Sulfur denitrator users?

delphinus

delphinus

New member
How many people run sulfur denitrators?

How long did it take to settle in? Did you ever test nitrites while it was cycling?

I've been running one for over 3 weeks now and it's producing nitrites like crazy. How long do I have to wait for that to finish, or does it mean I have a flowrate that's too fast or too slow?

Any advice appreciated!!!
 
to fast drip rate lower it and retest in 24 to 48 hours....whats the drip rate right now, what model you got....does it have any air on top....
 
Drip rate is about 1 drop per 5 seconds. I converted a calcium reactor, it contains about 1750ml of sulfur. 4" diameter chamber, about 8.5" tall column of sulfur.

Could it be too small a volume of sulfur media?
 
Ok, I can try increasing the flowrate to 1-2 drops per second. I was concerned I might be going too fast and introducing too much oxygen, but slowing it down further didn't seem to help.

There is not much of a rotten egg smell at all. You have to sniff a water sample pretty close up to even tell it has a hint of a sulfur smell. It is not a strong smell at all.
 
Increased the drip rate to about 1 per second and retested nitrite after 36 hours. Still 2.0ppm ... will try testing again after another 24 hours because maybe this is too soon to expect to see a different result?
 
I have been running a midwest aquatics denitrator for about 5 weeks now. My nitrates dropped from 20 to 2. For my model which is the large one they recommend 3-6 drops per second for teh smaller model 1-2 drops per second. I have not checked nitrite but will. Also make sure you are dumping the effluent into a high flow area or sump as opposed to dumping it directly back to your tank. Mine flows into my overflow and then to the sump
 
I looked at those Midwest units when considering this but then decided to try one my calcium reactors instead (because it was sitting around unused anyhow, might as well use it or sell it I figured).

The one thing I regret not doing though now is buying the media from Midwest, because unlike the Caribsea it comes preseeded with bacteria (supposedly). So the cycle is supposed to be only 1 week with those whereas here I am, a month into my second trial (I tried this before also for a month and it never cycled) and it's just not cycling (well .. by that I mean it's still dumping nitrite, even with my increased flowrate .. I upped it on Wednesday and here is Sunday already so already 4 days into the increase with no change in nitrite). :(

The one thought I've had is that maybe I'm somehow introducing too much O2 with the incoming water and it's just not creating enough of an anoxic zone. Next time I go to Home Depot I'm picking up about 100' of 1/4" tubing to put on the intake side. After the water's gone though all that I'm hoping it will have no O2 left in it and maybe THAT will help get this thing going.

I don't know .. I know that patience is required in this hobby but I was really hoping to see results by now, not just wondering what the heck is the reason something isn't working. My tank's nitrates are at 50 so I would REALLY LIKE to see something tackle that. (With water changes I can get it down but it's an expensive proposition and it just bounces back up again anyhow).
 
My nitrites are 0 just checked. What are you using as media? The MWA unit comes with sulfur beads or granules that fill half the chamber the other half is calcium substrate. I don't know why you couldn't use your calcium reactor because that is exactly what this looks like.
 
I'm using Caribsea LSM (pure sulfur, crushed) in the first stage and ARM calcium reactor media in the 2nd stage.

I think the Korallin units ARE just their calcium reactors; they have the same model #'s anyhow.

What are you using to feed the reactor? Off the sump return, powerhead or gravity?
 
yup you are correct koralin units are in facts calcium reactors with a different top....i gravity fed....did you read the intructions from midwest?
 
some excellent advice i recieved from my lfs (yes, they do know what they are talking about ;))

Set it back to 1 drip per sec.
You are getting interference.
Hold it at 1 drip untill the No3 goes to 0.
The bubble is an indicator that the anoxic bac is converting.
Initial set up or de nitrification does show a sudden spike and can also show nitrite as well as nitrate. don't be alarmed, it's not.
again. interference with the sulphur on the test kits.
So, commision at 1 drip per sec. = 0 double to 2 drip per sec.
Hold = 0 , measure per min ( mls ) then double.
Hold = 0, then double again.
If big gas bubble appears = high nitrate conversion.
if no gas bubble appears = too fast flow no nittrogen gas.
I do hope this makes sense
"

And

"
Theres only so many drips per second you can count.
When you cant judge the drip rate by eye sight per sec.
simply measure your rate of drops in a test vial or something per 10 sec per 20 secs etc to get a physical amount. Then double it.

On a new reactor at a slow drip rate there is a chance of producing hydrogen sulphide if there is too low o2 in the system. The unit becomes so dead it can only produce sulphide. Were looking for very low o2 ( slow drip rate ) to commision the anoxic bacteria. Then increse the flow rate and feed more bacteria and consume more nitrate quicker
The result of converting nitrate is nitrogen gas ( bubble ) People who suffer sulphide have lowered the water flow below the bacteria level and 02 is starved. = hydrogen sulphide.
To rid the sulphide i suggest the unit is opened and media washed in full chlorine water to kill off all bacteria. wash the media of any slime build up and re comission by opening the valves fully to get high oxygenated water into the system.
run that fully open for a few days, then go back to day 1 = 1 drip per sec etc.
You can always get a whif of what is being gased off. if it smells like rotten eggs. then not enough 02 or too slow water flow, then increase


this refers to the koralling btw.
Reduced my nitrates to 0 within a few weeks..same for everyone else i know with one
 
Wow. Sulfur interferes with the test kits? This could explain a LOT.

But then how can I tell when it's time to increase the flowrate? I have both Elos and Salifert test kits and neither are yielding me a non-zero nitrate value. (I only have a Salifert nitrite test kit.)

Tonight after testing nitrite the reading was off the chart at the higher flowrate (1 drop per second). After that I decided to slow it down as much as possible and that works out to 1 drop per 7 seconds.

So I should maybe increase it back to 1 drop per second?

But still a little confused as to tell when it's time to increase the flowrate to the next level, and so on after that.

Where would this bubble form? My reactor's first stage effluent exits out the top and then feeds into the second stage (filled with ARM) so it doesn't really get a chance to form a bubble. Is this going to be a problem?
 
Obviously this was for the korallin, so no idea if or where bubbles would form on yours (it's not essential, i've never had any)
I think in laymans terms, the advice means..
1. run it at full pelt for a week or so to oxygenate everything.
2. turn it down to 1 drip per second.
3. keep testing..when nitrate is 0, increase to 2 drips/
4. test again, when 0 increase to 4 drips
and carry on until it is at full pelt while producing 0 nitrate
 
I think the obvious thing to do is don't worry about it.
AFAIK the reactor will not produce nitrite.
The reading is false.
If you're really worried, then test the tank water.

Just keep testing for nitrate and you should be fine
 
LOL, guess you're right. :) Thanks.

The problem is I think my nitrate test kits are getting interference too? (Or is that not possible.) (I'm using Elos test kit and Salifert test kit for nitrates. I bought a nitrate monitor but it was faulty and hasn't arrived yet back from the manufacturer after it was sent in for warranty.) Anyhow, point being, any instructions I've ever read about sulfur denitrators say something like "start off with 1 drop per second, increase the output when the output has zero nitrates." So I was wondering how to go about testing the output for zero nitrates, there must be a way. But I guess you're right, in the meantime I can take a leap of faith and start ramping up the output without any quantificative means of measuring the nitrate output for now.
 
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