DIY Coil DeNitrator

[reefs4life]

I was really interested in this idea and I went out and bought my own materials to make one...here's how far I got...I wrapped the line around the tube so it'll be easier to put it in the tube once I'm ready...need to get bioballs though so I can't go much further till I get those, working on that at the moment actually...I just had a question though...I attach the tube only to the intake connector right? The other end of the tube stay on the bottom of the chamber and then the water just fills from bottom to top and once in gets to the top it naturally comes out of the other hole, correct? Also...for that bleed valve, should I just make a third hole in the middle of that cap and put a valve there? Everything cost me less than $50 like alfani had said so I think it's a great project...once I finish and have it up and running we can compare our results although that wont be for another 5-6 weeks if I finish by this week

http://webmail.aol.com/41095/aol/en...t.aspx?uid=1.25895658&folder=NewMail&partId=4

 

[Killerdrgn]

Hey anyone know if making the housing pvc tube 5 ft long, and adding an appropriate length of airline hose, make the de-nitrator work better/faster/stronger? or would it just be a waste?

Like since it would have to travel much farther could you up the flow rate?

 

[alfani]

I was really interested in this idea and I went out and bought my own materials to make one...here's how far I got...I wrapped the line around the tube so it'll be easier to put it in the tube once I'm ready...need to get bioballs though so I can't go much further till I get those, working on that at the moment actually...I just had a question though...I attach the tube only to the intake connector right? The other end of the tube stay on the bottom of the chamber and then the water just fills from bottom to top and once in gets to the top it naturally comes out of the other hole, correct? Also...for that bleed valve, should I just make a third hole in the middle of that cap and put a valve there? Everything cost me less than $50 like alfani had said so I think it's a great project...once I finish and have it up and running we can compare our results although that wont be for another 5-6 weeks if I finish by this week

yes, connect the coil only the intake. just make sure you leave a couple of inches from your end tube to the bottom, this way you have room for dirt particles build up and not to clot the water coming out of the tube after a period of time.

you start with about 20-30 drops per minute for first 3-4 weeks then increase to 1 drop per second

 

[alfani]

Hey anyone know if making the housing pvc tube 5 ft long, and adding an appropriate length of airline hose, make the de-nitrator work better/faster/stronger? or would it just be a waste?

Like since it would have to travel much farther could you up the flow rate?

i am planning to build another one that is 4 feet long, i'm guessing the bigger they are, you can increase the output drop to 2 drops per second since there is more space for the anaerobic bacteria to grow. however, i don't think longer airline would help much since that by the time water gets into the chamber all the oxygen is already depleted. i going 100 feet airline for my 4 feet one

 

[jejton]

another tip is to use the john guest fitting with a valve on the output. Over time nitrogen gas builds up in the top of the chamber and the water will have a hard time escaping. you can fix this by removing the output tubing and "bleed" the gas out until the water starts flowing again...Then close the valve until you can reconnect the tubing.

Kathy, reefers can use this to help denitrification. The idea is by the time the water reaches the end of the coil, the aerobic bacteria on the inside walls of the coil have consumed all the oxygen creating an anaerobic zone in the center where the bioballs are located. This is where the nitrates convert to nitrogen gas.

you start it out with a slow drip while the bacteria colonizes, and slowly increase the flow rate over time.

if the effluent smells like sulfur the flow is too low, if the effluent contains nitrates the flow is too high. After the initial tweaking, it is very low mainenance.

How does this work differently than a DSB or live rock ?

 

[Killerdrgn]

How does this work differently than a DSB or live rock ?

Doesn't really, same bacteria and junk, just isn't sitting in your tank.

 

[ILikeFish]

Longer tube should let you have greater flow. I don't think going with PVC that is much longer would help much.

I wonder if going with slightly wider hose that is longer would keep it from clogging as fast.

If it were not for the clog factor does any one think sand in the bottom would work? Much more surface area for bacteria.

 

[fernandokng]

Wes, you seem to know a lot about this as well. Have you ever tried it? Why did you stop? Or do you still use it...

 

[spacenyc]

how come bio balls work?

everyone tells me not to use bio balls so why do they work in this and not a filter

 

[alfani]

This is how it work.

As oxygen rich water enters the top of the unit it is forced to spiral down through the layers of plastic coil tubing until exiting within the center of the cylinder. As the water level increases within the body of the unit, the bioballs become host to the millions of colonies of bacteria that commence multiplying. As the water reaches back up to the top, it exits through the other fitting, the one not internally connected that runs back to your sump or display tank. So, as the water slowly works it's way down the spiral, the O-2 is consumed by the AEROBIC (living only in the presence of oxygen) bacteria, the same ones that are in your filter and make all the life possible. Somewhere around 3/4th's of the way down however, the O-2 levels diminish within the spiral, having been consumed by the aerobic bacteria higher up the coil.

 

[reefs4life]

Almost done building it, waiting for the bioballs to arrive (huge thanks to masterswimmer for those)....I had one other question though, did you glue the top end cap or did you just push it on? I test tried it with the RO/DI line and it leaked that way, maybe some teflon tape around the top will work? Let me know, thanks

 

[alfani]

Almost done building it, waiting for the bioballs to arrive (huge thanks to masterswimmer for those)....I had one other question though, did you glue the top end cap or did you just push it on? I test tried it with the RO/DI line and it leaked that way, maybe some teflon tape around the top will work? Let me know, thanks

everything have to be 100% seal shut and air tight, just leaving two openings for the intake and output. make sure you leave a couple of inches of your airline in the bottom or else it will clot after a while and also a couple inches in the top so don't need to fill up with bio balls. once your done, it was not meant to be open again

 

[reefs4life]

everything have to be 100% seal shut and air tight, just leaving two openings for the intake and output. make sure you leave a couple of inches of your airline in the bottom or else it will clot after a while and also a couple inches in the top so don't need to fill up with bio balls. once your done, it was not meant to be open again

ooo but i thought you said you could take it apart so you could clean it plus i did finish it yet anyways i just test tried it to see how it worked and I want it to open just in case I have to clean it if it gets clogged or anything

 

[alfani]

ooo but i thought you said you could take it apart so you could clean it plus i did finish it yet anyways i just test tried it to see how it worked and I want it to open just in case I have to clean it if it gets clogged or anything

I don't think I had ever mention anything about opening it once it'd completed, refer to Thread #12

 

[nanoreefer22]

Maybe you guys could tweak the design to have a screw on cap instead.

 

[NYreefNoob]

it isnt the height that matters its the amount in feet the coil is if i remember correctly, bunch of articles if you type coil denitrator into google

 

[reefs4life]

yeah mine is a bit longer than 75 feet i think it's close to 90 and umm I wanted to do the screw off cap but the problem is when you screw it on the tube will turn with the cap so it'll mess up the tube or the coil in my opinion and when screwing it on it might come off the connectors drilled in the cap

 

[alfani]

at around 50 feet all the O2 should be depleted, don't really need to go that long .. some guy selling the piece for around $115 on ebay and he is only using 50 feet coil , HERE

i don't think it was meant to be open anyway, if 02 gets in, it might ruin the setup or needs to be recycle again

 

[reefs4life]

the tube looks twice as thick though which makes more surface area for aerobic bacteria to grow on

 

[Killerdrgn]

so if it never supposed to be opened how do you get rid of the accumulated junk on the bottom after years of use? Wouldn't it eventually fill up with too much crud on the bottom?