Sulfer bio denitrator

[Mark I]

I have a tank with a low bioload. Both nitrate and Phosphate test 0 with a seachem and ATI test kits. However I had a bubble aglae outbreak that has subsided only to turn into a hair algae outbreak that I am trying to solve. My question is I have built a DYI bio-denitrator but dont know if it will work since I have no measurable nitrates. They must be present or being consumed by algea. At this point SPS corals looking good but zoos are getting overtaken. Went to bare bottom tank and fuge a month ago
Tank Parameters
125 gal mixed reef/with sump and refug. w/cheto
SG 1.026
PH was 7.9 slowly raising to 8.3 today at 8.2
Nitrate 0
Phophate 0
silicate 0
Calcium 450
MG 1300
dkh 7

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If algae control is the goal, then I think you are much more likely to be successful by trying to make phosphate the limiting nutrient than nitrate.

FWIW, many algae can readily take up ammonia before it is even converted into nitrate.

 

[Mark I]

I'm running a phosban reactor with GFO and a another passive media bag in the sump with GFO. Ihave only 2 small clowns, 1 flame hawk, 2 brittle stars and about 25 hermit crabs, about 25 snails. The rest are all corals. I feed very sparingly every 2 to 3 days, do 20 gallon water changes every 10 days with ro/di. Yet the hair algae continue's to grow. I fired up the nitrate reactor a few days ago and am testing for nitrite, still zero. I'm thinking PO is being released from the rock but why now?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If green algae is growing, then it is somehow getting enough phosphate. I can't say how exactly without knowing a lot about the setup, but changing the GFO more frequently will help keep it more active. How long has it been in?

 

[Mark I]

GFO has been in for about 45 days, changed it out last week. Taking sulfer denitrator offline, PH droped to 7.7. Even though central air is running water temp is getting quite high. I'm sure that is a contributing factor

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Gong to air condition may be what lowered the pH, since you are probably not circulating as much fresh air in your home. Taking the denitrator off line should have lowered the pH. if anything, sulfur denitrators themselves lower pH.