DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

[George Grogan]

I have earned my stripes; read the whole thread! I will definetely be putting a RDSB into the loop in my new system. Hopefully, nitrates will never become an issue in the first place!

Thanks a million to all the dedicated posters, especially Anthony in the beginning, and many others who took the time to post ongoing results of their efforts!! :thumbsup:

 

[Reef NuTTZ]

Hi all im back again to share my readings. Well 1 month before I added the RDSB my nitrates were 20+ so I decided to add "sugar" and it lowered my nitrates to 0. But after a week of not dosing sugar, It spiked back up to 15ppm or so. This is when I decided to make a RDSB and did a 20% water change after it was hooked up and running correctly.

7 days ago nitrate was at 15ppm
Today, almost undetectable.01ppm

So far so good :thumbsup:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8332499#post8332499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by larrydawg5
Thanks a million to all the dedicated posters, especially Anthony in the beginning, and many others who took the time to post ongoing results of their efforts!! :thumbsup:

I 2nd that! :thumbsup: Thanks guys

Huy

 

[Alan Strauss]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8305484#post8305484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alan Strauss
I got mine set up on Saturday I'll post pictures later. I have never had a nitrate level below 10. I did not expect any change when I tested on Sunday. . . But the level had dropped to below 5. I used 60 lbs of Live aragonite sand. I'll let you all know next week if the level keeps dropping or whatever. The water feeding the RDSB is comming out of my UV does anydody have any comments? Is there any reason I should change the water source?

Alan

Ok I guess, last week’s reading was a flook, today Nitrate level was back up to 10. You all have said the RDSB would kick in after a few weeks. I really didn't understand last week’s readings; I thought that maybe the bacteria in the live sand had done its thing with the nitrates.

Alan

 

[dannyfromholland]

What about phosfates? Would it be effective to mix up some rowaphos or other phosfate binding material to the sand? When dooing this the sand must be changed out more frequently I guess

 

[DgenR8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8340117#post8340117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dannyfromholland
What about phosfates? Would it be effective to mix up some rowaphos or other phosfate binding material to the sand? When dooing this the sand must be changed out more frequently I guess

Phosphate binders work much better if water is forced through them. I don't think there would be any benefit to adding them to a DSB.
Adding a Phosban reactor, or the like could very well help solve a phosphate problem, but that's a subject for another thread.

 

[Alan Strauss]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8340004#post8340004 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alan Strauss
Ok I guess, last week’s reading was a flook, today Nitrate level was back up to 10. You all have said the RDSB would kick in after a few weeks. I really didn't understand last week’s readings; I thought that maybe the bacteria in the live sand had done its thing with the nitrates.

Alan

 

[J_Geisinger000]

I just set up my remote dsb in a 5 gallon bucket for my 90 gallon bb

I used argonite reef sand (new not live)
how long till I start to see a drop in trates?

 

[Alan Strauss]

You set yours up about a week after I did. Mine showed immediate results but then back to where I started. From what I have read in the thread it should start showing up after 3 to 4 weeks. Yours will have to propigate some bacteria so mabe a little longer.

Alan

 

[lakee911]

Has anyone tried a Fort-Pak container like the one shown here?

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr...SPlastic&category_name=11943&product_id=11950

I've thought about trying one out, but I'm not sure how they would work out. The could probably be pressurized if you didn't want to gravity feed.

I'm not sure if there would be much to gain by not having any air in the container at all. I know incoming water would have DO but maybe it would help.

Jason

 

[nautilus808]

I have a similar setup. There are pics of it on this thread about 2-3 pages back. I feel safer having a sealed system. I dont think the lack of air space would make any difference. With your container, perhaps you could but a bulkehead in the cap and connect a hose to the vent on the other end.

 

[DrBDC]

edit

 

[Hella]

Well now reading 46 pages over the last 2 weeks I will be installing a RDSB in a 20 long for my 125 reef with a 75 for my sump-fuge. Should end up with about 8-10 of sand and 360sq in so I should be looking good for my size tank. it will be getting flow from a Mag3 with only 2-3 feet of head on it with a spraybar. I also have the Lifereef VS3-60 skimmer to help.

Thanks to all of the guys that have been posting to this for the last year it has been very helpful

 

[EnderG60]

Week 9 update

nitrates are back in the 30-40 range and now my phosphates are at .5mg/l

Since my nitrate problem started about 4 months ago ive lost my angle, my mandarine and alot of snails. every other peramiter in the tank is perfect all my corals and the rest of my fish seem great as far as i can tell.(aside from the lack of growth and sps turning unhappy colors)

I have been doing 30% water changes every two weeks, and there is no more detritus to blow off any rocks anywhere. Nothing seems to work...i simply cant figure it out.

Other info :
58g tank 400w 20k xm halide
120+lbs of rock in the tank and fuge
1 lb of cheato in fuge
about 30lbs of 3year old live sand in tank
Big custom made skimmer
mag 7 return
Maxijet 1200 and 900 with hydro for flow

Top off is RODI water(TDS 0) with reef buffer, reef trace and reef plus added by float switch

Water changes done with same RODI and Maramix tropic marine salt(that sweet german stuff)

 

[vikubz]

If everything looks good, maybe your test kit is old or inaccurate.

 

[EnderG60]

nope tested it all with the stuff at work and got the same results

 

[nautilus808]

High Nitrates would not kill your fish

 

[euphylius]

I had nearly zero nitrates, but problems with cyano. Some SPS corals did't have good coloration. Because of cyano I fed less and growth was slow.

Then I installed DI unit and RDSB. Now I'm feeding more, including microalgae.

Cyano are gone, coloration is good, corals are growing faster.

 

[lakee911]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8389119#post8389119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nautilus808
High Nitrates would not kill your fish

May not kill immediately, but how would you like to be stuck in a room full of smoke for the rest of your life? The stress can cause the fish to be more suseptible to other dieseases and shorten their life. Most people like to create the best conditions possible for their tank.

What are your nitrates?

Jason

 

[EnderG60]

trates are 30-40 as listed above, and i know they arnt directly responsible for my deaths, but it didnt help. I know my angle died of a swing bladder infection, snails I suspect died due to lack of food(no alge but coraline and brown in the tank for a LONG TIME) but the mandarin im still at a loss over.

but either way, im still having a nitrate problem i cant figure out.

 

[Spuds725]

Is your chaeto growing and your skimmer skimming good??

my guess is you have some deaths occuring in your rock (maybe you had some nocturnal hitch hikers that you don't know about)-- and this is feeding your nitrates-- if this is the case then they should pass eventually...

It wouldn't hurt to intermittently bump up your circulation and blow out your rock with a powerhead and see if you stir up anything into the water column to filter/skim out.