Poor Man's Nutrients Control - Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer

[Elgringodiablo]

The white vertical pipe is your dosing port?. If yes, I would tee-off this for emergency water backflow to sump in case of clogging. Clogging will happens due to excessive bacteria growth (overdosing), bio media tightly arranged (too small, when shaken it will rearrange itself covering any voids where water should flow) or detritus being introduced into the chamber (socks filter recommended). When I dismantle my old 3" chambers, not much detritus build up in it. As long as the flow is properly sets, it shouldn't shoot up thru the dosing pipe.

The white pipe on top is a 1/4" murlock check valve, can't T off it, but it does prevent fluid from exiting. I am attaching a BRS doser. When I have gotten the reactor to leak it's been through the top cap seams which aren't glued. Only does it when I open the valve past 2/3rds open. That said, I think it's likely stuff will lodge in my exit tube. May need to use screw on caps and some secondary form of drainage, maybe a 1/4" bulkhead out the top with a 1/4" rodi tube.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

The white pipe on top is a 1/4" murlock check valve, can't T off it, but it does prevent fluid from exiting. I am attaching a BRS doser. When I have gotten the reactor to leak it's been through the top cap seams which aren't glued. Only does it when I open the valve past 2/3rds open. That said, I think it's likely stuff will lodge in my exit tube. May need to use screw on caps and some secondary form of drainage, maybe a 1/4" bulkhead out the top with a 1/4" rodi tube.

I strongly recommend an emergency drainage just in case the chamber is clogged. Water flow will slow down once bacteria start colonizing the chambers. Proper sizing of bio media is crucial, if densely packed inside (at any section), clogging might happen sooner. That is the reason why I used rings and balls roughly an inch in sizes so that there will be some voids for water to flow freely.

 

[Ponraj A]

I have planned to make one with in sump and connecting to my return manifold, I have tried last weekend with the 1" unions in a 3" pipe and I dont like the gap between the unions and jam nuts in an 3" pipe (due to curve surface) where the leak is. So I have ordered for uniseal and will rebuilt it again after receipt of the same. Will post pictures once it installed and hope it also works for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I have planned to make one with in sump and connecting to my return manifold, I have tried last weekend with the 1" unions in a 3" pipe and I dont like the gap between the unions and jam nuts in an 3" pipe (due to curve surface) where the leak is. So I have ordered for uniseal and will rebuilt it again after receipt of the same. Will post pictures once it installed and hope it also works for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

My pleasure and thanks for trying my denitrator. Is should work satisfactorily if everything is in order. Those with auto doser should see a better result but surprisingly mine works fine with a single daily dosing. For cases where over feeding happens, I will dose twice. I don't test NO3/PO4 so frequent, my two side glass panels (non viewing panel) will indicate nutrient level (algae slime buildup).

 

[Ponraj A]

This is the stuff I am having to load in the nitrator, hope this will be ok,

left side tube - from bottom - Biorb porous bio motion balls ; ceramic ring big ; marine pure 1" cube ; Siporax ; Biorb porous bio motion balls
right side tube - from bottom - marine pure 1" cube ; matrix ; small size pumice rocks ; matrix

 

[Donovan Joannes]

This is the stuff I am having to load in the nitrator, hope this will be ok,

left side tube - from bottom - Biorb porous bio motion balls ; ceramic ring big ; marine pure 1" cube ; Siporax ; Biorb porous bio motion balls
right side tube - from bottom - marine pure 1" cube ; matrix ; small size pumice rocks ; matrix

Should be fine, but pumice stones (small) in my experience will densely packed if shaken. Hopefully the pumice stones layer is not thicker than 2".

 

[Ponraj A]

Is it ok If I make layers like Matrix, Pumice stones then again matrix, Pumice stones ...... or shall I fill it only with Matrix ?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Is it ok If I make layers like Matrix, Pumice stones then again matrix, Pumice stones ...... or shall I fill it only with Matrix ?

I will use only matrix as you don't need much of this stuff. The last 4 to 6 inches before your water outlet, sandwich a bigger media in between half inch matrix and repeat. Make sure you don't cover the outlet hose with bio media .

 

[Ponraj A]

Yes for sure . Thanks once again for your precious time and suggestions.

 

[tgp4274]

Following

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Free SPS, at the edge of dying at LFS. Let see how it goes...

 

[Elgringodiablo]

I have planned to make one with in sump and connecting to my return manifold, I have tried last weekend with the 1" unions in a 3" pipe and I dont like the gap between the unions and jam nuts in an 3" pipe (due to curve surface) where the leak is. So I have ordered for uniseal and will rebuilt it again after receipt of the same. Will post pictures once it installed and hope it also works for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Are you using PVC or ABS? You can probably throw some PVC glue or Transition Cement on the holes and the 1" union. I was able to seal the pipe on mine with multiple coats of transition cement.

 

[Ponraj A]

I am using the PVC and thats also I thought, but out of curiosity I have ordered the Uniseal. I will also try with transition cement this tomorrow and I hope it will also work for me. Thanks

 

[Elgringodiablo]

I got mine all plumbed and running last weekend. Probably should have taken more build pictures. I'll post my results when I test my water on Sunday.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Did you seed with bacteria?. Looks good man. Good job!

 

[Elgringodiablo]

Yeah, I put about 60 gallons worth of Dr. Tim's in there and recirculated the water between the reactor and a bucket for about 24 hours before installing. Been dosing about 3ml NoPoX per day via dosing pump. Ramping that up over the next few weeks.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

First sign of working denitrator will be snotty slime and reduced flow. Good luck!

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Check out my tank thread. A working bacteria driven system is easy to maintain, most importantly it's super cheap to run.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/djs-mixed-reef-bacteria-driven-system.314753/

 

[Ponraj A]

I have installed mine in the last weekend and three days dosing with 5ml of MB7 and today dosed also together 5ml of VSV.

Water inlet from return manifold

Water outlet from the reactor

Connection between both the reactors

I hope this will work for me too as like others. Will keep you updated after the test result in a week.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Monitor the effluent every other day @Ponraj A. I never came across this thing doesn't work. Wish you all the best and may the force be with you .

I'am a firm believer of what nature can do, do it correctly and you will see the light shining on you .

Have you visited my tank thread?. It might not be as glorious, what I am trying to emphasize here is "let's nature do the work for you, there is nothing more rewarding than watching your coral grows". Forget about the colors, it will appear at the right moment when you least expected.

Hahaha...