Discussing nitrate reduction

[Lasse]

Feed it with a slow going dosing pump in the ingoing water. Use a diluted DOC. Some dosing pumps can dose as low as 0.1 ml/min and these dosing can be spread during the day. I use 8 % ethanol (or vodka) and dose around 24 ml of this during the day. But I have a high flow system (high for nitrate destroyers) that give around 86 L/h. It gives around 2000 L per day through the filter. 24 ml/day 8% ethanol gives 0.012 ml per "run through" L of aquarium water and day. If you have 100 L/day through your filter - you need to dose around 1,2 ml 8% ethanol a day. If it is difficult for you to dose this small amount with an even distribution throughout the day - just dilute your DOC more. If you use a 0.8 % ethanol solution - you have 12 ml to distribute through the day. if it is 0.08 % - you need 120 ml a day and so on. You have to take all figures here between the index finger and the thumb - but at least you something to start with.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[WillpoleReefers]

Thanks for the info. Yes, my denitrator is basically the same thing. Not as big though. I have always run it off of a manifold for the feed water and then have a valve on the output to control the flow down to 1 drip per 2 seconds. So it’s fully controllable. My only dilemma is how to feed the carbon source into the reactor

Earlier in this thread I was questioning using my reactor without sulfur. That is basically what your deltec is doing unless that deltec media is made of something to support the bacteria, like sulfur. As Garriga said, I’d like to know what that’s made of.

I don’t think the Deltec medium has any nutrient function as the feeding is achieved using alcohol. What I have never been able to confirm is whether the Deltec fluid actually offers significant advantage over straight ethanol or even a home prepared alcohol mix. My plan was to get this running at the rate I want then trial switch away from Deltec fluid and monitor.

My nutrient is fed using a cheap Jebao type peri pump. You would just have to arrange a T into the pump line to manage this, via a small non return valve as on the Deltec.

Given that increasing flow by 3ml per min can switch this thing from denitration to aerobic nitrate production personally I would be wary of feeding it from a pump T arrangement. I think the inflow needs to be pretty precise based on initial experience.

Steve

 

[Mickey]

Thanks. I bought my tank Phyto for Christmas and immediately crashed Nitrates from 10 ish down to 0 in about 2 weeks.

I didn't know if that's a normal/intended response or if I did something wrong.

Out of curiosity, how large is your tank and how much phyto did you add, or are you adding and how often?

 

[mythesis]

Out of curiosity, how large is your tank and how much phyto did you add, or are you adding and how often?

90 gal + 20 sump

Tank is only about 6-8 months old

I was adding about 50-100 ml every day.

You can see I did this once back in October and stopped, then tried it again in December and have stopped.

Nitrates are slowly climbing up again (just tested at 0.4).

 

[Mickey]

90 gal + 20 sump

Tank is only about 6-8 months old

I was adding about 50-100 ml every day.

You can see I did this once back in October and stopped, then tried it again in December and have stopped.

Nitrates are slowly climbing up again (just tested at 0.4).

Hmm. Interesting. Other than a spike in August, your nitrate levels seem very low, regardless. Even the "spike" is only at 15. Not sure I'd attribute anything that small to simply adding phyto. I actually think your nitrates are too low and the "spike" at 15 was a better number.

 

[mythesis]

Hmm. Interesting. Other than a spike in August, your nitrate levels seem very low, regardless. Even the "spike" is only at 15. Not sure I'd attribute anything that small to simply adding phyto. I actually think your nitrates are too low and the "spike" at 15 was a better number.

Yeah, I just bought some Ammonium BiCarbonate and will start trying to dose to elevate that.

Or, you know...buy more fish :)

I'm already running the skimmer super low, basically as low as it goes.

 

[kenjung]

I’m considering running a small macro tank. Just haven’t fully decided on a solution yet.

How do you know the macro is doing all that nitrate reduction and not some other biological means contributing heavily to it? Just curious.

Just discover to this topic, I am running 2 sumps, one use for regular duty protein skimmer and pumps. 2nd dedicated as refugium to avoid light spilling and turning everything in the sump to nasty algae zone. For me successful refugium was generating flow so water flow over the top of Chaeto, a standing water refugium didn't work. Extra sump are cheap on FB. The trick part is plumbing the 2 sumps. NO3 is between 11 to 15, Pho is 0, I have 500 G system, and my water change is 30 gallon every 2 weeks, Acro and LPS are doing great. I test NO3 every 2 to 3 days, this is new additional to my been going for 3 months. Before I had 60 NO3, from Hanna tester. My system has 5 medium to large Tangs.