Google "berlin method"

Thanks kein,

I might just take a poll. All I am really looking to know is more of what Mitch is getting at.... the drawbacks of the older denitrators. (Thanks Mitch, those are the pieces of the puzzle that I am missing - along with a few more i bet!)

So far, I hear that they can plug and cause H2S issues and power failures. Other than that, I hear they could keep Nitrates <0.05ppm. If those are the only two drawbacks, and I could solve them, ie: run effulent through GFO to remove the risk of H2S and have the intake line kept open with power (shuts down without), wouldn't that be a good thing?

Or am I a noob, over engineering/overthinking this hobby?

OH NOES.

kIen,

My apologies.

If you go to my tank journal link at the bottom, you will find that I initially battled very high nitrates before finally resorting to bio pellets. Have been running with zero nitrates for about 2 years now, and have not had to open my bio pellet reactor since Nov 2012, more than a year ago.

Refugium, anyone?
 

I'm surprised nopbody mentioned a refugium so far. It's all about reactors, denitrators, etc. Plants will remove nitrates very efficiently. And when I say refugium, I don't mean an afterthought, like a ball of cheato in the sump with a small lamp above. I mean a tank plumbed inline with the display tank with macroalgae to suck the nutrients out of the water column.

Another solution is an algae scrubber. Whether it's a waterfall style (in the sump) or upflow type, it's not that relevant, they are both good means of nutrient export.

I have an inline refugium behind the DT with a small chamber in it where I run an upflow algae scrubber. I have to go and prune it weekly, but my nitrates are undetectable. For phosphates I run Rowaphos, but that's another topic altogether.

I tried that, as per my journal,... didn't work. I think refugiums are fun to do, and work if your nitrates are not that high to start with. But for serious and guaranteed nitrate control, can't beat bio pellets.

agreed:)


plants will only absorb so much , on a 10g tank its fine but on larger system with high bioloads carbon dosing is the way to go:)



have you thought about VSV? some of the older school methods are still the best today;)

I have about 200g total water volume, maybe 100 pounds rock. I also run zeo part time. Meaning I forget to do anything with it for months at a time, which translates to "you can quit anytime you like".
I have never had measurable NO3 in 4 years. I attribute that to quality rock that I keep clean with lots of flow. I also have near 0 coralline on the rock, which IMO plugs up the pores reaching the anaerobic bacteria.
I change about 25% water volume bi-weekly and have never vacuumed my sand bed. Seems easy enough to me :)

You don't have to vacuum with sugar sand... :twised: