Zero Nitrates = Pastel Acros (dosing nitrates)

[watchguy123]

Part of the Arid Reactor is a supplement to dose Iron at the rate of 1 drop per 25 gallons daily, I am dosing 20 drops every day and I have noticed it grow much quicker since I have been dosing the Iron. It also has you dose Nitrate if your Nitrates become undetectable at 100 to 1 or it says it will stall pulling out P04. I think maybe there is something to this balance of Phosphate and Nitrate and why some tanks are limiting export when they are not balanced.

A guy in Brazil named Carlos has a amazing tank and I got the Siporax idea from him when building the tank. The Siporax I am using was hard to track down, but it is a much larger media that was made for ponds. I think the benefit is it is easy to keep clean and helps culture beneficial bacteria. While I do not carbon dose I do add Bacteria once a month with some Prohibio products.

Until you mentioned your "ARID REACTOR", I had never heard about it. So Google led to all kinds of interesting threads on it. It seems to work for about 99% of those using it and it seems to work extremely well in pulling both nitrates and phosphates out. In fact so much, I believe the manufacturer recommends not using a skimmer, no carbon dosing, no gfo, and supplementing nitrates and iron eventually. Nitrates because they will go down to zero with excelled chaeto growth and iron to supplement the chaeto. Some of the problems that I've read about are primarily with phosphates zeroing out, but also things like hair algae contaminating the ARID and outcompeting the chaeto. Apparently it is also a balancing act with light and flow through the ARID so that you are not too successful with nitrate and phosphates, kinda like with bio pellets and finding a balance, if there is one.

Would you mind explaining more about the ARID REACTOR either in this thread or a new one. It's such an interesting approach and not well known. Also since you are utilizing both siporax and an ARID, do you worry about too much efficiency in nutrient removal. You have a lot of powerful modalities operating for nutrient removal, which also helps explain why you are nitrate dosing even after removing your bio pellet reactor. Your approach, equipment and materials hopefully can be shared so more of us can understand what new thoughts are out there.

I think simple is great and many of us have had great success with less is more of an approach. But sometimes new ideas shared as well as new technology leads to more ideas and hopefull ultimately more ease and better success.

Shnitzel , I also wanted to compliment you on starting multiple fascinating and helpful threads. This thread on pale sps, your co2 regulator build, etc. You share really interesting ideas and build the coolest stuff ever and take the time to document it all so we can learn (copy) from you. Kudos to you. And I hope I did not derail this great thread on pale sps, my apologies,if I did.

 

[pciscott]

I will try to put up something about the ARID C30, but it is easy to control for export. The longer the light is on the more it removes. I have it on a reverse cycle that overlaps a little and it has kept my PH above 8 even at night. I have it coming on at 9pm and off at 10am so if I do get too low I can cut down on the hours. So far only Chaeto, but since my Bubble Algae problem I am very careful not to let any unwanted macro algae in the tank. Pax Bellum has the idea of skimmerless, but my fish load will not let that happen. I do like that my fish and corals seem happy with all the food, my fingers are crossed that none of them find a taste for SPS as they did for LPS.

I have never dosed nitrates yet, but if there comes a day it will be proof that something is working in my system

I agree great thread, took me a while to figure out that ULNS was not the path my tank was happy on, I chased numbers for years. Glad that is over.

 

[solitude127]

Does fish poo = nitrates and phosphates or does the phosphates come from the uneaten food?
Kind of scary we're trying to understand the chemistry of fish poo.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Until you mentioned your "ARID REACTOR", I had never heard about it. So Google led to all kinds of interesting threads on it. It seems to work for about 99% of those using it and it seems to work extremely well in pulling both nitrates and phosphates out. In fact so much, I believe the manufacturer recommends not using a skimmer, no carbon dosing, no gfo, and supplementing nitrates and iron eventually. Nitrates because they will go down to zero with excelled chaeto growth and iron to supplement the chaeto. Some of the problems that I've read about are primarily with phosphates zeroing out, but also things like hair algae contaminating the ARID and outcompeting the chaeto. Apparently it is also a balancing act with light and flow through the ARID so that you are not too successful with nitrate and phosphates, kinda like with bio pellets and finding a balance, if there is one.

Would you mind explaining more about the ARID REACTOR either in this thread or a new one. It's such an interesting approach and not well known. Also since you are utilizing both siporax and an ARID, do you worry about too much efficiency in nutrient removal. You have a lot of powerful modalities operating for nutrient removal, which also helps explain why you are nitrate dosing even after removing your bio pellet reactor. Your approach, equipment and materials hopefully can be shared so more of us can understand what new thoughts are out there.

I think simple is great and many of us have had great success with less is more of an approach. But sometimes new ideas shared as well as new technology leads to more ideas and hopefull ultimately more ease and better success.

Shnitzel , I also wanted to compliment you on starting multiple fascinating and helpful threads. This thread on pale sps, your co2 regulator build, etc. You share really interesting ideas and build the coolest stuff ever and take the time to document it all so we can learn (copy) from you. Kudos to you. And I hope I did not derail this great thread on pale sps, my apologies,if I did.

I appreciate that. I always try to do some research on this hobby whenever I have free time. Might as well pass on any info I find interesting, who knows someone else might learn something new.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Zero Nitrates = Pastel Acros (dosing nitrates)

Until you mentioned your "ARID REACTOR", I had never heard about it. So Google led to all kinds of interesting threads on it. It seems to work for about 99% of those using it and it seems to work extremely well in pulling both nitrates and phosphates out. In fact so much, I believe the manufacturer recommends not using a skimmer, no carbon dosing, no gfo, and supplementing nitrates and iron eventually. Nitrates because they will go down to zero with excelled chaeto growth and iron to supplement the chaeto. Some of the problems that I've read about are primarily with phosphates zeroing out, but also things like hair algae contaminating the ARID and outcompeting the chaeto. Apparently it is also a balancing act with light and flow through the ARID so that you are not too successful with nitrate and phosphates, kinda like with bio pellets and finding a balance, if there is one.

Would you mind explaining more about the ARID REACTOR either in this thread or a new one. It's such an interesting approach and not well known. Also since you are utilizing both siporax and an ARID, do you worry about too much efficiency in nutrient removal. You have a lot of powerful modalities operating for nutrient removal, which also helps explain why you are nitrate dosing even after removing your bio pellet reactor. Your approach, equipment and materials hopefully can be shared so more of us can understand what new thoughts are out there.

.

ARID stands for, Algae, Remediation, Illuminated, Device. ARID has the capability to drive down phosphate to levels required for vigorous SPS growth without the need to constantly buy and replace chemical media. This biological filtration system works on the principle of what we at Pax Bellum LLC like to call "biological stoichiometry", the balance of products and reactants in a biological system by use of a biological medium as a nutrient export, in this case algae.
In the reef aquarium we are mainly concerned with balancing the nutrients N:K:C, with the goal of limiting phosphate(P). Potassium(K) and carbon(C) are usually never in short supply. However, nitrogen (N) can become depleted by the growth of the algae, causing its growth to stall. To keep the algae growing the aquarist should dose the nitrate solution that is part of the ARID system, maintaining the NO3 level around 1-5ppm. This will allow the Chaetomorpha to continue to grow until phosphate levels are depleted. Algae in this system, is our nutrient export. The Chaetomorpha is vigorously rinsed periodically and a portion discarded. The ARID system differs from a refugium in this way. Chaetomorpha is not viewed as a home for arthropods, copepods and the like.
I know what you're saying "œdose nitrates? Are you kidding? Don't we want to get rid of nitrates?" Nitrates have gotten a bad reputation through guilt by association. When we introduce food into our aquarium we have added a source of phosphates, nitrates and carbon compounds. Nitrates in the past were all we could test for accurately to determine nutrient build up. We didn't have the accurate phosphate tests we now have. So when nitrates rose in our tanks and coral growth slowed or worse, we blamed nitrates when in fact it was elevated phosphate levels disrupting coral growth.
The coaxial LED light tube design of the ARID maximizes light penetration and efficiency. The tube and flange design isolates the algae from atmospheric CO2 unlike a refugium. Where the algae is pushing through the water meniscus and interacting with atmospheric CO2. We did this in order to limit the carbon source for the algae to just that which is respired by the organisms found in the tank. This regulates the growth of the algae and organics that the algae leak into the water leading to water yellowing often associated with refugiums. Compounds that algae leak include sugars (polysaccharides) that aerobic bacteria consume. These bacteria can be found colonizing the surface of the Chaetomorpha, and will play a role as a nutrient export when they are rinsed away during the maintenance procedure. Polysaccharides additionally benefit the aquarium by functioning as a flocculent, binding to organics to precipitate them out of the water column, resulting in water that is crystal clear.
The ARID acts like a lung for your reef tank. Unlike a skimmer that equilibriates the O2 and CO2 levels to that of the surrounding room, a room that is often much higher in CO2 levels than found above a natural reef. The ARID supersaturates the tank with O2 much like phytoplankton does in the surface waters of the ocean. Another benefit from running the ARID on your reef aquarium system can be realized by running the light cycle reverse to your tank lighting (reverse daylight cycle). Reverse daylight cycle will balance the day/night ph swing, and maintain dissolved oxygen levels throughout the night when your main tank lights are switched off, and photosynthesis has ceased.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Does fish poo = nitrates and phosphates or does the phosphates come from the uneaten food?

Kind of scary we're trying to understand the chemistry of fish poo.

I believe the phosphates primarily come from preservatives and what not in the food we feed.

 

[watchguy123]

Not positive about phosphates. However, virtually all nitrates from food whether eaten or not, end up in water column

From: http://www.reefedition.com/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[seamonster124]

I should start selling my tank water. Complete with sought after nitrates

 

[Confuse]

Nick, I got the solution to your Nitrate problems........ADD MORE FISH!! My nitrates are through the roof! Haha

The tank is looking good man! Keep it up!

 

[pciscott]

I tested my water yesterday evening before the ARID came on around 9pm

8.4 Alk
450 CA
Mag 1500
Nitrate 7
P04 1.6
Salt 35 PPT

I was talking to Cory about how crazy it is that my P04 is so high and I am starting to think my Hanna packets that have a June 2015 date code might not be accurate because my colors are great and coral is happy. He said to test the water in the morning to see if the ARID is doing anything? I thought good Idea? This morning at 8am before my lights came on with same kit measured .1 so it pulled .06 out of the water over night.

I am going to order some new packets of regent and send off a Triton test to make sure my numbers are correct.

I am liking the ARID C30, except I need to modify my plumbing and add a drain down valve because the water level in the reactor is a bit high and it makes a mess when I clean in my fish room.

 

[BeanMachine]

I tested my water yesterday evening before the ARID came on around 9pm

8.4 Alk
450 CA
Mag 1500
Nitrate 7
P04 1.6
Salt 35 PPT

I was talking to Cory about how crazy it is that my P04 is so high and I am starting to think my Hanna packets that have a June 2015 date code might not be accurate because my colors are great and coral is happy. He said to test the water in the morning to see if the ARID is doing anything? I thought good Idea? This morning at 8am before my lights came on with same kit measured .1 so it pulled .06 out of the water over night.

I am going to order some new packets of regent and send off a Triton test to make sure my numbers are correct.

I am liking the ARID C30, except I need to modify my plumbing and add a drain down valve because the water level in the reactor is a bit high and it makes a mess when I clean in my fish room.

I tested my phosphates recently as well with the hanna and got .14... and had the same thought about the accuracy or the packets being expired. I have a couple more Triton tests and plan to do the same.

 

[dodgerblew]

Scott, I have a big unopened box of Hanna packets. I can check dates when I'm home on Friday.

I got in touch with Tristan and getting one of the ARID reactors. They make a small one for my size tank. I think it'll ship out in next week or so

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Scott, I have a big unopened box of Hanna packets. I can check dates when I'm home on Friday.

I got in touch with Tristan and getting one of the ARID reactors. They make a small one for my size tank. I think it'll ship out in next week or so

Do you have a refugium?

 

[pciscott]

I am going to clean out the Arid tonight and will post some pictures of my second harvest, the reactor grows chaeto Way faster than my refugiums ever did.

 

[dodgerblew]

Nick, I do not

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Just tested. Nitrates are .2-.5. Haven't dosed any potassium nitrate for a week or two. Gunna dose some more to try to get to at least 1. I have also noticed a decline in algae on my glass and also cyano. I don't wanna say it's completely gone, but it's def noticeable.

 

[CoralNerd]

Hey ShnitzelReef,

Do you run a fuge and grow chaeto or do you use an ARID. The ARID looks interesting. Also do you have a deep sand bed in your fuge? I'm thinking about slowly getting rid of my fuge deep sand bed which is about a yr old...my tank is so clean I don't think I need it.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Hey ShnitzelReef,

Do you run a fuge and grow chaeto or do you use an ARID. The ARID looks interesting. Also do you have a deep sand bed in your fuge? I'm thinking about slowly getting rid of my fuge deep sand bed which is about a yr old...my tank is so clean I don't think I need it.

My fuge is completely empty except for chaeto. No rocks, no sand, and no I do not run an ARID. Look interesting, but at this point I don't need anything else removing nitrates.

 

[pga7602]

meh, my nitrates are zero even when looking at the side of the cup (10x). I think a mature system will have zero nitrates. I feel like crazy though.. my sps have more solid colors than I can ever hope.

I don't test phosphates. I don't' there is a good titration test for phos unless you get a spectrometer and that's $$$ i don't want to spend.

 

[mannyhernz]

I am going to clean out the Arid tonight and will post some pictures of my second harvest, the reactor grows chaeto Way faster than my refugiums ever did.

Whats an ARID?