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View Full Version : DIY Nitrate Reactor for $40?


Killerz6
03/25/2014, 07:21 PM
I saw this link online while I was browsing through fish tank topics. I am starting a 100 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump and wanted to know if this would be of any use to me? Any input/modifications/knowledge on this would be awesome.

Here is the link

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=387870

Let me know what you think! I would be very interested in making one of these if it will help my new tank when I start adding salt and LR!

Killerz6
03/25/2014, 07:30 PM
Let me know! ;)

zachts
03/25/2014, 07:53 PM
interesting, here's another one floating around.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22589258#post22589258

uncleof6
03/25/2014, 09:17 PM
5 gallon home depot bucket, and 60lbs of silica sand. (aragonite oolitic is a better option, but costs more) Instant nitrate reactor, that will work far better and naturally, than any purpose "nitrate reactor," whether it uses a denitrating media, sugar, spice, sulfur whatever. Maintenance free and no media replacement necessary. Phosphates? Control your nitrates right, and no need to worry about phosphates.You only need control one of the several necessities for nuisance algae growth, to halt it dead in its tracks. Cyanobacteria, being the exception in that it can grow with next to nothing.

zachts
03/25/2014, 09:51 PM
5 gallon home depot bucket, and 60lbs of silica sand. (aragonite oolitic is a better option, but costs more) Instant nitrate reactor, that will work far better and naturally, than any purpose "nitrate reactor," whether it uses a denitrating media, sugar, spice, sulfur whatever. Maintenance free and no media replacement necessary. Phosphates? Control your nitrates right, and no need to worry about phosphates.You only need control one of the several necessities for nuisance algae growth, to halt it dead in its tracks. Cyanobacteria, being the exception in that it can grow with next to nothing.

Very true and beneficial in more ways than just nitrate reduction. If space is available this method also fosters many other forms of microfana not just denitrifying bacteria and makes periodic cleaning a breeze. "Remote deep sand beds are great, no question.

When space is limited the coil type reactors have been very effective, though singly aimed at only growing bacteria for de-nitrification. I've not gone thru the whole thread originally posted by the Op but the setups shown on the first few pages don't look to be terribly effective in the long run or for systems that are very big.

Depending on system size limiting phosphorous via GFO reactor is also effective, especially when buying the GFO in bulk.

Ultimately you want to balance nitrate and phosphate removal to maintaining low levels of each.
In moderately stocked tanks where coral is the focus supplemental nitrate and phosphate removal really shouldn't be needed.

On my systems (relatively small, only 65 gallons or so, I use GFO to limit phosphate combined with macro algea growth to keep low total levels in the water. nuance algea indicates too much of both, but you can easily have an abundance of algea and still have zero detectable levels of each nutrient. That condition simply indicates that the nutrients are being utilized at the rate they are produced. Add enough herbivores to the tank and you can balance the input and export of these nutrients more naturally.

I feed my tanks sparingly only enough to supplement fish's diet for what they are not able to hunt/forage in the tank. My tanks are coral oriented though, and fish oriented tanks need to augment the nutrient removal in some manner.

perkint
03/26/2014, 07:37 AM
If you just want a reactor cheap, you could buy a standalone DI pod for not much more than the DIY water bottle solution and less worry about it holding water or the components being reef safe :)

Tim

mrx66699
03/26/2014, 09:40 PM
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2381987

mikespeed6
03/27/2014, 01:23 AM
These still require media to be changed I prefer the injection style myself. I run a Aquaripure system on a 240g reef w/ deep sand bed and always no matter what had a nitrate issue. When I added the remover once it cycled I only had to deal with the green hair one more time and after that it never came back. Before it was 10-15hrs a month on top of reg maint. Simply inject 5-10mL of cheap vodka every 7-10 days and that's it!

mikespeed6
03/27/2014, 01:44 AM
I wont own another tank without one

uncleof6
03/27/2014, 09:36 AM
Removed. See your PM box. BrianD

Crooked Reef
04/05/2014, 11:54 PM
I actually made one from the first link about three weeks ago. Supposedly the seachem denitrate works like live rock and needs very low flow, under 50gph, to form an anearobic zone inside of it. It is basically just very porous gravel. It should theoretically never need replacing itself if you have a sponge in the first part of the reactor that you can remove to clean.

JordanM
02/07/2018, 01:12 PM
I am looking at making a de-nitrator that will be relevant for both fresh and salt water. It will be for a 54 gallon tank. From what i have read you should coil 50ft of 1/4" tubing on the inside of the reactor so the water coming into the bottom of the reactor is anaerobic. I am using water filters like the one in the picture below and 50ft of 1/4" tubing will not fit inside of it so,
1. Is there a reason that the 1/4" tubing needs to be inside the reactor? (to maintain temperature for the bacteria?), or can the coil be located outside of the reactor?
2. How long of coil should i use? It seems like the consensus is 50 ft, but can you ever de-oxygenate the water to much by having to long of coil?

My plan is to make one like below that will have three filters. The first will just contain a filter to filter any debris out of the water that can easily be cleaned and dumped out if it gets plugged. In between the first and second container i was going to put the 50ft 1/4" coil and then enter the bottom of the second container that will be filled with Bioballs and the third container i was thinking about putting in the Seachem De-Nitrate Filter Media. Of course any of these containers could be switched to sulfur at anytime. I would like to use this for freshwater right now but i will be changing this tank to saltwater eventually.

Please let me know your thoughts.

bblumberg
02/07/2018, 05:14 PM
I saw this link online while I was browsing through fish tank topics. I am starting a 100 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump and wanted to know if this would be of any use to me? Any input/modifications/knowledge on this would be awesome.

Here is the link

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=387870

Let me know what you think! I would be very interested in making one of these if it will help my new tank when I start adding salt and LR!

If you Google "Poor man nutrients control - Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer", you will find an extensive discussion of an inexpensive DIY denitrator on another forum.

JordanM
02/07/2018, 06:15 PM
Thank you for the site. It seems that there is not much to the design of these and they seem pretty hard to screw up as long as you have the main components.
I guess my main question is, is there a reason that the 50ft 1/4" aerobic portion needs to be contained in the reactor or can this be coiled under the stand and then enter the reactor?

laverda
02/08/2018, 03:10 AM
There is o reason the tubing can not be on the outside, as long as the tubing is not opaque. The length of the tubing probably does not need to be 50’, but how long it needs to be is hard to say. If your feeding the reactor with oxygen rich water as in the skimmer compartment it will need to be longer then if fed from a place with little circulation. Conceivably you could feed it from under your sand bed and use a relatively short length of tubing as the water would already be low in oxygen.

EnderG60
02/08/2018, 07:04 AM
I have literally tried every kind of denitration filter there is. Long *** tube, aerobic zone, deep sand bed, sulpher denitrator and vodka.

None of them work well and needed constant almost daily adjustments to keep them running correctly.

Vodka is the easiest Ive tried with great results, but Im considering bio pellets now. I honestly would never again recommend any of the denitator units ever again. They can work but are a HUGE PINA.

JordanM
02/08/2018, 09:27 AM
There is o reason the tubing can not be on the outside, as long as the tubing is not opaque. The length of the tubing probably does not need to be 50’, but how long it needs to be is hard to say. If your feeding the reactor with oxygen rich water as in the skimmer compartment it will need to be longer then if fed from a place with little circulation. Conceivably you could feed it from under your sand bed and use a relatively short length of tubing as the water would already be low in oxygen.

What is the reason you cannot use opaque tubing?

laverda
02/12/2018, 01:20 AM
What is the reason you cannot use opaque tubing?

If the tubing is external you will get algae growing in it and producing oxygen.

tkeracer619
02/12/2018, 01:29 AM
5 gallon home depot bucket, and 60lbs of silica sand. (aragonite oolitic is a better option, but costs more) Instant nitrate reactor, that will work far better and naturally, than any purpose "nitrate reactor," whether it uses a denitrating media, sugar, spice, sulfur whatever. Maintenance free and no media replacement necessary. Phosphates? Control your nitrates right, and no need to worry about phosphates.You only need control one of the several necessities for nuisance algae growth, to halt it dead in its tracks. Cyanobacteria, being the exception in that it can grow with next to nothing.

This is what I would do if you want some extra nitrogen reducing capabilities. Much better than a hardware based solution.