Denitrator

[Asfur]

Hello folks, does anybody in this forum ever try to use denitrator, or known the truth fact of denitrator. Which one is the good and give the best result, is it the manufacture product like Coralife Denitrator, Sera Denitrator, or is it the DIY's product like coil denitrator? Does both of this product really can eliminate or at least reduce nitrate to desire level? Why denitrator need to be fed regularly? Please share with me.

 

[PeeJ]

for what its worth....this is the first ive read of a denitrator, and ive never seen one used. this would leave me to believe them to be unnessary.

theres always the good ol fashioned water change....never goes out of style

 

[cdeakle]

just do water changes!

 

[moonraker]

from what i've read, the denitrator would "reduce" nitrates into nitrogen gas and sulfates. here's the chemical reaction series i found:

4 NO3 + 3 S = 2 N2 + 3 SO4

ciao!

 

[Anonymous]

420.. how does this answer his question?

just do water changes!

 

[PeeJ]

It is from my searching that I have found several "plans" for such a piece of equipment.

Just do a yahoo search for "denitrator" and you should get a few sites that have them.

It also appears that some have pumps dosing "Food" for the bacteria.

 

[ChrisRD]

I've always avoided mechanical denitrators. They're notorious for being difficult to use. The "food" that you add to these units is supposed to keep the anaerobic bacteria alive IIRC. I'd recommend avoiding them and look for a more natural solution.

If you have enough live rock and/or live sand you will get plenty of natural denitrification. Also, a good protein skimmer helps remove wastes before they are broken down (and ultimately converted to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria), effectively helping to control nitrate build-up in an indirect way.

 

[cdeakle]

Since nitrates are at the end of the cycle if you just do a fair amount of water changes would that not immediatly remove/lower nitrates?

 

[DogB]

Asfur

I have a 29G which has two non-photosynthetic corals that my wife is nursing back to health. As a consequence this tank is very heavily fed.

It has a DSB and live rock but the high feeding loads overwhelmed the system and the nitrates wouldn't go down. I was doing multiple large water changes each week to keep them within respectable limits.

I recently obtained an aquamedic denitrifier which has transformed this tank. This system grows bacteria on sulphur beads. Simplisticly, the bacteria 'eat' the sulphur and 'breathe' the nitrate. The result is nitrogen gas and dilute sulphuric acid. The acid is then neutralized with calcium carbonate. the resulting water is pH neutral, has no detectable nitrates and slightly elevated calcium levels.

Within a few weeks the nitrates had almost vanished. The unit needs a bit of tweaking as flow rates need to be optimised but it seems to be working fine now. I'm very happy with the unit but my needs were fairly specific. For the same price I payed (~$300 Australian) you could probably set youself up a pretty fair sort of planted refugium so I guess it's just a case of what works for you.

P.

 

[Asfur]

Thank you for all of you. I do search through the net, but most of them are explain about coil denitrator, and very little about manufacture product like Coralife or Sera Denitrator. Actually there is another kind of denitrator which sound like DogB but using the bioball media and a sugar component to fed the bacteria, does any member in this forum know this kind of product?

 

[DogB]

Actually there is another kind of denitrator which sound like DogB but using the bioball media and a sugar component to fed the bacteria, does any member in this forum know this kind of product?

(The following info is from my LFS so I don't vouch for its accuracy)
These type of denitrifiers have gone through three levels of technology.

1) At first the bacteria used were a carbon reducer type. This required the use of bio-balls and carbon source feeding (sugar or alcohol).

2) Later the bio-balls were replaced by a media with the carbon source impregnated. This eliminated the need for regular feeding but the media required changing at approximately yearly intervals.

3) The most up to date versions use a new bacteria type (sulphur reducers) and contain sulphur beads and calcium salts to neutralize the effluent. The only advantages of this type over the type 2 is a slightly cheaper media and the effluent is calcium enriched.

As previously stated I use a type 3 system and it works for me.

P.

 

[Anonymous]

Marked for archiving

Thank YOU Dog!!!!

 

[DogB]

Marked for archiving

Thank YOU Dog!!!!

My pleasure Ma'am.

P.

 

[Jeff_S]

I have used the Nitra Gone coil denitrator. It does work but you have to slow the flow rate down so much that the unit is ineffective for any large size tank.

Jeff

 

[cbooth]

I have been using a Korallin Denitrator, for a year now. Very simple to setup and use. Follow the very simple installation instructions, turn it on
3-4 weeks later 0 nitrates. The unit contains sulphur beads (no feeding) in one chamber and crushed coral in another to help keep the ph up. I still do a little water change once in a while (I guess out of habit) but I find myself doing them less frequently as I gain confidece in the unit. Only downside was cost $400.00USD and had to order it from England.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the input, cb.