DIY Sulfur Denitrator

[Plankt0s]

I really need to ban myself from these DIY forums. I have wayyy too many DIY projects going right now and I think that I have to try this too.

 

[Lonnie]

Here is my info

220gal tank
300gal total capacity
40ppm tank nitrates

Reactor has 2.75lb sulfur (Midwest Aquatics)
8lb aragonite (Tropic Eden)
Eheim 1048 pump

It would do 1 drop/sec, then 2 etc & recovered quickly.
Worked up to about 30ml/min flow & then it refused to zero out.
(you can read my previous posts in this thread for more info)

From what I have read atleast 15gal/day should be possible from this reactor, but I could not get over 10gal/day.

Effluent seems to be clouding the tank... even though it has been running for 2 weeks now.

I put a second together & it is currently running at low flow as well.
Now I have 2 units going at 2 drips per second at zero readings. Should I wait a few days before I increase flow?

 

[Black71gp]

well shoot.. i paid so much attention to getting my reactor going forgot what to do when it gets cloudy.. noticed the tank getting cloudy and since mine is acrylic i can see in and it is really cloudy.. that means i have too much sulfur now that the tank is down right.. so can i just open it up and pull out some sulfur and get it going again? maybe with out the recirc pump on? less effective.. any other thoughs as what to do once the tank drops and the reactor becomes cloudy.. also noticed i am getting more brown film algea than before.. all other parameters test in fine..

I still cane believe how awesome these things work!!! best peice of equipment i could have ever put on my tank....

 

[tmz]

I zeroed out a low drip rates and gradually pushed it up to 15 liters per hour with 3 liters of sulfur( about 7 lbs). It didn't zero out at the high number but stayed under 20ppm with the550gal system over 50ppm. After about 2 weeks the system is at less than 5ppm and the reactor is at 0 or near zero and still pushing 15 liters per hour.

 

[rpmof78]

3 days at 1 dps and Nitrates are at 0 out of the reactor, just pushed it up to 2 dps :thumbsup:

 

[siskiou]

Same thing here, 0 at 1 dps, dialed up to two.

I'll have to leave it at that for a while, because I'm flying to Germany on Friday, and have to leave my husband and daughter to guard the tanks.

I assume it's okay to leave it running at a slow drip for a couple of weeks, and then pick up the adjustment again?

 

[tmz]

That could be a problem. The bacteria will likely keep multiplying and exhaust the oxygen and the nitrate creating an oxygen free enivronment in which the bacteria will use sulfide instead of oxygen creating hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that smells like rotten eggs.

 

[siskiou]

Yikes!
So it should definitely be run at full capacity?

I'm gone for two weeks. Would the nitrate coming in from a 120G tank be exhausted that quickly?

 

[tmz]

It's not what's coming in from the tank; it's the low flow and bacterial growth happily eating the sulfur and consuming the oxygen which would likely lead to an anoxic condition.

You stated you wanted to let it run at a slow drip for two weeks. Mine has 3 liters of sulfur. It's been running 5x that( ie 15 liters of effluent or 1500ml per hour) for the last several weeks. The reactor effluent is at zero and the 550gallon system which is well fed is near zero but with a faint tint of orange.I don't have to degas it because the nitrogen gas comes right out with the effluent at the higher flow rate. If your tank ran out of nitrate and the reactor was running fast,the bacteria would consume sulfur and take it to ammonia and then nitrite and then nitrate.

I would either shut it down or push it up to a flow around 3 to 5 times your sulfur volume. If I left it running for 2 weeks at a minimum I would pass the effluent over or through some gfo which should reduce any sulfides that may form to non toxic elemental sulfur.I'm going away for a week in April and still haven't decided wether I'll shut it down or take a chance.

 

[siskiou]

Thanks!

If I shut it down for 2 weeks, will I be able to leave the media in the reactor, or should I take it out?

 

[saltydog64]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14592229#post14592229 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by siskiou
Thanks!

If I shut it down for 2 weeks, will I be able to leave the media in the reactor, or should I take it out?

sis..........

Been following this right along.............I think shuting it down would be your best bet, why burden your hubby with it. If you do you must remove your media(s) rinse thoughly with RO water and set a side for your return. Actually you re-cycled your's in less than 3 days (the start to where you're about to inc. FR) so restarting should be no biggie......have a safe trip and post on your return.........good luck !!!!!!!

Dick

 

[90g-reefer]

I have followed this thread and am going to start building my reactor but I have one question I cant seem to get answered. My 90 gallon setup runs on a Tunze reef pack so I don't use a sump. I know how I am going to get the water to the reactor but how do I get it back to the tank? I am looking at a 3.5 - 4' rise back to the tank. Can I put a small pump on the outflow and just restrict the flow?

 

[siskiou]

Well, I'm glad I asked!
Have taken the reactor offline and will start again when I'm back home!

It was easy and painless, so no big deal.

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14597425#post14597425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 90g-reefer
I have followed this thread and am going to start building my reactor but I have one question I cant seem to get answered. My 90 gallon setup runs on a Tunze reef pack so I don't use a sump. I know how I am going to get the water to the reactor but how do I get it back to the tank? I am looking at a 3.5 - 4' rise back to the tank. Can I put a small pump on the outflow and just restrict the flow?

I don't think a pump on the outflow would work very well. If the reactor is fed from the tank, the effluent should flow back to that height without a pump on the outflow; I think. Try it out with an empty canister first.

 

[swampthing]

After i run one of these for a long time, what effects can I expect to see on my system other than low nitrates. Is this something that I use and take off? Or keep running? Please let me know what to expect long term?

 

[tmz]

It will lower alkalinity and ph since the effluent is low ph. This may require some added baked baking soda and/or limewaer dosing.Sulfate will be added to your aquarium but since there is already 2700ppm in sea water the effect is likely insignificant.

If the reactor runs out of oxygen and/or nitrate as in low flow situations anoxic areas may form in the reactor and bacteria may create hydrogen sulfide which is toxic. Wether or not it runs long term or short term depends on the amount of nitrate introduced into your tank via feeding ,etc and your willingness to manage the ph and alkalinity. As long as the tank is not 0 nitrate,I intend to keep running mine and to feed the tank well. I'm trying to strike a balnce between feeding and nitrate export to keep system nitrates between 1 and 5ppm.

 

[swampthing]

Great thank you!!!

 

[tmz]

You are welcome.

 

[NCNBilly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14597425#post14597425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 90g-reefer
I have followed this thread and am going to start building my reactor but I have one question I cant seem to get answered. My 90 gallon setup runs on a Tunze reef pack so I don't use a sump. I know how I am going to get the water to the reactor but how do I get it back to the tank? I am looking at a 3.5 - 4' rise back to the tank. Can I put a small pump on the outflow and just restrict the flow?

A Taam Aqua lifter would be a good pump to use as your supply pump. It can handle the rise sufficiently.

 

[buffalo123]

This is a most interesting thread. From what i understand this can run on a syphon system with a recirculating pump. under what condition would you have to shut down the recirculating pump?