New Biodenitrator

[Manny]

Would you be able to turn a Phosban Reactor into one?

[Psyire]

I don't see why not, might work well on a small system. (less than 100g)

It would probably be better to run 2 phosban reactors in series. One with sulphur & one with the calcium carbonate.

You would have to recirculate from the inlet to the outlet using a low flow pump. Then tee into both lines and run a slip stream from your tank through the Tee'd in lines.

[Delphinus]

Hi Mike, that's actually my plan (to convert one of my unused Ca reactors into a sulfur reactor). The Korallin units actually have the same model #'s as their calcium reactors which tells me it's the same units, just plumbed a little different because there's no CO2.

Psyire - I was looking at those Midwest units -- they look good too. Premiumaquatics has them in case you (or anyone else) is looking for a vendor. They carry both the Korallin and those (unless I have my brandnames mixed up -- they have another one besides the Korallin at any rate).

So H2S is only a concern in the event of a power failure or pump stop? Hmmmmmmmm ... I need to do more reading. The problem is ... well .. H2S is some seriously nasty stuff. Reducing the nitrates isn't worth dying for!

[andresont]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Hi Mike, that's actually my plan (to convert one of my unused Ca reactors into a sulfur reactor). The Korallin units actually have the same model #'s as their calcium reactors which tells me it's the same units, just plumbed a little different because there's no CO2.

Psyire - I was looking at those Midwest units -- they look good too. Premiumaquatics has them in case you (or anyone else) is looking for a vendor. They carry both the Korallin and those (unless I have my brandnames mixed up -- they have another one besides the Korallin at any rate).

So H2S is only a concern in the event of a power failure or pump stop? Hmmmmmmmm ... I need to do more reading. The problem is ... well .. H2S is some seriously nasty stuff. Reducing the nitrates isn't worth dying for!

I think you will notice the rotten smell long before it may become dangerous, unless of corse you are away from home,
I also wonder how bad is the clogging issue (drip rate reduction) that some people reporting (in the above provided links)
At any rate this is exitining to be able to feed corals and fish better diet and still have low No3.
Does anyone knows where to buy media in Vancouver?

[Pansy-Paws]

I would argue that this is the only way to go for nitrate reduction on large systems. I initially went with two Phosban reactors to test the concept for myself, before committing to a larger unit

Seeing the test reading of zero nitrates out of the reactor was like magic after struggling with nitrates for a year (we overfeed and that's not going to change ... so we know the source). Doing religious weekly 50 gallon water changes for 2 months steady still only took nitrates from 40 ppm down to 30 ppm, and skipping one week would put us back to the start.

With a DIY reactor based on the Phosban design (two 6" x 36" cylinders), we took the nitrates to zero in 4 weeks on our 500 gallon FO system.

The rotten egg smell can create the occassional "Annacis Island" as my wife calls it, but can be masked with some burning oils until the flow rate is corrected (too low of a flow rate creates H2S). For those who've driven over the Alex Fraser bridge on a muggy summer day, you will understand the reference to Annacis Island

[Delphinus]

Holey mondo reactor size though! Is there any good reading as to how to size a reactor effectively against a total system volume? Or is it mostly guesswork?

Also is there any mechanism to determine an optimal flowrate through the reactor? How long does it take for the smell to go away after adjusting, if indeed you start off too slow? What kind of flowrate do you have on your reactor?

[Psyire]

From what I know, flow rates depend on bioload. It is slightly different for everyone. The .pdf file for the Midwest unit explains how to set your drip rates. (they also cover how to find the optimal flow)

Thanks for the input Lyle, now I really want one. lol

[Pan]

Originally Posted by andresont

I think you will notice the rotten smell long before it may become dangerous, unless of corse you are away from home,
I also wonder how bad is the clogging issue (drip rate reduction) that some people reporting (in the above provided links)
At any rate this is exitining to be able to feed corals and fish better diet and still have low No3.
Does anyone knows where to buy media in Vancouver?

as long as you can smell the h2s your ok

[Delphinus]

Lyle, are you recirculating through the media, and feeding with a separate pump, or are the flowrates you're describing (8-10 gph) refer to the only flow through the media? I sort of get the sense you're not recirculating .. I was thinking I'd still recirculate, much like how a calcium reactor works .. or is that not the recommended approach?

[Psyire]

From what I understand you must recirculate. All the reactors are built this way, and then they have a slip stream through them from the Aquarium and back. (some people use a siphon, some people use a pump)