Hydrogen Sulfide in Reefs

[piranhaman00]

Hello,

I have been using an anaerobic reactor to heavily reduce nitrates, it works amazing but I am having troubles dialing it in. Most of the time, the effluent is 0ppm nitrate but there is a definite detectable sulfur odor, which I presume to by hydrogen sulfide. This is only evident in the effluent not the tank water.

Is there negative effects to this? I have not noticed any effects in my aquarium, although it’s a 450 gallon system so there may be a very slow buildup. Would carbon remove it if necessary?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hydrogen sulfide is quite toxic, but it can also be detected by smell at fairly low levels.

Hydrogen Sulfide and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Enderg60]

When I was running a sulfur reactor for nitrates there were times the feed would clog a bit and the tank would start to smell a bit. I would just adjust the effluent rate and run some carbon and the smell would be gone in a few hours. This happened 2-3 times a year and I never saw any negative effects.

That said, listen to randy over me.

 

[piranhaman00]

Hydrogen sulfide is quite toxic, but it can also be detected by smell at fairly low levels.

Hydrogen Sulfide and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Thanks, per this write up H2S is metabolized in the reef so it theory the H2S could be degraded before reaching dangerous levels?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, per this write up H2S is metabolized in the reef so it theory the H2S could be degraded before reaching dangerous levels?

It might be.

 

[piranhaman00]

Hydrogen sulfide is quite toxic, but it can also be detected by smell at fairly low levels.

Hydrogen Sulfide and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Read through the article again, what about if I passed the effluent containing H2S (by smell) through a reactor containing GFO? If this was to work would the effluent then contain no smell? The internet says elemental sulfur does not smell and only H2S has the rotten egg smell. Would this work?

I’ve also been dosing iron to assist in breaking down the H2S.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, the smell will decline or disappear if flow is not too fast.

 

[piranhaman00]

Yes, the smell will decline or disappear if flow is not too fast.

Excellent , I routed the effluent through a reactor containing a mix of carbon and gfo, very slow flow to run the anaerobic digestor, effluent through reactor has lost all egg smell. Hoping it lasts awhile before exhausting.

Any ideas on the longevity ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It may last a long time as it is a catalytic process as opposed to a binding process as with phosphate on GFO.

 

[GARRIGA]

Rumor has it that if one loses power using a canister filter for several hours that hydrogen sulfide could form thereby killing all inhabitants when power returns if one doesn't clean the canister by removing the water inside. I had a canisters and UG filters that would often experience loss of power including one which lasted three days. Not knowing the threat. Didn't bother doing anything about it. Therefore, is this old wives tales or valid and perhaps when turned back on since both filter types effluent near the surface then perhaps the filters gassed off any harmful contaminants caused by the power outage. Curious to know.