Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer

[djbon]

You need to seed the reactor and add carbon source for a week or two otherwise it will take longer to start bacteria colonization. You can reduce the carbon on 3rd week to a maintenance level to maintain small amount of no3.

 

[gregkn73]

You need to seed the reactor and add carbon source for a week or two otherwise it will take longer to start bacteria colonization. You can reduce the carbon on 3rd week to a maintenance level to maintain small amount of no3.

I will seed it through the small pumice, I currently run in my reactor and I will dose carbon from the beginning, then

Do you always get bacteria slime to your socks? Do you think that without using them, I might have a problem? Bacterial bloom maybe?

 

[djbon]

Bacteria slime 2nd to 3rd week. Abundance of nitrate along with carbon fuel up bacteria, hence the slime. But at 8ppm it might not that many slime build up.

 

[blackthunda77]

Do you guys have a parts list to be able to build this? For example, what are you using to make the reactor? standard PVC? if so, what size? Also, how much of each media do you use and do you separate each of them with something? Excuse me if it was already discussed and i missed it...

 

[djbon]

John, it on the first page. Have a look sir

 

[blackthunda77]

Well I feel like an idiot, I need to stop visiting these forums so late at night. Lol. Thank you

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[djbon]

Same here John

 

[blackthunda77]

Do you have any pictures of the media you used? I know that sometimes the media names can be used interchangeably depending where you are from. Bio balls are you referring to the plastic ones used in wet dry filters? And ceramic rings, are those the ones like Sera or tetra makes? And what are you using for pumice? Can you use matrix?

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[djbon]

These are available in my lfs. Coral rubble is available in many stores. Any media will do, but not those made from plastic.

 

[blackthunda77]

Ok thank you. So basically everything is ceramic in composition. What about the pumice?

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[djbon]

Emmmm, pumice stones commercially available. Seachem is one of them.

 

[blackthunda77]

So your basically talking about matrix then right?

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[djbon]

Yes, and its little brother of the same product line.

 

[ohrcen]

How long did it take to get the bacteria colonized enough to process the nitrate? Also, how much flow do you want entering the tower ?

 

[djbon]

How long did it take to get the bacteria colonized enough to process the nitrate? Also, how much flow do you want entering the tower ?

Daily dosing of bacteria & carbon source, as early as 5 days you will start seeing bacteria buildup. With proper flow & continuos dosing, nitrate should start dropping on 2nd week. 1% of total volume of flow is spot on, of course you have to test no3 daily for the 1st two weeks so that you can adjust the flow rate accordingly. I have briefly explained on these earlier in my post. Feel free to read, I will try to answer questions from time to time.

 

[gregkn73]

Donovan when you are writing 1% of total volume, you are referring to to net total volume of our systems or reactor volume? Do you mean Lt/h or ml/sec?

Also since in all the tests I made, my denitrator didn't leak, I am thinking to use it outside the sump. So for extra security I consider opening two more emergency exits for the water, one at the inlet and the other at the outlet. The oxygen entrance through those two openings , do you thing might cause implications to the denitrification?

 

[djbon]

Greg, 1% of flow should be in litre/hour. Additional inlet hole should be ok, outlet is not necessary. If the reactor is clogging, it will overflow at inlet anyway.

 

[djbon]

Tested my DT for nitrate, and it is almost zero. Has been zero before before i dose nitrate to 40ppm. I will get myself a low range PO4 kit to accurately test my phosphate this week.

 

[djbon]

Donovan your system would most likely be a source of bacteria plankton much like the DyMiCo filters are said to do. Although with them, they recommend you not use a protein skimmer to preserve the plankton in the water column for the corals

I think you are right on bacteria plankton. I have diverted the effluent output away from the socks for a few days and I can see so many tiny things, almost translucent in the water when light is off with natural light in the background. This only happens after half an hour dosing carbon into the reactor. When this happens, my favia and maze corals extend their tentacles possibly feeding.

 

[djbon]

Here is a short video showing the tiny translucent bacteria planktons after dosing the reactor.