Seachem Denitrate in sump

[vareefer1979]

Has anyone had any experience with Seachem Denitrate in sump, using bottle with holes to reduce water flow to help create anaerobic bacteria to decrease nitrates ? I only used 4 holes, 2 on each side, one near top and the other near bottom. Just wondering if this will work without use of reactor??

Thanks

 

[GHOSTLY]

I had mine thrown in the sump but never really noticed a difference. It is just super porous rock but ive seen people use the waterfall method for it

 

[Subsea]

Has anyone had any experience with Seachem Denitrate in sump, using bottle with holes to reduce water flow to help create anaerobic bacteria to decrease nitrates ? I only used 4 holes, 2 on each side, one near top and the other near bottom. Just wondering if this will work without use of reactor??

Thanks

Fifty five years ago, when I started reefing, the Jaubert plenum was used with DSB to perform denitrification.

Now 55 years later, I dose ammonia because the coral is the biofilter that needs inorganic nitrogen.

Also, as a municipal wastewater superintendent, we used the same bacteria in a reducing oxygen environment to scavenge oxygen from the nitrate molecule and release free nitrogen gas molecule as a nutrient export mechanism that is measured directly with reduced inorganic nitrate and reduced inorganic orthophosphate because of nutrient recycling into bacteria biomass. If you are operating a protein skimmer, then you are exporting carbon in the form of skimmate.

Overview

Facultative bacteria are vital in wastewater treatment as they survive in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, switching metabolisms based on oxygen availability. They break down organic matter, reduce BOD, and operate efficiently in lagoons, suspended growth systems, or in the low-oxygen zones of bioreactors.

YouTube +4

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would not assume any sort of nitrifying or denitrifying media added to a sump is going to be particularly useful.

Do you have excessive nitrate? Many folks have what I consider an inaccurate idea of how bad nitrate is. Some great tanks have 100 ppm nitrate.

This is what I recommend:

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

from it:

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

 

[vareefer1979]

I would not assume any sort of nitrifying or denitrifying media added to a sump is going to be particularly useful.

Do you have excessive nitrate? Many folks have what I consider an inaccurate idea of how bad nitrate is. Some great tanks have 100 ppm nitrate.

This is what I recommend:

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

from it:

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

I am running standard 75-gallon tank with 20-gallon sump. Tank has been running for 2 yrs, the first year I ran turf algae scrubber once nitrates started climbing, always harvested slime instead of nice green algae. Decided to try bio pellets which have been running 11 months; the whole time Nitrates have stayed around 50. I did have a GHA bloom which spread everywhere and as last options used marine algae fix for 2 months, dosed as directed which took care of GHA. I have sufficient cleanup crew, but GHA took over. Just recently started adding a few zoas/mushrooms hoping they would use the extra nitrates and thought the seachem denitrate might help, even considering polyp lab genesis rock rack. I do have protein skimmer/use GFO and perform 15 gallon water change biweekly with sand vacuum . RODI water used, do not over fed fish, low intensity light schedule, change filter socks every 3 days, dose MB7. Could the severe GHA die off still have excess nutrients in tank? It has been approx. 2 months since last dose of algae fix, i blew rocks off with turkey baster as GHA was dying to get out of tank faster, I keep sump relative clean as well as mega overflow. The rock in tank came from older FOWLR tank approx. 15 yrs old could these rocks have excess nutrients stored? I am out of ideas.

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Rocks cannot bind or store nitrate. If there is a lot of dead tissue on them, that can boost N, but not for 2 years.

On the clean up crew and the green algae, I think more or different organisms might have dealt with it, but we don’t need to go down that road now since it’s not an issue.

I show what I would do about high nitrate in the post above. I’m not a fan of pellets. Vodka or vinegar would be my preference for organic carbon.

 

[vareefer1979]

Rocks cannot bind or store nitrate. If there is a lot of dead tissue on them, that can boost N, but not for 2 years.

On the clean up crew and the green algae, I think more or different organisms might have dealt with it, but we don’t need to go down that road now since it’s not an issue.

I show what I would do about high nitrate in the post above. I’m not a fan of pellets. Vodka or vinegar would be my preference for organic carbon.

Since I already have bio pellets running on my tank, could I add a few more pellets to help decrease nitrates ??

Also, would the Denitrate make a noticeable difference if I placed in media reactor with slow flow pump?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Since I already have bio pellets running on my tank, could I add a few more pellets to help decrease nitrates ??

Also, would the Denitrate make a noticeable difference if I placed in media reactor with slow flow pump?

Thanks

Slow or fast flow likely will not impact media like that much since it is the internal part that is supposed to become anoxic.

More pellets would likely help reduce nitrate more.

 

[vareefer1979]

Slow or fast flow likely will not impact media like that much since it is the internal part that is supposed to become anoxic.

More pellets would likely help reduce nitrate more.

I have used MB7, Dr. Tims Waste Away, AF Life Source at different times to seed bacteria for bio pellets, the pellets are not really being consumed by bacteria. I have tried slow/medium/ and somewhat fast tumble with reactor feeding into protein skimmer. Is there a better source of bacteria that I could try to get bio pellets working better? Is has been almost a year since adding bio pellet reactor and no real changes in amount of pellets other than what I have added to get to current amount 2 cups which is recommended for 100 gallons, my setup is 75 gallon tank with 20 gallon sump. Current Nitrates at 25 per salifert test kit, Phosphate approx <.25 per API test kit using GFO.

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The bacteria that consume biopellets are specialized and may not be present in those or any bacteria additives.

Thst said, your nitrate is fine and your phosphate is fine if it is not too low (a less than test cannot say on that).