DIY Sulfur Denitrator

It appears i'm on the 2 week plan, This is the second week of one drip per second. My nitrate has been reduce from about 80 t0 40.
Quite a ways to go yet. I am running what i call a mini unit for a 60 gallon aquarium. Utilizing a RO membrane canister. A little less than 1 liter of media. No recirculating pump.
 
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I am about to put one on line and have a question. Right now my alk & cal is stable. I understand that these units deplete alk. Does that mean my cal will stay the same while my alk depletes, just figure out net depletion and compensate with baking soda? Would a baking soda drip be able to keep steady with loss?
 
Yes, just baking soda. You may want to bake it first,since baked it will raise ph a little, unbaked it will depress it a bit and your denitrator effluent will drop ph some as well.
Might be hard to figugre a drip rate since when the nitrate drops the effect of the reactor on alk and ph becomes less. Like trying to hit a moving target, but no reason not to if you can figure it.
 
For baking the baking soda, can you just use a regular teflon coated cookie sheet, or....? Also, anybody know where the link is to (undoubtedly Randy's) info on how much bak sod will raise dkh/gal of tank water---or something to that affect?
 
I have had my converted Korallin 1502 denitrator working for some time and my nitrate in my tank was 5 ppm but now has reduced to in between 0 & 5 PPM bcos of the color not being full yellow meaning 0 ppm.

The effluent nitrate is 0 and ph from effluent is 7.5 and DKH is 8.Drip rate is 01 DPM but I am getting bad sulfur smell.Should I increase the DPM although my tank nitrate is still not zero.I am bit confused.I have filled 2kgs of sulfur and I kg of argonite.

Should I increase the DPM.. :confused:
 
Yes, definitely keep increasing it! Do you really mean 1 drop per minute?
It should start at 1 drop per second, and then be increased to 2, 3, etc. each time the *effluent output* is back to 0 nitrates!
 
Sorry its 01 DPS,so you mean I increase to 01 DPS until nitrate become zero and increase again and wait to become zero and so on.But why am I getting the sulfur smell.
 
Yes, increase once the output becomes zero, otherwise the sulfur doesn't have enough nitrate to consume and it starts producing hydrogen sulfide (don't take me at my word on the chemical reaction though, but I do know you need to increase your drip as much as possible depending on the amount of sulfur you are using, and the nitrate level of your tank).

I restarted mine recently with much less sulfur, and mine maxed out at 5 DPS, but with a larger amount previously, I needed to go much higher with the output.
 
The rotten egg smell is likely Hydrogen sulfide, Increase the flow. The bacteria use oxygen for energy. They get it from the nitrate(NO3). When that runs out they use the oxygen from sulfate(SO4)( which is in the salt water at 2700ppm) and produce hydrogen sulfide which is toxic as a by product.
 
Thanks,I have been having the sulphur smell for a week now bcos the nitrate was not zero I was holding on,now I will increase the drops.What is the best way to count the DPS once its difficult to read.
 
I just eyeballed it at that point. Open the valve just a touch more and let it run until output is zero again, then repeat, until it's either fully open or won't go to zero anymore. If that's the case, just close the valve a touch and run it at the speed where you were still getting zero nitrates at the output.
Keep and eye on your Alk! It gets depleted much faster when running a sulfur denitrator!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15063839#post15063839 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buffalo123
It appears i'm on the 2 week plan, This is the second week of one drip per second. My nitrate has been reduce from about 80 t0 40.
Quite a ways to go yet. I am running what i call a mini unit for a 60 gallon aquarium. Utilizing a RO membrane canister. A little less than 1 liter of media. No recirculating pump.
Click to expand...

Now down to around 12
 
I would be really happy if you could help me. :) first off im following djfrankie's plans. How does the water get in the reacter first off. next whats the best way to make the drip valves and gas valve. finally what is the second drip valve for? pm me please :)
 
Thanks Siskiou,just increaed the DPS today morning will test the ntrate tomorrow,but the smell has reduced a bit.The flow is around 2 DPS.Yes I know ALK will be a headache.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15111162#post15111162 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Iwishihadgills
I would be really happy if you could help me. :) first off im following djfrankie's plans. How does the water get in the reacter first off. next whats the best way to make the drip valves and gas valve. finally what is the second drip valve for? pm me please :)
Click to expand...


help on the way.......

djfrankies plans are great. Built mine close to his specs....

1. I am feeding water to the reactor from a small powerhead (MaxiJet400) to which I added a few adapters to allow a 1/4" hose connector to feed water from the tank to the input valve.
2. I found that the cheapest way to make the input valves and gas relief valve was from small spinkler valve connectors found at Lowes or Home depot -- they come three to a bag (which is all you will need) and the 1/4" hose hooks directly to them via a simple "push" connection.
3. valves: one valve allows you to regulate water into the reactor (usually installed below the recirc pump on the reactor) -- I usually leave this at full open; one valve is to regulate the output back to the tank (the effulent) -- as per plans this is above the recirc feed but below the gas relief -- this is what I use to regulate the "drip rate" back intp the tank; last valve goes up at the top of the unit to release gas build up every few days once reactor is up and going -- obviously you only open it to release gas.

You would be well served to go back to the beginning forum pages and look at the various pics - they will really help you put the unit together. If interested you can see my parts list and final product on page 17 of this (part2) FORUM.

Hope this response helps you........... marc
 
ok two questions:

the hose where the water goes in the chamber should that valve be completely open ? Also when i put water in the chamber it driped out of both ends.

Will i have to dose my tank with buffer?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15144878#post15144878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Iwishihadgills
ok two questions:

the hose where the water goes in the chamber should that valve be completely open ? Also when i put water in the chamber it driped out of both ends.

Will i have to dose my tank with buffer?
Click to expand...

ANSWER....
AS LONG AS YOUR INPUTTING PUMP FEED IS NOT OVERPOWERING FOR YOUR DENITRATOR, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON NOT TO LEAVE IT OPEN. OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR OUTPUT VALVE VIRTUALLY SHUT TO KEEP YOUR DRIP RATE RIGHT, THEN YOU SHOULD PARTIALLY SHUT DOWN YOUR INPUT VALVE. AS I MENTIONED, I AM USING A FAIRLY SMALL POWERHEAD AS A FEED, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM LEAVING MY INPUT VALVE AT FULL OPEN.

AS FOR GETTING WATER OUT OF BOTH VALVES WHEN YOU FILLED THE UNIT UP.... WAS THERE ANYTHING ATTACHED TO THE ENDS? GRAVITY WOULD SIMPLY CAUSE DRAINAGE OUT THE OPEN HOLES! AT LEAST THIS WOULD SHOW THAT IT WAS CONSTRUCTED PROPERLY!.

WORD OF WARNING.... TEST YOUR UNIT SOMEPLACE THAT YOU WILL NOT CARE IF THINGS GET WET. ANY TINY LEAK, WILL LOOK MAJOR ONCE THE UNIT IS CLOSED AND "PRESSURIZED". DO NOT WORRY IF YOU HAVE A LEAK... WE ALL HAD THEM. SCREW CONNECTORS ARE HELPED WITH A LITTLE EXTRA TEFLON TAPE AND BONDED CONNECTIONS ARE HELPED BY ADDLN SEALENT APPLIED TO DRY PVC. (IF YOU ARE REALLY STUCK... THERE IS STUFF CALLED "GOOP" WHICH GLUES OR SEALS JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO ANYTHING.

LASTLY, YES.. EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HAVE TO ADD BUFFER TO THE TANK AS THE EFFULENT HAS A FAIRLY LOW PH AND WILL OVERPOWER YOUR TANK'S ABILITY TO BUFFER IT OUT. I ADD SOME KALWASSER TWICE MONTHLY AND MY TANK STAY AT ABOUT 8.2.

HOPES THIS HELPS.... GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR UNIT.......MARC
 
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