Nitrates elimination autotrophic denitratation

[mashmallow]

Hi people,

Any one of you hardcores reefers tried this Nitrates elimination by autotrophic denitratation on sulfur alr.

Topic is what are the aftermath on using this method to elimination Nitrates.

The Good & The Bad........

I tired it and I personally think it cool.

[arcanehacker]

This was what I heard at a LFS.. one guy very interested in getting this product. The shop owner told him not to use it.. or sorta not in the idea of sulpher denitrator. Something about causing a catastrophe if something bad happens..

and he also said, sulpher base denitrators has been in the market for a very very long time. If its good, it would have been picked up long long time ago..

This is only what I overheard.. sounds quite reasonable.. why isn't it widely used since sulpher has been in the market for so long? there must be a reason behind it..

[mashmallow]

Thanks arcanehacker for your reply....

Any good soul out there got any articles or write up with the facts on why Nitrates elimination by autotrophic denitratation on sulfur is bad.....what is the reason that people are not using it!!!

SOS!!!!!

[AhLoon]

depending on which side of the coin you're looking at.

there are reefers here that uses sulphur based denitration with excellent results.

[Tigger]

This was what I heard at a LFS.. one guy very interested in getting this product. The shop owner told him not to use it.. or sorta not in the idea of sulpher denitrator. Something about causing a catastrophe if something bad happens..

and he also said, sulpher base denitrators has been in the market for a very very long time. If its good, it would have been picked up long long time ago..

This is only what I overheard.. sounds quite reasonable.. why isn't it widely used since sulpher has been in the market for so long? there must be a reason behind it..

Reason why it is not kicking off is the high cost. Can u imagine paying more than $1000 for a sulphur base denitrator?

[Melvyn Tan]

There are decent German made sulphur filters that works well and is reliable - cost wise should set you about S$600/- including the food source (sulphur beads).

I have personally use it and it works, you can make a search to find out more in sgreefclub.

[Melvyn Tan]

Can SEED this first Sulphur based denitrification

[Melvyn Tan]

Ingenious Tigger ! Someday maybe you can mod my cheapo eheim 1260 to that of a Red Dragon you are using...

[Tigger]

Ingenious Tigger !  Someday maybe you can mod my cheapo eheim 1260 to that of a Red Dragon you are using...

Nay, no way i can do it. The cost of modification (if its ever possible) will be more than the price for a brand new RD. Uncle Sam shld be able to gif u a good price in view of the support you have shown. If that happens, mind if I piggy back on yr RD too.

Opps, sori to the tread started, off topic.

In conclusion, S base denitrator works. If u have the dough, a german denitrator is the way to go.

Else u can choose to DIY/Convert a normal CR to a S base denitrator.

[Melvyn Tan]

Too bad uncle sam no Red Dragon, anyway no money to buy, eheim will suffice...

But if you wanna piggy back others like xxxze, can get excellent cost (near distributor cost) from Israelis' contact...they have CR medias equivalent to ARM, D&D, Grotech etc.. their local produce...Israel leh will be superior...

[Tigger]

Too bad uncle sam no Red Dragon, anyway no money to buy, eheim will suffice...

But if you wanna piggy back tunze, can get excellent cost (distributor cost) from Israelis' contact...they have CR medias equivalent to ARM, D&D, Grotech etc.. their local produce...Israel leh will be superior...

Bro, I m very sure yr PM will flood. Seems like u have all the kangtaos and I can kiss my progress package good bye liao. Our Bro Sunny03 will be very interested too.

Off topic. Sori again to tread started. Apologies.

[Melvyn Tan]

In conclusion, S base denitrator works. If u have the dough, a german denitrator is the way to go.

Else u can choose to DIY/Convert a normal CR to a S base denitrator.

In the modification from old CR to sulphur based denitrification, be sure to employ a top venting for drips and degassing from nitrogen production...

[Tigger]

In the modification from old CR to sulphur based denitrification, be sure to employ a top venting for drips and degassing from nitrogen production...

I fully agree w bro MT. My existing CR fails to consider it and resulted in me having to tilt the CR after a few days to release the N2 gas built up.

Having said that, i know of some local DIY CR have this special CO2 release valve to bleed off excess CO2, I m sure this will come in handy to release the N2 built up.

It is also a know fact from both commercial and my DIY unit that the effluent out put tends to clog (due to bacteria film form), its is also highly recommended users "flush" their unit by full blasting the NR once a while (maybe once a month) to have optimal performance in their NR.

[Melvyn Tan]

Periodic flushing is good...i experience it differently - the bottom sulphur beads gets clogged perhaps due to 2 reasons;

1) Too slow dripping (high viscousity due to the brown film causing bottoming)

2) Too much sulphur used (compaction) as i used more than 2/3 column as instructed (seems like design calculation has been factored in by the germans)

Releasing the rate from drips to flow will correct this (believe this needs to be done once the s-based filter kicks in). My s-based filter is ok once i let it flow...

[sunny03]

Bro MT

updATE your tank leh

it been a long long time since i last went to ur place... want to look at all ur german stuff ....

[Tigger]

Bro MT

updATE your tank leh

it been a long long time since i last went to ur place... want to look at all ur german stuff ....

yah bro MT, speaking of that, have not heard from u on the new CR u acquired some time ago. How is it running along?

[gunzo]

Does the effluent create any ionic imbalance or fluctuations in concentrations ??

Possibility of the sulphur getting into the system ??

I guess the merit of this system compared to el naturel is it works pretty fast ?? (timeline for fast is 1 month or so)

I'm using the cheap way of doing things .. so wondering if we really need to go to these expensive and sophisticated devices ..

Self regenerating no effluent all natural DSB

takes a while to bring nitrates down though .. about 6 weeks or so ..

[Melvyn Tan]

Running fine...pretty amazing to be able to keep so many fishes and some sps thrive but some gone...some sps spreads (base) and grows fast and fishes dun disturb the polyps anymore (good thing)...

[Melvyn Tan]

Does the effluent create any ionic imbalance or fluctuations in concentrations ??

Possibility of the sulphur getting into the system ??

I guess the merit of this system compared to el naturel is it works pretty fast ?? (timeline for fast is 1 month or so)

I'm using the cheap way of doing things .. so wondering if we really need to go to these expensive and sophisticated devices ..

Self regenerating no effluent all natural DSB

takes a while to bring nitrates down though .. about 6 weeks or so ..

I am having a 3 ft tank with softcorals and 3 fishes - ABT, Chevron and parrot fish and is using plenum + canister filtration only. It is even without skimmer and it works fine.

As to the question whether equipments and all that sophistication required (it is no sophistication at all as all the equipments are quite straight forward in concept and design) yes when you want to push the boundary to exceed the maximum fish keeping capacity and yet want to keep water clean for corals to survive.

Tried both methods of fish/marine keeping and both ok except with the equipments it becomes more controllable and can push the limits.

[Tigger]

Running fine...pretty amazing to be able to keep so many fishes and some sps thrive

So when can we expect some frags from u?

[Melvyn Tan]

Mine common ones leh...u guys want?

[gunzo]

I am having a 3 ft tank with softcorals and 3 fishes - ABT, Chevron and parrot fish and is using plenum + canister filtration only. It is even without skimmer and it works fine.

As to the question whether equipments and all that sophistication required (it is no sophistication at all as all the equipments are quite straight forward in concept and design) yes when you want to push the boundary to exceed the maximum fish keeping capacity and yet want to keep water clean for corals to survive.

Tried both methods of fish/marine keeping and both ok except with the equipments it becomes more controllable and can push the limits.

do you get 0 nitrate??

I am doing almost the same and I have about 25 fishes (before lst week )

as in I feed twice a day.. once with henry's mix and once with pellets plus mysis every 3 days for my suns.. and my nitrate is always at 20ppm.. never changed never fluctuated..

OT ranting

Last week thought I could lower it abit by changing water.. so stirred the sand to get shitz out changed about 15% water..

nitrate went upwards of 50ppm immediately

for that clown move.. I lost 1 RG 1 anthias and 1 blenny.. 2 hardy fish!!

have not changed water since setting up RDSB..just bcos of the lure of 0ppm...

remind me don't change water again!!

[Melvyn Tan]

The lowest to date i gotten from my tank is 2.5ppm. If you run the S-filter correctly it should give you very low nitrate levels.

25 fishes is quite alot of fishes. Are they small or big fishes? My 3 angels are big (french, asfur, blue faced) tangs are big (sohal, yellow, mimic, orange shoulder) a small school of chromis (blue-green), mandarin, spotted blotched hawkfish.

All are very big except my mandarin, even for my chromis, its bigger than what you can find in the lfs duh !

Awaiting some more fishes hhehhe & corals.

[gunzo]

The lowest to date i gotten from my tank is 2.5ppm. If you run the S-filter correctly it should give you very low nitrate levels.

25 fishes is quite alot of fishes. Are they small or big fishes? My 3 angels are big (french, asfur, blue faced) tangs are big (sohal, yellow, mimic, orange shoulder) a small school of chromis (blue-green), mandarin, spotted blotched hawkfish.

All are very big except my mandarin, even for my chromis, its bigger than what you can find in the lfs duh !

Awaiting some more fishes hhehhe & corals.

my definition of big is approx. >3.5" (my tank is only 3x1.5x2)

I have 7 big fishes, 8 medium fishes(2-3") and another 7-8 small fishes (shrimp gobies)

I have 5 shrimps, 1 big crab and multiple unwanted crabs (dunno how crusteceans contribute to waste)

1 thing for certain..

twice I've turned off the pump to the RDSB.. 1/2 day is all it takes for no3 to rise to 50ppm so I'm certain my dsb works very well.. just unsightly

so at 20ppm I guess its ok but not ideal??

no wories about ph fluctuations, effluents, media topups ..

just gotta believe it works

[Melvyn Tan]

In my opinion at 20ppm is ok as along as the corals (if you are having any) can tolerate the levels. Too high levels of nitrate/phosphate/silicate etc may get absorbed into the sand bed or rocks and may present some future problems just as i have experienced.