I should first offer a disclaimer that I've never used a nitrate coil, and am not not trying to come up with a gizmo to relieve myself from proper tank husbandry. Still, I've found the concept of a biological de-nitrate device very facinating, and any practical device that aids in nitrate reduction to hardly be a bad thing in a marine tank. In my opinion nitrates are the single biggest problem in marine tanks and the biggest irritant for corals and even fish. Even with DSB's, expensive skimmers and mangrove plants I've often run into pesky nitrate issues and simply not willing to get rid of fish to solve the problem.
Looking at the typical design for a nitrate coil leaves me shrugging my shoulders because even though the concept is simple, they sure seem overly complicated.Basically you have a long length of black tubing with a low water flow dumping into a large reaction chanber containing bio balls or other media. The long length of hose acts as a bed for ammonia/nitrite reducing bacteria to colonize, and hence deplete the flowing water of oxygen. The low O2 water dumps into the large reaction chamber where nitrate reducing bacteria can thrive and (theoretically) chew up large amounts of nitrate. Easy enough.
Anybody who's had freshwater aquariums has at some point likely left a bucket of dirty gravel outside in the sun for a few weeks. Boy, it sure doesn't take long for anerobic bacteria to colonize the bottom layer of that crud judging by the smell that emits when you dump the bucket a few weeks later
Also consider that DSB's are hardly as high tech as a nitrate coil, and basically just a static layer of fine gravel or sand. So, I'm thinking if a thick substrate of gravel or sand can host nitrate recucing bacteria, why the heck do we need that coil gizmo?
Here's my solution: Take a piece of 3"-4" PVC that's cut to a length 4-5" above your water line. This pipe is mounted in a common PVC flange/stand and sits behind your tank, or sump I guess. Bottom of the flange has a hole cut which is threaded and sealed with some thin tubing. You fill the main tube with substrate such as cheap crushed coral, or even used AC at the bottom. Sand seems like it would compact too much and inhibit water flow, but you get the idea.
Essentially all you do is pump water slowly into the top open end of the cylinder and as the water climbs and equalizes it will push a trickle out the bottom tube and back into your tank while having to flow through a few feet of gravel. The top of the subtrate will have no problems hosting the ammonia/nitrite reducers and the bottom part of the substrate should have no problem handling the nitrate end of the equation. A whole lot simplier than a coil if you ask me, and if you seed the top with some tank substrate will cycle much faster.
Thoughts? Opinions?
Looking at the typical design for a nitrate coil leaves me shrugging my shoulders because even though the concept is simple, they sure seem overly complicated.Basically you have a long length of black tubing with a low water flow dumping into a large reaction chanber containing bio balls or other media. The long length of hose acts as a bed for ammonia/nitrite reducing bacteria to colonize, and hence deplete the flowing water of oxygen. The low O2 water dumps into the large reaction chamber where nitrate reducing bacteria can thrive and (theoretically) chew up large amounts of nitrate. Easy enough.
Anybody who's had freshwater aquariums has at some point likely left a bucket of dirty gravel outside in the sun for a few weeks. Boy, it sure doesn't take long for anerobic bacteria to colonize the bottom layer of that crud judging by the smell that emits when you dump the bucket a few weeks later
Also consider that DSB's are hardly as high tech as a nitrate coil, and basically just a static layer of fine gravel or sand. So, I'm thinking if a thick substrate of gravel or sand can host nitrate recucing bacteria, why the heck do we need that coil gizmo?Here's my solution: Take a piece of 3"-4" PVC that's cut to a length 4-5" above your water line. This pipe is mounted in a common PVC flange/stand and sits behind your tank, or sump I guess. Bottom of the flange has a hole cut which is threaded and sealed with some thin tubing. You fill the main tube with substrate such as cheap crushed coral, or even used AC at the bottom. Sand seems like it would compact too much and inhibit water flow, but you get the idea.
Essentially all you do is pump water slowly into the top open end of the cylinder and as the water climbs and equalizes it will push a trickle out the bottom tube and back into your tank while having to flow through a few feet of gravel. The top of the subtrate will have no problems hosting the ammonia/nitrite reducers and the bottom part of the substrate should have no problem handling the nitrate end of the equation. A whole lot simplier than a coil if you ask me, and if you seed the top with some tank substrate will cycle much faster.
Thoughts? Opinions?
