact amount but enough to significantly worry me. I tested it again a couple of weeks ago after the reactor had been offline for a few weeks and it had dropped significantly.

Just thought I would mention that. Obviously some of the media was making it back into my tank even though it wasn't fluidized and therefore rubbing up against itself.

Just thought i would throw that in there as its something I never test and had the opportunity to.

thirschmann............I can't believe your rep. would show up with an out-of-date kit....so be carefull on how you handle your effluent, as your passing thru some form of Sulfide(s), when dj returns I'm sure he will some thought(s) on this matter. One thing you could consider would be pass your effluent over/thru some form of GFC as that will "reduce" sulfides, just a quick thought on this.

 

[cmoresps]

Sweet thread, quick question, I was looking at some of the retail units and noticed certain models have fittings for orp probes. Does anyone know of a thread or article where the relationship of orp to these is outlined? Thinking of building one, and have the probe adapters but no use in using a orp meter if I dont know hoiw to use it, lol!

 

[wizsmaster]

cmoresps,

yes .. there were some references made to the ORP control before the thread split.

Go back of to a page of the thread before it split, scroll down to the bottom & click on SHOW PRINTABLE VERSION (Below the comment submit button) - then on the next loaded page SHOW ALL xxx POSTS ON 1 PAGE. then search for ORP. you should be able to come up with something.

Good Luck.

 

[skippyreef]

Got a little further on my project. I scored the base and that was interesting with the hole saw. There are some scuff marks on the base but nothing that will hinder this from working LOL. I also have the uniseals in place. I am going to use a Eheim I think for this reactor since it is 24" tall.

I am debaing the output right now and I think I can put the effluent before the feed on the pump in line (recirc) and avoid another hole in the reactor body.

 

[Bruno3047]

The information about ORP can be found on page 7 in the instruction booklet for the Aqua-Medic Nitrate Reductor here:

http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/docs/Nitrate_Reductor_1000.pdf

Says that the ORP inside the reactor should be maintained at -50mv to -250mv, which is in contrast to the aquarium, which should be somewhere between +200mv to +400mv.

If it falls below -250, all nitrate has been consumed and you begin to get that rotten egg smell as the bacteria begins to break down the sulfur instead of NO3. This is when you increase flow rate.

If it rises above -50, then the bacterial cycle is incomplete and you start to get NO2. This is when you decrease the flow rate.

The Aqua-medic Nitrate reductors use a different media than the sulfur de-nitrators, but the principal is the same.

They are also the ones that supply an access for thier ORP probe, which is great, except I think the Aqua-medic ORP unit cost around $350.

Hope this helps.

 

[skippyreef]

Here they are again The one with the wider base is the Nitrate reactor in progress. Tommorow I need to get teh parts to plumb it. I have an Eheim pump that I am going to use for the recirc.