Does Prime affect denitrifying bacteria cycle?

[jasonrusso]

I'm trying to lower my nitrates from 100. I recently put a sulfur denitrator on line 2 weeks ago.

I am tired of the heartbreak of suddenly losing lionfish (I love the little guys) and my research found that lionfish are perhaps more sensitive to nitrates than the others in the tank. My new lionfish started acting weird (panting), so I decided to take measures to battle this. At that time I started dosing 25ml of prime (225 gallon system) every 36 hours and within 2 days everyone started acting better. I didn't notice the difference before, but I see it now. My plan is to continue the prime dosing until NO3 is at a more reasonable level.

Maybe I am being unrealistic, but it has been 2 weeks and the NO3 of the effluent from the reactor (a few drops a second) is still the same as the tank water. I did have to take it apart last weekend because I was trying to settle the media and I sucked some ARM into the return pump so it was not recirculating. I probably restarted the cycle by doing that, or did I? I just read some reports that it starts working after 3-4 days, but others say months.

So will Prime affect the bacteria? Seachem says no. Am I being unreasonable expecting to see some sort of result after 2 weeks (not in the tank water, but the effluent). Can I add anything to kick start the cycle?

I'm still carbon dosing, does that matter?

 

[dantimdad]

Never used a sulfur denitrator in the sense you are.

We used coil denitrators in the 90s and they took a couple months to work properly.

Prime will not impact bacteria.

 

[jasonrusso]

Never used a sulfur denitrator in the sense you are.

We used coil denitrators in the 90s and they took a couple months to work properly.

Prime will not impact bacteria.

It's the same principle, small amount of water in and out and recirculate internally to starve the O2 out of the water.

A couple months, that's what I was expecting, but not hoping for!

 

[dantimdad]

We didn't recirculate ours. It was just a slow drip through about 100' of 1/4" hose inside a long piece of 6" pvc to keep it coiled and in the dark.

If I recall correctly, it was about 2 drips a second. While it did remove nitrate, to me, the expense wasn't worth it and the space it took up. When I switched to chaeto and a remote deep sand bed I had much better results.

Nowadays, I don't worry about nitrate at all. I do 5 gallon water change every week (total water volume around 100 gallons) and just keep an eye on things.

 

[SeaDweller]

Remember, I didn’t see results until week 4-5 from the reactor. And now I have 2.5 ppm no3 in my tank, and that’s too low for me. I’m thinking of taking it offline now. I want 5 ppm.

 

[jasonrusso]

Remember, I didn’t see results until week 4-5 from the reactor. And now I have 2.5 ppm no3 in my tank, and that’s too low for me. I’m thinking of taking it offline now. I want 5 ppm.

No change in effluent for 4-5 weeks?

 

[SeaDweller]

No change in effluent for 4-5 weeks?

Nope. If anything it comes out incorrect because of the NO2.

Now, it’s running about 35 ml/min, which processes about 13 gallons per day with almost 4 gallons/hr inflow

I didn’t see zero ppm effluent until about 4-5 weeks AFTER 300-400 gallons of water change. It could have been coincidence at that point. Just keep at it man, it’ll show results.

 

[jasonrusso]

Nope. If anything it comes out incorrect because of the NO2.

Now, it’s running about 35 ml/min, which processes about 13 gallons per day with almost 4 gallons/hr inflow

I didn’t see zero ppm effluent until about 4-5 weeks AFTER 300-400 gallons of water change. It could have been coincidence at that point. Just keep at it man, it’ll show results.

I'm not ready to give up by any means. I was being unreasonable with my expectations. I thought by using "activated" sulfur I would see something happen now, but I'll be patient.

 

[jasonrusso]

I also wanted to confirm that Prime doesn't screw with the cycle.

 

[SeaDweller]

I also wanted to confirm that Prime doesn't screw with the cycle.

I don’t see why it would. It just detoxifies ammonia right? When the anaerobic bacteria build up, they’ll consume the NO3...

 

[jasonrusso]

I don’t see why it would. It just detoxifies ammonia right? When the anaerobic bacteria build up, they’ll consume the NO3...

Ammonia, nitrite, and the reason I'm using it. Nitrate

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don’t think there’s evidence of exactly what Prime does to bacteria, but temporary use does not apparently lead to nitrogen cycle problems.

 

[SeaDweller]

How goes it?

 

[jasonrusso]

How goes it?

So much to say. Still dosing Prime every 36 hours. Nitrates were still present last weekend in the reactor effluent. I tested the effluent for nitrites and it was positive so this indicates that it is still cycling. I bought an ORP probe for the reactor as well.

Just for the hell of it, I tested the main tank for nitrites (I haven't tested in years) and it was also positive, the same level as the effluent. Like I said, I haven't tested the DT for a long time, but maybe my nitrates aren't as high as I thought because nitrites will jack up a nitrate test. The tank is 6 years old, so I am sure it is cycled.

Where did the nitrites come from? Does Prime cause this? Does the AZ-NO3 cause this? Does the effluent cause this (I doubt it because it is only a few drops a second).

The nitrates are testing a bit lower as well, maybe 75 (I mixed 2ml or ro and 1ml tank), and that's with the nitrites still present, so does AZ-NO3 work? It's doing something because it keeps clogging the filter socks and foaming my skimmer.

So, today I stopped dosing the AZ-NO3 and tomorrow I have a big bottle of Turbostart 900 (tested to be the best on this site). I'll put that in, hopefully it will combat the nitrites in a week or so, and I will test again hopefully getting an accurate test.

Today ORP in the reactor was -160 and the water looked hazy. I think this is a bacterial bloom so that should be a good sign that the bacteria is growing.

 

[SeaDweller]

So much to say. Still dosing Prime every 36 hours. Nitrates were still present last weekend in the reactor effluent. I tested the effluent for nitrites and it was positive so this indicates that it is still cycling. I bought an ORP probe for the reactor as well.

Just for the hell of it, I tested the main tank for nitrites (I haven't tested in years) and it was also positive, the same level as the effluent. Like I said, I haven't tested the DT for a long time, but maybe my nitrates aren't as high as I thought because nitrites will jack up a nitrate test. The tank is 6 years old, so I am sure it is cycled.

Where did the nitrites come from? Does Prime cause this? Does the AZ-NO3 cause this? Does the effluent cause this (I doubt it because it is only a few drops a second).

The nitrates are testing a bit lower as well, maybe 75 (I mixed 2ml or ro and 1ml tank), and that's with the nitrites still present, so does AZ-NO3 work? It's doing something because it keeps clogging the filter socks and foaming my skimmer.

So, today I stopped dosing the AZ-NO3 and tomorrow I have a big bottle of Turbostart 900 (tested to be the best on this site). I'll put that in, hopefully it will combat the nitrites in a week or so, and I will test again hopefully getting an accurate test.

Today ORP in the reactor was -160 and the water looked hazy. I think this is a bacterial bloom so that should be a good sign that the bacteria is growing.

Awesome man.

I’ve never had cloudy water or effluent or junk in the reactor. I’ve now been able to run the effluent at 70 ml/min and it’s producing 0.0 ppm NO3 from the effluent. These things DO work man. It’s crazy. I had to cut back on fuge lighting to allow NO3 to creep up to 2.5 ppm from 0.5 ppm. Almost had to take the reactor offline.

 

[jasonrusso]

Awesome man.

I’ve never had cloudy water or effluent or junk in the reactor. I’ve now been able to run the effluent at 70 ml/min and it’s producing 0.0 ppm NO3 from the effluent. These things DO work man. It’s crazy. I had to cut back on fuge lighting to allow NO3 to creep up to 2.5 ppm from 0.5 ppm. Almost had to take the reactor offline.

I've seen bacterial blooms (normally from carbon dosing) and they are always cloudy so I am just assuming that is what it is.

I made a DIY unit for my 34 gallon reef tank with the leftover sulfur.

 

[SeaDweller]

Why are you dosing prime again? For the NO3?

 

[jasonrusso]

Why are you dosing prime again? For the NO3?

Yes, I was starting to see my new lionfish becoming withdrawn and no appetite (the same as my old lionfish that recently died). Within 24 hours of the Prime, he was back to normal. The I noticed that all the fish started acting better. They were less skittish and had better color as well.

 

[SeaDweller]

Yes, I was starting to see my new lionfish becoming withdrawn and no appetite (the same as my old lionfish that recently died). Within 24 hours of the Prime, he was back to normal. The I noticed that all the fish started acting better. They were less skittish and had better color as well.

You’re positive there’s no ammonia?

 

[jasonrusso]

You’re positive there’s no ammonia?

According to Red Sea and API, no