DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

[davidwillis]

I am going to give it a try. I have 3 buckets ready to go for my 300 gallon tank. It has always struggled with high nitrates. The only way to keep them between 10-20 is daily water changes, running an ATS, and biopellets. I have been fighting dinos for the last year, and I have removed the ats, biopellets, and am not doing water changes (at least not regular water changes). Nitrates are between 30-40. So I am adding the 3 buckets of sand to see how it works.

I also plan on cleaning one each year, so they will each get cleaned every 3 years. I am not sure that is needed, as it seems there are different opinions on that. But I will be running all water going into the buckets through a 5 micron filter. Because of the filter, it may slow down at times before changes, but the flow should stay between 50 and 150 gph. I know that is slower than some suggest in order to keep particles from settling, but since I am filtering down to 5 microns, there should not be anything to settle. I am sure nitrates won't be consumed that fast, so I don't really se why the flow needs to be any faster, and if I do go faster, it will just clog up my pre filter faster.

Nitrates tested today: 31.4 using a hanna checker.
Po4 is between 0.1 and 0.25 using a salifert test kit (hanna does not work due to silicates used to help get dinos under control). I will be reducing po4 more using Lanthanum Chloride before the 5 micron filter.

 

[griss]

I am going to give it a try. I have 3 buckets ready to go for my 300 gallon tank. It has always struggled with high nitrates. The only way to keep them between 10-20 is daily water changes, running an ATS, and biopellets. I have been fighting dinos for the last year, and I have removed the ats, biopellets, and am not doing water changes (at least not regular water changes). Nitrates are between 30-40. So I am adding the 3 buckets of sand to see how it works.

I also plan on cleaning one each year, so they will each get cleaned every 3 years. I am not sure that is needed, as it seems there are different opinions on that. But I will be running all water going into the buckets through a 5 micron filter. Because of the filter, it may slow down at times before changes, but the flow should stay between 50 and 150 gph. I know that is slower than some suggest in order to keep particles from settling, but since I am filtering down to 5 microns, there should not be anything to settle. I am sure nitrates won't be consumed that fast, so I don't really se why the flow needs to be any faster, and if I do go faster, it will just clog up my pre filter faster.

Nitrates tested today: 31.4 using a hanna checker.
Po4 is between 0.1 and 0.25 using a salifert test kit (hanna does not work due to silicates used to help get dinos under control). I will be reducing po4 more using Lanthanum Chloride before the 5 micron filter.

Please post updates. I'd be interested in following your progress.

 

[davidwillis]

I had to put the buckets above my salt mixing tanks. It may be a little hard to remove them for cleaning, but at least it is only once a year.

After getting them online, I let them circulate for about 1 hour, then took a nitrate reading. I thought it would read lower, since I added fresh salt water to fill the buckets, but it was up a little.

Starting NO3: 35.6

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9

I also removed about 4 gallons of denigrate yesterday. I don't think it was doing much, but wanted to make a note of it.
The day before I added the buckets, my nitrate was 31.4, so that test right after adding the buckets may have been a bad test. But at least the nitrates have not gone up. I don't think we will know much for a few weeks.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Denitrification happens slowly, especially in a new setup.
You will test one day & be surprised.

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6

Defiantly a downward trend. If this continues, it is much better than any other system I have used to remove nitrates.

 

[griss]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6

Defiantly a downward trend. If this continues, it is much better than any other system I have used to remove nitrates.

Nice

 

[shred5]

I had to put the buckets above my salt mixing tanks. It may be a little hard to remove them for cleaning, but at least it is only once a year.

After getting them online, I let them circulate for about 1 hour, then took a nitrate reading. I thought it would read lower, since I added fresh salt water to fill the buckets, but it was up a little.

Starting NO3: 35.6

It is going to take along time for you to see a difference. Bacteria needs to build up and it also happens pretty far down where oxygen levels are low.

How deep was is the sand?

 

[davidwillis]

It is going to take along time for you to see a difference. Bacteria needs to build up and it also happens pretty far down where oxygen levels are low.

How deep was is the sand?

It is about 12" deep.

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6
three weeks No3: 22.5

 

[BeanAnimal]

I feel like an argument between Anthony, Ron and the then usual suspects could break out any moment.

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6
three weeks No3: 22.5
four weeks No3: 22.2

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6
three weeks No3: 22.5
four weeks No3: 22.2
five weeks No3: 21.5

 

[davidwillis]

Start No3: 35.6
one week No3: 30.9
two weeks No3: 23.6
three weeks No3: 22.5
four weeks No3: 22.2
five weeks No3: 21.5
six weeks No3: 6.3

 

[Misled]

Nice drop.

 

[OldReefGuy]

Following......
Quick Q.
Water going in goes thru the top and exits from bottom of bucket or the top to the next bucket?
Are the buckets somewhat airtight?

 

[davidwillis]

Water just flows in the top, and over the sand and out the top on the other side.
The buckets should be air tight.

 

[OldReefGuy]

so, length (more contact time) is more important then sand bed depth?

 

[OldReefGuy]

The reason I ask is that I would like to do this with a 8" high 6' foot long plastic window box........plumbed outside. I would have 6" SB depth and 6' long.......

 

[OldReefGuy]

something like this: (Note thats not me)...LOL