DSB in a bucket for nitrate control

[barryhc]

I have never heard of anyone describing the release of Hydrogen Sulfide from a sand bed, EXCEPT when deep stirring is involved. Don't stir it and don't worry.

Or, run a flow thru with very low flow, and waste it. The "Combo" thing again. Still my favorite.

> Barry

 

[Mr Bojangles]

well here is a good question. The time it takes to start the denitrification prosses s all determined by the bactieria, si is there any way to jump start it by either getting a cup of sand from your DSB or another reefers RDSB?

 

[Spuds725]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6811713#post6811713 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr Bojangles
well here is a good question. The time it takes to start the denitrification prosses s all determined by the bactieria, si is there any way to jump start it by either getting a cup of sand from your DSB or another reefers RDSB?

I doubt it would hurt and might speed it along-- but as Barry mentioned a few posts above you don't want to disturb the sand bed-- you would have to get the "cup" deep (at least 4 inches or so) from the DSB or RDSB and then bury it in your new sand bed...

I just added a small 4 gallon fuge (in another bucket) on my bucket DSB loop-- I have a small amount of chaeto in there-- it was left from my old tank/fuge and was left after my urchin started eating it....maybe a cup of chaeto in there if that. It is tumbling nicely though I'm running it under the Melev recommended compact flourescent spotlight (5100K)-- will see how it does... I might be able to get hold of some more chaeto locally as I don't think a little ball of chaeto will do much on my 135 gallon tank..

this fuge is temporary till I have time to add a bigger one--

 

[tonym10]

I have been reading thi9s thread for a while.
Some info on my tank, 75g with 100lbs LR and 1" sand bed. Running 2.5 years, my nitrates stayed at 2 or below for the first 1.5 years, but then climbed to 44.
SO I really cleaned the sump and added new better skimmer and a few other changes. I also did alot of 30g water changes over two weeks to get my nitrates down to 4. Now after testing nitrates 3 weeks after getting them down to 4 they are up to 8.
I have not done weekly water changes since the large changes because I had to service my water change pump. But my water changes are normally 10g / week.
So now I am going to try a rdsb. I have a 5g bucket with 40lbs of caribsea sugar size sand in it with a 1" bulkhead for the return.
I will plumb my input to the RDSB from my GEO recirc skimmer. It returns about 180g/hour. I will have this all hooked up over the weekend. I hope I see zero nitrate in a few months.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

well acording to my test kits I went from 20 nitates last week to about 5 now. I also did a big water change, cleand my sump and removed some bad plumming, but my sps looks better and My glass is not getting covered as fast with green alage

 

[tonym10]

I got my RDSB running tonight. Using a 5g IO Salt bucket. I was able to put 40 lbs of sand in it then there is about 2-3" of water over that. I ran my 1.5" drain line from my skimmer to a a 1.5" tee fitting that I drilled into the lid of the salt bucket, on the side of the lid that faces into the bucket I put a 90 elbow, I should take a pic it would be easier then explaining. But anyway everything is working great , no noise no floods, no malfunctioning skimmer. The thing that took the longest was rinsing the sand.
My nitrates are around 5 to 8 ppm . My PH is 8.08. I am hoping this helps with my PH too.

 

[tonym10]

Here are some pics of my rdsb

one with the lid lifted

one showing the return line

one from above the tee showing the water flowing in

 

[Savatage]

Nice pics TonyM. It looks a little cluttered (LOL).

I don't want to take away from this thread, so if someone could pm me on exactly how I can get photos on the site, I would appreciate it. My photos are too large or something like that.

I want to put the pics of my setup out here for everyone to see. I am setting it all up next weekend with my son.

 

[Masterch1ef]

WHoa guys! What a long thread! Took me 2 whole nights to read it! Wife wasn't very happy that I went to bed like an hour before she gets up.

I really enjoyed reading it all. I plan to setup a RDSB in a couple of weeks. My only problem is that I'll have to put it on a closed loop and seal the bucket since I don't have a sump and my tank isn't drilled. I thought using the output of my skimmer (Super Skimmer 3000) to feed the RDSB, but water would flow out of a little air hole right before the exit. I'm thinking about letting the output of the skimmer fill a bucket and put a maxi-jet in it that would feed the RDSB. What do you guys think about it? I really think it is a great idea to take the skimmer drain since the water is rather clean of any detritus, which will help keeping the RDSB clean.

Thanks to all for this great thread!

 

[Savatage]

This is how my setup is right now. Come this next weekend it will be totally different. I will be moving the sump under the tank and adding the RSDB to the system.

I am experimenting with posting photos right now so bare with me. I will try to take some photos of the setup before it is put together and I will explain exactly how it all goes together.

 

[Savatage]

This is the entire setup. Pic #1 is with the sump. As you can see I have a shut-off valve for the supply to the RDSB. The pipe running straight up is for my return to the tank. I plumbed everything together with my return pump. This way I can control the water flow to the RDSB at any rate I want.

As for this pic. I thought that if I have the water flow around the bucket, it will give longer contact time. Also, this bucket is only 16 inches deep by a 20 inch diameter. This also leaves me with more surface area.

I hope these pics help give people some other ideas to work with. The nice thing about this is that it will all fit under my tank except for the RDSB. I have a square table that is boarded around all sides that will cap the RDSB. The RDSB will sit at the side of my tank and no one will ever know it is there. It will look like a table.

 

[Fred_J]

That is a very good idea to use a table to hide the RDSB. I am having problems trying to figure out how to hide some of my equipment on my 75g which is in my bedroom. You and Mike have given me some good ideas. I guess people can tell by where the tanks are located who is married and who isn't LOL.
Fred

 

[steve9k]

Hi, all.

I've had a RDSB running for exactly 2 months now and nitrates haven't budged -- still stuck at 50. Should I be more patient, or could this mean I did something wrong? (Or that I have some other problem?)

 

[eshook]

steve9k

I would say give it more time. There isn't much you can do wrong unless you forget to fill the bucket with sand ;o)

 

[Marcelog]

Re: Updated updated update

Re: Updated updated update

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6792114#post6792114 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Marcelog

Installed the RDSB back in December with readings 40-50-60. Two weeks ago Nitrates were around 20. This weekend they were somewhere around 15.

I have a 72 gallon bow front with a 15 gallon sump/fuge. The RDSB is a 5 gallon bucket filled 3/4 with sand I picked up from a local reefer that used it to make agrocrete rocks. Pushing water through it with a fluval 404.

As for inhabitants, I've got a Koran Angel which is in the process of converting to his adult colors, a Large tang, 2 percula's, a fat and happy mandarin, and a blenny. Several different shrimp, and an assorted cleanup crew which probably needs to be replenished.

Neither my tank nor sump have a DSB in them. Main tank has a 1-2" layer of CC, and the sump is bare.

Another update. As of today tests are showing about 10.

Marcelo -

 

[Mr Bojangles]

congrads to your lower readings!

steve9k- it takes time for the bactirea to form. Its like a regular DSB, it can take 6 moths to mature. I think most of the lower readings (including mine) also come from a masive cleaning of the sump and other parts

 

[grochmal]

Savatage,
question about how your pump is plumbed.
I see you have the intake plumbed to your sump using a u-tube, but how are you going to prime the pump with water the first time?

 

[Spuds725]

There is a union just above the pump.

Pretty good plumbing job IMO--- and I've done a fair amount of pipe fitting.

I am curious as to how you "sealed" your plumbing to your bucket-- I would sleep better with some actual bulkhead fittings there.

 

[Savatage]

GROCHMAL: As for priming my pump...I will plug the drain and fill enough water into the tank so that it flows down the return tube into the pump. Start it up and away we go.

SPUDS: I had to use the union just in case I needed to remove the pump. In fact, with the warmth of the pump, I will have to take it apart once in a while to clean the Calcium out of it.

As for the sealing of the fittings.....When I drilled the holes, I drilled them a little small so that I had to screw the fitting into the container. I siliconed the heck out of it, screwed the two pieces together and let it dry.

 

[Savatage]

I just read something in the advanced forums and I am a bit concerened. I need some very serious advice here. Someone is having problems with their bucket smelling like a sewer. The suggestion was that if he was taking his water straight from the sump, it would create a nutrient sink. It was also said that he should use the drain of his skimmer for the bucket.

My question is, does it really matter????????????? Whats the deal? If this is the case, I might as well just use the output of my Magnum 350 filter unti as my supply to the bucket. What do you think?