Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer

[djbon]

This is what I read on the internet for waste water industry. Is there any similarity?

[jml1149]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/

[jml1149]

Also here:

http://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/inde...hur_Denitrator

[djbon]

Going to read all that. Thanks JML

[djbon]

Second day update:

DT - 8ppm / Reactor - 5ppm

[djbon]

Didn't know top view pictures will show more colors...

[djbon]

Today update:

DT - 4-5ppm / Reactor - 3ppm

[jml1149]

What do you keep your Alk at djbon? I tested last night and it's 8.8 dKh, a little higher than I prefer when carbon dosing. However, doesn't seem to have the same effect with vinegar as when I was using nopox.

I'm currently dosing 33ml a day, on a 120g tank, so I could up a bit. Looks like ORP has reached stasis in this current configuration:

[djbon]

Alk is stable at 8dkh (API kit, actual level might be different with more precise kit). Sodium bicarb drip method using improvised IV dripper.

[jml1149]

WHY CANT ANY OF THE COLORS JUST BE THE SAME!!!!!!

[blackthunda77]

I'd say it's closer to the 3rd one?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[nematode]

This is why I use concentration controls.
I use 1000 ppm nitrate as calcium nitrate to spike fresh sea water to make 10 , 20 50, 100 ppm nitrate controls that I run in my tests.

See post 511 for details. I find this much more informative than color guessing to a color chart.
While I may lose some accuracy, I feel more confident in the results: I can really deduce my nitrates are between 10 and 20 or 20 and 50... (or above 100 as was the case for me until recently.

[djbon]

7 days since I rebuilt my denitrator, today effluent register zero no3 as per API.

[jml1149]

Aren't you using some magic carbon source, not just straight vodka or vinegar?

[djbon]

I am using vodka + vinegar + sugar, close to diy nopox blend. I do add 2 other elements which i cannot reveal as the formula belongs to a friend of mine. Trust me, all my denitrator users are using straight vodka with excellent results.

[djbon]

Originally Posted by jml1149

WHY CANT ANY OF THE COLORS JUST BE THE SAME!!!!!!

I would say around 15 to 18 ppm

[gregkn73]

Originally Posted by gregkn73

Wow!!! Now your results , come in straight line with mine, but I couldn't find an explanation, why some few times I got good results=lower no3 at reactor output than DT, and more others bad......now everything is clear :-)) I split my 14ml daily diy nopox dosage, in 3 doses, and waiting anxiously your 2ml results, to see if I should split it in even more dosages. I use also dp4 , so until 20/day is possible:-))

Thanks a lot

I can confirm nematodes results, no3 at reactors output, is greatly reduced an hour after nopox dosing. The following picture , was taken an hour after 2ml of nopox dosed! First I time I took , such a clear difference , between no3 readings of DT and reactor output! Also the last 10 days I am dosing nopox 2ml*7 times/24h , and my DT no3, have been reduced from 8-10 to 3-5 ppm already :-)

Don when you measure your no3 at reactor output, how much time , after you carbon dosed, you take the sample? Also why did you restart your reactor? How much time, remain without flow, when your feeding pump failed?

[djbon]

Originally Posted by gregkn73

I can confirm nematodes results, no3 at reactors output, is greatly reduced an hour after nopox dosing. The following picture , was taken an hour after 2ml of nopox dosed! First I time I took , such a clear difference , between no3 readings of DT and reactor output! Also the last 10 days I am dosing nopox 2ml*7 times/24h , and my DT no3, have been reduced from 8-10 to 3-5 ppm already :-)

Don when you measure your no3 at reactor output, how much time , after you carbon dosed, you take the sample? Also why did you restart your reactor? How much time, remain without flow, when your feeding pump failed?

Congrats Greg!. Thanks to nematode, now we know a little bit more of what is happening in there. Has been thinking of hooking up an auto doser long before but I just don't have the money to get one. Big problem for poor reefer like me

Last dosing was done at 5am in the morning, roughly 16 hours before my last test. When I rebuild the reactor my NO3 was quite low (8ppm), and some of the media was from my old reactor. That could be the reason why it works faster than anticipated.

I rebuilt my reactor mainly because I want a shorter but bigger reactor. I am thinking of running an IV dripper for the dosing hence shorter version. My previous reactor as you know was quite tall and skinny.

My reactor was offline for a day and half if i'm not mistaken after my pump failed.

[gregkn73]

Originally Posted by djbon

Congrats Greg!. Thanks to nematode, now we know a little bit more of what is happening in there. Has been thinking of hooking up an auto doser long before but I just don't have the money to get one. Big problem for poor reefer like me

Last dosing was done at 5am in the morning, roughly 16 hours before my last test. When I rebuild the reactor my NO3 was quite low (8ppm), and some of the media was from my old reactor. That could be the reason why it works faster than anticipated.

I rebuilt my reactor mainly because I want a shorter but bigger reactor. I am thinking of running an IV dripper for the dosing hence shorter version. My previous reactor as you know was quite tall and skinny.

My reactor was offline for a day and half if i'm not mistaken after my pump failed.

Yes nematode disserves a big thanks :-))

Don why do you thing you can get, unlike me and nematode, lower no3 values at your reactor output, so many hours after carbon dosing? Do you thing is your carbon source, the mb7, or something else?

Also why do you think a fat shorter reactor, is better than a skinny longer reactor, for dosing many small carbon doses? I am now thinking to dose 1ml *12 doses per day, but my reactor is skinny and longer than your first one.....

[djbon]

Originally Posted by gregkn73

Yes nematode disserves a big thanks :-))

Don why do you thing you can get, unlike me and nematode, lower no3 values at your reactor output, so many hours after carbon dosing? Do you thing is your carbon source, the mb7, or something else?

Also why do you think a fat shorter reactor, is better than a skinny longer reactor, for dosing many small carbon doses? I am now thinking to dose 1ml *12 doses per day, but my reactor is skinny and longer than your first one.....

Could be my bacteria strain. All of my rocks are fresh live rocks from the sea sold by local LFS. I am not sure about MB7 but that bottled bacteria is excellent with water clarity. I don't think my new reactor is better than the old one. Surface area is almost identical but my water flow is slightly less than the old one. I did mentioned above that I started with fast trickling water compared to the previous one which is fine stream.

[blackout2k]

Originally Posted by djbon

List of material needed:-

3" PVC pipe, 2 1/2 feet in length each (2 pieces)
3" PVC end cap (4 pieces)
1/4" clear vinyl tubing (2 1/2 feet & 8" each)
Small aquarium pump (fountain pump should be sufficient)
Reef safe adjustable valve (to be fitted with the 1/4" tubing)
10ml syringe
Bio ring, bio ball, pumice stones as per image (layered)
Carbon source (vodka, vinegar, sugar)
A bottle of live bacteria to start the reactor

Do you have a picture of this set-up?

[stormrider27]

First of all, thank you djbon for sharing your amazing invention with all of us!! I am in the process of setting up a 56g column with a 20g sump. I don't have room to fit a 3" "U" shaped pipe in my tank cabinet, can I use 2" instead and if so how tall will the unit have to be for it to work?

Thanks!
Mark

[djbon]

Originally Posted by blackout2k

Do you have a picture of this set-up?

I don't have the picture but if you go through this thread you will see some pictures to give you the idea. You can design your own reactor to suit your needs. The fastest design is using "U" shaped pipe (dual 90 degree elbow). A suitable size nipple linking both chamber will give you a smaller foot prints.

[djbon]

Originally Posted by stormrider27

First of all, thank you djbon for sharing your amazing invention with all of us!! I am in the process of setting up a 56g column with a 20g sump. I don't have room to fit a 3" "U" shaped pipe in my tank cabinet, can I use 2" instead and if so how tall will the unit have to be for it to work?

Thanks!
Mark

2" is too skinny. You can build 4" nipple linked chambers like mine. The foot print is roughly 9" wide only and fit nicely in my 1' x 1' sump.

[stormrider27]

Originally Posted by djbon

2" is too skinny. You can build 4" nipple linked chambers like mine. The foot print is roughly 9" wide only and fit nicely in my 1' x 1' sump.

Glad I asked before I started cutting and gluing What size diameter pipe are you using to bridge the two 3" towers or does it matter?