Nitrogen cycle question

[SFish]

Besides a DSB what other ways are there to complete the nitrogen cycle and bring nitrates down to 0? I know live rock and sand help. I also know cheato can help lower nitrates but wouldn't cheato die once all the PO4 is used up and can it maintain a tank at 0 nitrates?

Thanks

[CStrickland]

Water changes
Are you having an issue, or just curious?

[SFish]

Just curious

I'm up in the air as to if I want to run a remote deep sand bed or not so I'm wondering what other ways there are to maintain 0 nitrates and how hard it is to maintain 0. I know this is a hot bed topic.

[CStrickland]

Yeah, there's a lot of opinions.
A remote sand bed is easy enough to add if you need it. I'm happy with nitrates in the single digits, and haven't had any trouble keeping them there without doing anything special. I even ran without a skimmer for a year and they weren't an issue. But I vacuum my sand out when I do my 10% water change each week. When I was setting up my tank I thought about a rdsb too cause I thought it would be hard to manage nitrates. For whatever reason my tank handles it on its own. So if it ain't broke I'm not trying to fix it lol
For the most part nitrate probs seem to happen to dirty tanks. Like filter socks not getting changed or chunky sand beds that trap a lot of poo

[SFish]

I like the idea of a DSB but im afraid of a system crash. I'm reading through the thread about them now. Not sure which way I want to go yet. I want to run a mixed reef. With the sumps I'll end up close to 100gal total.

[figuerres]

Another option is a type of reactor that uses sulfur and calcium to create an anoxic chamber that grows the type of bacteria that can be found in a deep sand bed or in a deep rock. It seeps the bacteria into the sump while taking in a small amount of sump water. The steady supply of the bacteria boosts the systems ability to breakdown the waste to nitrogen gas.

[figuerres]

Here is one of the reactors
http://www.marinedepot.com/Korallin_BioDenitrator_w_Eheim_1048_Pump_Bio_Denitrators_Nitrate_Reactors-Korallin-KL9111K-FIFRISDN-vi.html

[gone fishin]

Other than what has been listed there are algae turf scrubbers, a properly sized refugium full of different macros are other options.

[SFish]

Here is one of the reactors
http://www.marinedepot.com/Korallin_BioDenitrator_w_Eheim_1048_Pump_Bio_Denitrators_Nitrate_Reactors-Korallin-KL9111K-FIFRISDN-vi.html

I was wondering about this same idea I guess

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-rx-z-1-5-zeolite-reactor.html

[CStrickland]

Another option is a type of reactor that uses sulfur and calcium to create an anoxic chamber that grows the type of bacteria that can be found in a deep sand bed or in a deep rock. It seeps the bacteria into the sump while taking in a small amount of sump water. The steady supply of the bacteria boosts the systems ability to breakdown the waste to nitrogen gas.

I thought it was a different strain of bacteria that consumes the sulfur and nitrate?
... using these bacteria with a sulfur source will remove nitrates from water. Thiobacillus denitrificans are the bacteria responsible for nitrates when they are in a hypoxic place and a sulfur substrate is available.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-01/diy/index.php

[rfurst]

No, the cheato isn't going to die, it keeps growing and growing sucking up nutrients like nitrate and phosphate. It is a good strategy in my experience. If you have a way to add DSB it's helpful as well, just a matter of space and money for the fine sand. There really isn't much risk with DSB if you just leave it alone. Danger comes if you disturb it down at the the anaerobic layer but there 's no reason to ever do that. Beyond that all the normal wisdom prevails... clean out filter socks, vaccum sand bed if it starts gathering crud, good skimming, Decent amount of LR, don't Overfeed...

No one thing or even two are going to neccesarily get you to 0 nitrates but as has stated, you can have a very heathy aquarium with some nitrates.

[SFish]

I would call a possible system crash a big risk. I've read to many post about this happening to take it lightly. I think DSBs work but they also have risks. I'm looking at long term systems 5 years or more running DSBs.