Sulfur denitrater won't cycle

I think the second reactor went through a quick 4 to 5 day cycle and that is what is giving the high Nitrate readings (As they are much higher than my current reef tank readings)

I think that folks are being mislead by their nitrate kits when they seem to see nitrate higher coming out than coming in. I just do not see that as likely (what would it come from?), and the effect from nitrite interference is very real.
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I think the second reactor went through a quick 4 to 5 day cycle and that is what is giving the high Nitrate readings (As they are much higher than my current reef tank readings)

I think that folks are being mislead by their nitrate kits when they seem to see nitrate higher coming out than coming in. I just do not see that as likely (what would it come from?), and the effect from nitrite interference is very real.
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I don't kinow all the science behind it but, from what I was told if you are not feeding the sulfur enough nitrates it will start to make them on its own. THats why the reading coming from the effluent will be higher than the tank and the drip rate needs to be increased. I am just going by what I was told and it worked for me......
 
I think it likely that that statement comes from nitrite interference and faulty conclusions that follow from faulty test results. I cannot see where the nitrogen will come from to make a lot of nitrate in a sulfur denitrator. There is obviously not enough ammonia or nitrite going in to make appreciable nitrate.
 
Won't a Phosban Reactor full of new ARM go through some sort of Nitrogen cycle?

I'm not sure what you mean by it going through a nitrogen cycle. It may eventually get bacteria on it that can convert ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate, just as live rock and sand do. That might take a week or two.

But if there is little to no detectable ammonia or nitrite in the incoming water, there cannot be any substantial increase in nitrate in the effluent relative to the incoming water. :)
 
Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Some phosphate maybe, but not appreciable nitrogen.

Why do you think it will release nitrate?
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Because I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night ;)

Just stating what my Elos test results have provided. Now, in all honesty I haven't tested for Nitrites and wasn't aware that Nitrites cause faulty Nitrate test readings. I haven;t had a Nitrite test kit for over 25 years, when I originally got in this hobby and cycled my first saltwater tank :)

Jim
 
Here's the deal. My tank has no nitrite. My tank has 30ppm nitrates. My reactor has 100% nitrites coming out now. Could it possible be that at slow drip rate for several weeks cause the bacterial to die and cause nitrites?
 
What test kit are you using for nitrate? How about for nitrite?

What is your effluent rate out of the reactor per minute in milliliters?

What is your effluent nitrate?

What is your effluent nitrite?
 
Just stating what my Elos test results have provided.

Sorry, I thought you meant ARM media that folks use in CaCO3/CO2 reactors. Not having a sulfur denitrator, I did not know they sold sulfur. I presume you are referring to sulfur media?

I could not understand why you had a phosban reactor full of CaCO3 and expected nitrogen cycling or for nitrate to be released. :D
 
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Korallin denitrator

Korallin denitrator

My drip rate is 1/sec, never changed from the beginnig. I never test the water from it but I know it is working becouse I have to vent 1 inch of nitrogen gas every week from the denitrator, so be patient guys
 
At day 10 my Nitrate's are 0 out of the Effluent. I had to reduce the drip from 1 per second to like 1 per 5 seconds to get it down to 0. Now I am up to almost 1 drip per second at 0. I'll continue increasing the drip rate every few days untill my reef reaches the Nitrate sweet spot (5 ppm) ;)

Jim
 
Randy Holmes-Farley said:
:thumbsup:

Sounds good. Glad it seems to be workkng well.

Has the tank nitrate declined?
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Not yet.. Way to early. My Elos Nitrate kit is measuring a solid Red (Not good) so at least 25 ppm. I'll keep you guys updated on how things go. My goal is to get them down to least than 5 ppm. We shall see ;)

Thanks,

Jim
 
Up date. Still to this day I have 100% nitrites coming out. I've tried contacting Midwest Quatics again with no response. So I decided to ask a locale sulfur reactor manufacture, his opinion. I e-mailed Schplitter maker of sulfur reactors here in St.Louis. Which I told him at the time when I was looking at buying a sulfur unit, I didn't run into his product. I e-mailed him yesterday and one hour later he e-mailed me back wanting my phone number so we could talk man to man. I talked with him today, told him what reactor I bought. I told him their instructions are the same as his. He asked me several questions, like are you sure the pump works, is it circulating, extra. He as you all could not come up with an answer. He ask me to bring my reactor over to his place this week and he and his crew will take look. Off the top of his head he thinks my sulfur is no good. I really am blown away by Schpitter that he would go out of his way to look at a reactor that he didn't make. I have a 90 day guarantee with Midwest Aquatics, I'm thinking of ditching the unit and buying one from Schpitter Sulfur reactors.
 
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I'll be honest, when you get a local supplier who'll help you even though you have never purchased from them, they are going above and beyond in order to get your business. To me they are worth they're weight in gold due to such high quality service.

These places are few and far between!!
 
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