Yup, you might have to stick your nose quite often in there until it dialed in. Shouldn't be problem but getting it dialled properly will take some times. Just be vigilant with the media, it might get clogged with bacteria or detritus.
New sulfur denitrator working great!
- Thread starter lawise
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Yup, you might have to stick your nose quite often in there until it dialed in. Shouldn't be problem but getting it dialled properly will take some times. Just be vigilant with the media, it might get clogged with bacteria or detritus.
My denitrator is not a sulfur based unit, but the functionality is quite similar. It will produce hydrogen sulfide when it start dripping. My effluent output is roughly 25ml per 10 seconds. It is streaming actually.
ReeferBud
Active Member
I'm settting up a new tank and strongly considering an aquamaxx denitrator.
The only thing holding me back is the bad reputation (the why don't more people use them that's been discussed in this thread) and H2S concerns.
Regarding H2S, how have you dealt with this when the reactor gets out of balance? How bad is the smell and how long does it take to go away? Have there been any studies on what levels of H2S can be produced from a denitrator? In my case, i'll be going with the large TS3 model for a 500gal tank.
Below is some safety information I found on H2S:
Exposure to lower concentrations can result in eye irritation, a sore throat and cough, nausea, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs(pulmonary edema).[25] These effects are believed to be due to the fact that hydrogen sulfide combines with alkali present in moist surface tissues to form sodium sulfide, a caustic.[30] These symptoms usually go away in a few weeks.
Long-term, low-level exposure may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory, and dizziness. Chronic exposure to low level H
2S (around 2 ppm) has been implicated in increased miscarriage and reproductive health issues among Russian and Finnish wood pulp workers,[31] but the reports have not (as of circa 1995) been replicated.
Short-term, high-level exposure can induce immediate collapse, with loss of breathing and a high probability of death. If death does not occur, high exposure to hydrogen sulfide can lead to cortical pseudolaminar necrosis, degeneration of the basal ganglia and cerebral edema.[25] Although respiratory paralysis may be immediate, it can also be delayed up to 72 hours.[32]
The only thing holding me back is the bad reputation (the why don't more people use them that's been discussed in this thread) and H2S concerns.
Regarding H2S, how have you dealt with this when the reactor gets out of balance? How bad is the smell and how long does it take to go away? Have there been any studies on what levels of H2S can be produced from a denitrator? In my case, i'll be going with the large TS3 model for a 500gal tank.
Below is some safety information I found on H2S:
Exposure to lower concentrations can result in eye irritation, a sore throat and cough, nausea, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs(pulmonary edema).[25] These effects are believed to be due to the fact that hydrogen sulfide combines with alkali present in moist surface tissues to form sodium sulfide, a caustic.[30] These symptoms usually go away in a few weeks.
Long-term, low-level exposure may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory, and dizziness. Chronic exposure to low level H
2S (around 2 ppm) has been implicated in increased miscarriage and reproductive health issues among Russian and Finnish wood pulp workers,[31] but the reports have not (as of circa 1995) been replicated.
Short-term, high-level exposure can induce immediate collapse, with loss of breathing and a high probability of death. If death does not occur, high exposure to hydrogen sulfide can lead to cortical pseudolaminar necrosis, degeneration of the basal ganglia and cerebral edema.[25] Although respiratory paralysis may be immediate, it can also be delayed up to 72 hours.[32]
- 0.00047 ppm or 0.47 ppb is the odor threshold, the point at which 50% of a human panel can detect the presence of an odor without being able to identify it.[33]
- 10 ppm is the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) (8 hour time-weighted average).[16]
- 10–20 ppm is the borderline concentration for eye irritation.
- 20 ppm is the acceptable ceiling concentration established by OSHA.[16]
- 50 ppm is the acceptable maximum peak above the ceiling concentration for an 8-hour shift, with a maximum duration of 10 minutes.[16]
- 50–100 ppm leads to eye damage.
- At 100–150 ppm the olfactory nerve is paralyzed after a few inhalations, and the sense of smell disappears, often together with awareness of danger.[34][35]
- 320–530 ppm leads to pulmonary edemawith the possibility of death.[25]
- 530–1000 ppm causes strong stimulation of the central nervous system and rapid breathing, leading to loss of breathing.
- 800 ppm is the lethal concentration for 50% of humans for 5 minutes' exposure (LC50).
- Concentrations over 1000 ppm cause immediate collapse with loss of breathing, even after inhalation of a single breath.
Here is my current effluent output. As you can see, it is not dripping, it's streaming. Just tested my water for NO3 and it's around 1 - 3ppm.
Mine is streaming and at this rate I am keeping nitrate below 5ppm. Tested today and it's below 3ppm.
jt17
Valuable Member
I too like to feed my fish well and always battle nitrates. I'm currently vinegar dosing but have been curious about sulfur reactors but my main concern has been what happens after you need to service the reactor? Does the bacteria population endure and carry on without a "cycle" or do you see a jump in nitrates while the reactor re establishes?
LobsterOfJustice
Valuable Member
I'm running a Geo's Reef unit on a 180g tank. I think Geo has come out with an updated model since I bought mine 2 years ago. It could definitely handle a tank at least twice the size of mine, in fact I think the hardest part of dialing it in is that it is too efficient...
https://premiumaquatics.com/products/geo-nitrate-reactor.html
LobsterOfJustice
Valuable Member
H2S generation is not a concern for you or your tank inhabitants. First of all, look at the data above and see the tremendous discrepancy between the odor threshold and the level at which it actually becomes a concern. From what I understand, I dont think the reactor should be producing hydrogen sulfide if it is operating correctly anyway (although I'm not sure the exact chemical pathway of nitrate reduction). Any H2S that is introduced to the tank will be diluted out tremendously and I believe would be offgassed by diffusion or skimming.
When breaking in the reactor (I have done this twice, once when I initially bought it 2 years ago, and again recently after a move) there will likely be times you smell H2S. Simply increase the flow in the reactor and the smell will go away. I have never seen any adverse effects to the tank inhabitants when the reactor is stinking up the fish room during break-in.
Basically:
1. If you measure nitrates coming our of the reactor, lower the flow.
2. If you measure 0 nitrates coming out of the reactor, increase the flow.
3. If you smell H2S, increase the flow.
In my experience it takes just a few weeks of fiddling and then it will be fine for months. I ran mine for 1.5 years without servicing it, and basically no adjustments, until I moved. If you do want to break down the unit for servicing, I would rinse the media out in tank water vs tap water to save the bacteria. I would expect you will be back up and running in about 2 weeks which should not cause much of an issue for the tank. Any extra nitrates the build up while it is coming back online it will gladly destroy once it's cycled again.
The only thing that caused me a little issue was the aragonite media - after 1.5 years in the initial setup, the media became soft and chalk-like. I tried to re-use the same media when I set up the unit on the new tank but after a few weeks the aragonite fines were clogging the unit. I could have replaced the media with fresh aragonite but I simply chose to move the aragonite to a separate container (specimen container with a hole drilled in the bottom, hanging on side of sump).
When breaking in the reactor (I have done this twice, once when I initially bought it 2 years ago, and again recently after a move) there will likely be times you smell H2S. Simply increase the flow in the reactor and the smell will go away. I have never seen any adverse effects to the tank inhabitants when the reactor is stinking up the fish room during break-in.
Basically:
1. If you measure nitrates coming our of the reactor, lower the flow.
2. If you measure 0 nitrates coming out of the reactor, increase the flow.
3. If you smell H2S, increase the flow.
In my experience it takes just a few weeks of fiddling and then it will be fine for months. I ran mine for 1.5 years without servicing it, and basically no adjustments, until I moved. If you do want to break down the unit for servicing, I would rinse the media out in tank water vs tap water to save the bacteria. I would expect you will be back up and running in about 2 weeks which should not cause much of an issue for the tank. Any extra nitrates the build up while it is coming back online it will gladly destroy once it's cycled again.
The only thing that caused me a little issue was the aragonite media - after 1.5 years in the initial setup, the media became soft and chalk-like. I tried to re-use the same media when I set up the unit on the new tank but after a few weeks the aragonite fines were clogging the unit. I could have replaced the media with fresh aragonite but I simply chose to move the aragonite to a separate container (specimen container with a hole drilled in the bottom, hanging on side of sump).
Sorry for the delay I do prison ministry Sunday mornings. Not completely sure but I know from videos on it that it is maintenance free for 2 to 3 years so after that time I would assume you can change the sulfur and calcium and use a little of the old to re-establish but may take a week or two for bacteria to colonize enough, but I don't think it would be a big issue. I know sulfur I have enough for another change and calcium for many more changes.
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