DIY Coil DeNitrator

[alfani]

How did anyone figure out what is the best drop rate for this unit?

after it's cycle, just test the water coming out, if it's not what you wanted then increase or decrease the drop rate. normally one per second is recommend but you can increase

 

[jcooler]

DIY Denitrator

I just built a coil denitrator last night for my 75g with 12g refugium. Started it up this morning. I have been having a real problem with nitrates in my tank.They are very high right now (around 160). I change the water, they go down, then they shoot back up with in a couple of weeks. I think I may be feeding too much or something. Either way, I built a CD with very high hopes of it reducing or eliminating the nitrates. I going to do a 30 or 40% water change tonight to get them down to a less harmful level. Hopefully, within 5 or 6 weeks, nitrates will start to drop on there on.
Sounds like everyone is haveing good successs with these. Hope mine does the same for my tank. How fast should the nitrates drop, after the CD cycle is complete?

 

[alfani]

after 5 weeks:
Tank water: 1.3mg/L
DeNitrator: 0.2mg/L

The device used to test for the results is from a Hanna Nitrate Photometer

 

[jcooler]

Thanks for the response.
How fast did you notice the the nitrates dropping in the tank water. I see that its doing a pretty good job removing the nitrates, based on your tank vs denitrator water. But i'm wondering how fast it starts the dropping the nitrates of the tank water. It's such a slow drip rates that it seems like it will take a good while to make a big difference in the tank water. Thoughts?

 

[masterswimmer]

It's such a slow drip rates that it seems like it will take a good while to make a big difference in the tank water. Thoughts?

I've never used or even seen a coil denitrator. However, my guess is that the drip is only a very slow drip during the cycling process. Once the algae has formed in the coil and consumes the O2 and nitrates, you'll be able to increase the flow considerably. During the cycle you're trying to starve the algae.

This is just my views on the system. I'd like to hear from the more experienced coil denitrator users.

Russ

 

[jcooler]

From what i've read. it appears that 1 drip per second is the recommended rate after the cycle process is complete. slower during the cycle process.
Not sure what 1 drip per minute adds up to, but it seems really slow.

 

[masterswimmer]

1 drip per minute is probably less than evaporation. I don't think that is the flow rate at any time during the cycle OR post cycle.

 

[jcooler]

1 drip per second, not per minute.

 

[masterswimmer]

From what i've read. it appears that 1 drip per second is the recommended rate after the cycle process is complete. slower during the cycle process.
Not sure what 1 drip per minute adds up to, but it seems really slow.

Just saw your post and responded. Sure does seem slow. :splitspin Would be like watching ice melt feel like you were watching the Indy 500:tub:

 

[alfani]

during the cycle period its is recommended for 30-40 drops per minute then slowly increase to 1 drop per second. i currently have mind set up to about 1-2 drops per second. since is 24/7, it would add up over the long time period.

 

[KathyC]

Would be like watching ice melt feel like you were watching the Indy 500:tub:

You have something against cars that go in circles?

Russ..I want some of whatever you are smokin'..this thing uses bacteria to eat up the nitrates, not algae :spin:

Anyway..I had looked up this info for myself and here's the skinny on how/what/why..my thanks to Don Carner who wrote this..


[SIZE=-1]About Nitrate & How This Thing Actually Works[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The coil denitrator takes 5 to 6 weeks to cycle (yes, they cycle just like the tank). The quantity of product that is processed, (nitrate) is truly amazing considering how once established, there isn't anything more to do! So how does this happen? As oxygen rich water is pumped into (G) and enters the top of the unit (A) it is forced to spiral down through the layers of plastic coil tubing (E) until exiting within the center of the cylinder (C). As the water level increases within the body of the unit, the BioBalls (F) become host to the millions of colonies of bacteria's that commence multiplying. As the water reaches back up to the top, it exits through the other fitting (B), the one not internally connected that runs back to your sump or display tank. So? So, as the water slowly works it's way down the spiral, the O-2 is consumed by AEROBIC bacterias, 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 bacterias higher up the coil. (D=Base; G=Water Pump)[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Now what? Well, now the ANAEROBIC bacterias begin to flourish, the very ones that feed on nitrate, not O-2! As the water continues its travels it encounters the main interior chamber of the cylinder. All those BioBalls are just waiting to provide area for more anaerobic bacteria to consume all the nitrate that wasn't converted inside the bottom 1/4 of coil. This is the "bank" that will allow the coil denitrator to continuously process more and more nitrate as it is produced within the display tank. By the way, if you are using a wet-dry or trickle filter with ANY media, you have a nitrate producing filter! Yup, that's what they are designed to do, convert ammonias ultimately into nitrates! Nothing like adding more in so we can spend more $$$ to get it out, huh? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]All done, except for one last detail. A proper drip rate is needed to maintain dwell-time within the unit so the bacterias can gobble up the nitrates. Too fast a flow and your tests will show nitrites, as the bacterias have too much O-2 and denitrification isn't taking place. Too slow a drip or flow rate and hydrogen sulfides are produced, giving a rotten-egg smell that indicates trouble to the inhabitants of the reef or fish tank. I have experimented and found that a drip of just under a steady-stream is best. In other words, a very fast drip, but a definite drip just the same. Use a small air valve to regulate this on the output tube (B) running back to your sump or display tank.[/SIZE]


Use your imagination for the letters he has in there..this was accompanied by a diagram. If you want me to add that to the post, just shout

 

[masterswimmer]

You have something against cars that go in circles? Only a problem if they're going in right hand circles :biggrin:

Russ..I want some of whatever you are smokin'..this thing uses bacteria to eat up the nitrates, not algae :spin: I ain't smokin' nuthin', but I have ingested some of my good LEGAL stuff just a little while ago :irked: And I know it's bacteria. My brain and hands weren't connected......properly :sad2:

So there ^^^ :shhh:

BTW, be prepared to be called out on your next faux pas

 

[KathyC]

So there ^^^ :shhh:

BTW, be prepared to be called out on your next faux pas

I always am
It's no fun when you brain and your hands are connected anyway...lol

 

[masterswimmer]

I always am
It's no fun when you brain and your hands are connected anyway...lol

No by me mon. :hug:

R

 

[jcooler]

Alfana,
how quickly did your nitrates drop in the tank water? Was it maybe 5ppm per week or something (after the cycle is complete)? Does your tank stay at 0 nitrates now? Or is there still a small amount of Nitrates even with the CD?

Thanks again,
Jeremy

 

[alfani]

i do not know how quickly it would drop but i do not believe it was quick, maybe over 1 week. i do not have a good test kit to test nitrate myself, so a friend took it for me last night, i think my tank still have trace of nitrate.

Alfana,
how quickly did your nitrates drop in the tank water? Was it maybe 5ppm per week or something (after the cycle is complete)? Does your tank stay at 0 nitrates now? Or is there still a small amount of Nitrates even with the CD?

Thanks again,
Jeremy

 

[jcooler]

I will post my results as time goes on. The CD has only been in service for a few days now, but I cant wait to see some results. Tired of high nitrates a frequent water changes.

 

[jcooler]

So, the DIY coil Denitrator has been running for only 5 days now. And to my extreme amazement, it has already cycled! Don't know how it cycled so fast, but the effluent water is reading between 0 and 5 PPM nitrates. The Tank water has very high nitrates, between 80 and 160(cant tell the difference in color). Maybe the hign nitrates helped the CD cycle so quickly.
After about 2 days of operation, I tested for Nitrite(on the CD effuent), and it tested positive. ( dont remember the exact number) So I knew the cycle had already started at that point, as the the tank water read 0 nitrites.
The CD effuent is 0 nitrites now and 0 to 5 nitrates. I cant beleive it started working that fast.
Now I just have to see how fast the tank water will improve. I'm going to do a 40% to 50% water change in the next few days to get the nitrates back down to a less harmfull level, but I hope the CD will slowly decrease the nitrates and keep me from doing big water changes every 1 to 2 weeks.
BTW this is a 75G with about 12g refugium, skimmer and a hang on back filter.
1 perc clown, 1 maroon clown, 1 engineer goby, 1 green manderine goby, and a lawnmower bleny.
Only 2 corals right now. 1 leather coral and 1 rock full of mushrooms.
Not sure how much live rick I have, but its obviously not enough, or the nitrates wouldn't climb so quickly. I have about a 4 inch sand bed in the tank and about 3 inches in the fuge.

Hopefully this will turn into a big sucess story of a DIY coil denitrator, but only time will tell. As for now, i'm pretty excited about it.

 

[red_eyez]

what size of a pump (flow rate) should be used with this 24" denitrator?

 

[4295Hawk]

Glad to see the DIY Coil Denitrator thread is still going strong after so many years. I could really use some expert advice on building one of these for my 210 gallon FO heavily stocked set-up. I have read all pages of the existing thread and read about numerous set-ups for various size tanks and could use some help for my 210. Hope someone can help.

I am pretty sure I will go with a 4" PVC pipe and kind of like the idea and ease of wrapping non-translucent tubing on the outside of the PVC & feeding it inside to the bio-balls (however I am not committed to this design if anyone does not think it is a good idea). I will be utilizing a small external adjustable flow pump (79GPH). Here's what I could use some help with:

1) What height should the PVC be (assuming 4" diameter pipe)?
2) I have read about a couple of different size diameter tubing. Which size is recommended for this setup 3/8" 1/4" etc. Please provide OD & ID.
3) How many feet of the above tubing will be required? or if coiling is necessary, how many coils of what length? If multiple coils, can they be coiled on top of each other in one continous feed as oppose to multiple coils with multiple inputs?
4) Based on a 210g tank, am I better off just building two units or will one do the trick for this size tank?

Anything else you can share that might be helpful or good to know. Thanks in advance for your help.