Kessil

DIY sulfur denitrator links?

nice.

Since I have most of the parts to build mine already, I should have mine completed in a couple days.

What sulfer media are you using?
 
IT arrived today. Small. Its filled 2/3 with matrix, 1/3 with sulfur media. Its running now full out to purge any air from the unit.

Really neat, it doesn't need a feed pump - it draws water via a intake on the suck side of the recirc pump. Nifty.
 
Ive got a ton of matrix, but could use some sulfur.

Do you happen to know the volume of sulfur you used?

In one of the articles, I saw a figure of recommending 1.5 Liters of sulfur to 250 Gallons.
 
I have a ton of sulfur, not much matrix. I will bring both. :D

I followed the directions on the NJ reefers forum. He seems to think that you don't need to over do the sulfur.
 
Page 14 of the DIY forum at RC has a run down of the amount of sulfur to use, IIRC it's something like 1.5 liters per 250 gallons of water volume you have, if you're using a recirculating one which you should. So it's not much at all. Unfortunately as Rich gathered they don't sell small amounts :D
 
Link? RC sucks!

I don't know what the amount actually has to do with anything. Isn't the sulfur really just a food for the bacteria?
 
Well I think the amount has to do with how to get a "steady state" too much sulfur and you'll get too much bacteria which will consume the nitrates quickly however after they're done, there will be no more, you get die off, or something sulfur smell (rotten eggs)... too little and you'll have a happy amount of bacteria, but won't bring your nitrates down to zero.

I'm sure there are a billion and two variables as well (fish load, etc) but this was just what seems to work for one guy who's the self-appointed denitrinator :D

Would have posted a link but was at work and didn't have it, here ya go
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1288082&perpage=25&pagenumber=14
 
[quote author=xinumaster link=topic=3463.msg40212#msg40212 date=1207864123]
The sulfur is to to strip the water of O2.
[/quote]

I believe that is incorrect.
From TRA vol3, page 277:
The attraction of this method is that the sulfur acts as food (ie it supplies the energy) for the bacteria and since it is not soluble in water, it also allows the bacteria to colonize the substrate.
Click to expand...
Which is also why we are using matrix in combination with sulfur - bigger surface area for the bacteria to colonize.
From page 278:
Under anoxic conditions they {sulfur oxidizing bacteria} oxidize reduced sulfur to sulfate while reducing nitrate.
Click to expand...

The bacteria will use oxygen before they use nitrate with is why low flow is important - let some of the bacteria use up the o2 in the incoming water. I may even add a prechamber to allow the bacteria in there to use up the o2.

I did add more media, and if anyone has an extra clear canister, I will happily buy it at the meeting for an aragonite chamber.
 
I was concerned with having to much O2 enter my reactor as well. I havent thought of adding a pre-canister to have it removed via bacteria, but but I placed the input of my water supply inside a filter sock so no bubbles will enter the reactor. This also keeps detritus from entering as well.
 
Well according to many of the links, they say to start out with 1 drip per second for the first few days, at that rate of water entering the chamber it's no surprise that you get anerobic conditions inside the chamber(s) regardless of what you do. The idea of adjusting more flow when you smell sulfur, is that you get to a point that there's no food at all for them, so you add a few more drips per second, and wammo influx of food. The RC thread on the DN device also mentions venting it daily due to the gases that can build up.

Either way I can't wait for school to end so I can get some time to do this! I have an old Jebo Skimmer (yeah I'll admit it.. I bought one :D) that is just screaming "Chop me up" and probably would work fairly decently since it's already plumbed with an in hole for water.
 
[quote author=xinumaster link=topic=3463.msg40212#msg40212 date=1207864123]
The sulfur is to to strip the water of O2.
[/quote]

Where did I read this. I got to find that article.
 
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