Sulfur Denitrator: Who's running one?

[black71gp]

awesome thanks for the info!!! I think keeping them separate might just be the easiest way to keep things.. maybe after things get running a few months down the road I can combine them.. will keep you updated on what i do. There is a link in my signature with a build thread of my system.. the first pictures are a year ago then they change with updates as I go..lol.. thanks so much. glad i dont need 20lbs of sulfur.. I should be able to get the nice better bead style sulfur instead of the Carib sea stuff... looking forward to this! YEA>. what size reactor chambers are you running Carlo? to fit the 3l in..

 

[dandy7200]

Phyl, I bet you made the BNC crossover cable just fine. I remember hitting the same problem when I made the switch from Pinpoint ORP to Neptune. The Neptune would only go to 000 running either normal probe or probe with crossover while the Pinpoint functioned correctly with the crossover.

I've got to think about this one to remember the trick to getting it to read correctly. Curt (from Neptune) told me it couldn't be done because they implemented the ORP a little differently then most true ORP monitors because theirs can also function as a 2nd pH port. I'm not one to take "can't be done" when I "think it can".

Go for the Nitrate testing for now while I "remember" the trick to getting it to work. I'll look later tonight after I get cleaned up from my daughters pool party today.

BTW, after cleaning the probe and using my homemade calibration solution what ORP reading did you get originally?

Carlo

HI Carlo, I am having the same problem with a neptune probe and a crossover cable I made. Did you ever remember what the workaround was to get it to read -redox ?

Thanks,

Dan

Dan, for the life of me I can't remember what it was I did. I've looked and the only thing I can see I did was the crossover cable. For kicks and grins I plugged it into a Red Sea Deluxe ozone unit and it also read the negative values properly.

Carlo

Do you think if I use the 700mv calibration solution and set it to 1000mv that I can use it as an accurate -300mv offset? Or does it not work like that?

 

[sellout007]

Should not be hard at all. Concentrate on the first chamber and put a combination of porious media and a few sulfur beeds in it (as talked about already). Then in the 2nd chamber (receives water from the first chamber) put in the calcium media (to help bring up the pH).

Carlo

Well, I need a bit of coaching on making sure I have the reactor set up. I want to make sure the right media goes in the right spot, and the right hoses are hooked up. Here are the pictures.

Ok so bear with me while I attempt to go through this. First my tank is only a 55g tank, with a 30g sump. Not sure if this matters.

So water enters by being pumped from a small pump into the mag. Then the mag pump attached the reactor recirculates through the chamber on the right? So that would be my first chamber correct? That first chamber should house about 1" (or more?) of the sulfur and the rest the matrix media?

The second chamber (left side) should house my calcium media? Or should I add more matrix media? Is it going to cause a problem if I have to much media (bacteria), or can I just raise the flow through rate?


Now, what do I do with the little hose that comes out from the gray PVC (where the water enters the mag)? The hose attaches to the bubble counter that came with the reactor. The counter also has another hose that is attached to the bubble counter that used to connect to the solenoid of the CO2 tank. What do I do with them?

When I first set this all up, I want to hook it up to the tank, then let the water run full blast for how long? After that I shut it off completely? The feed pump as well?

 

[Phyl]

So water enters by being pumped from a small pump into the mag. Then the mag pump attached the reactor recirculates through the chamber on the right? So that would be my first chamber correct? That first chamber should house about 1" (or more?) of the sulfur and the rest the matrix media?

Yes, that's right.

The second chamber (left side) should house my calcium media? Or should I add more matrix media? Is it going to cause a problem if I have to much media (bacteria), or can I just raise the flow through rate?

Your Calcium reactor media goes in the second chamber. The purpose of that chamber is to bring the PH back up again since it will be brought down by chamber 1.

Now, what do I do with the little hose that comes out from the gray PVC (where the water enters the mag)? The hose attaches to the bubble counter that came with the reactor. The counter also has another hose that is attached to the bubble counter that used to connect to the solenoid of the CO2 tank. What do I do with them?

We folded ours over and tie wrapped it closed after the bubble counter.

When I first set this all up, I want to hook it up to the tank, then let the water run full blast for how long? After that I shut it off completely? The feed pump as well?

IIRC, you start it with a fairly slow drip and when the nitrates hit zero start bringing it back up again, slowly. The beginning of this thread should have some more details on the startup process. Our Aqualifter failed and we've had to restart the reactor. Don't let that happen. Man does it SMELL.

 

[Carlo]

awesome thanks for the info!!! I think keeping them separate might just be the easiest way to keep things.. maybe after things get running a few months down the road I can combine them.. will keep you updated on what i do. There is a link in my signature with a build thread of my system.. the first pictures are a year ago then they change with updates as I go..lol.. thanks so much. glad i dont need 20lbs of sulfur.. I should be able to get the nice better bead style sulfur instead of the Carib sea stuff... looking forward to this! YEA>. what size reactor chambers are you running Carlo? to fit the 3l in..

Coralife 500G calcium reactor. Same as what's mentioned earlier up in the thread.

 

[dandy7200]

OK, I got the answer from Curt and thought I would report back:

As a work around, you should be able to use the ORP connector in pH mode. A pH reading above 7.0 is a negative ORP reading. For every 1 unit of pH change the ORP is changing by about 58 mV. An ORP reading of -200 is equivalent to a pH reading of about 7.0 + 200/58 = 10.44.

So...

7.0 = 000mv
8.0 = -58mv
9.0 = -116mv
10.0 = -174mv

10.0 is the upper end of the AC3 capabilities but it looks like the right number we need for the application anyhow so all is good and no crossover cable needed, just the orp probe

Dan

 

[Phyl]

Thanks for posting up the answer here.

 

[depitch039]

What about problems that occur after power outage?? ???

H2S that builds up in the denitrator could cause majors problems in your tank when power returns??

Just a thought... 8)

 

[Phyl]

When our power turns off it continues to siphon through the system, just a little slower.

 

[sellout007]

As for the amount of media to use I can tell you I run 3 liters of BioMedia with only a light covering of sulfur on the very top. This is on a 1300 gallons system that's heavily fed and has some serious eaters (rays/triggers). I let the sulfur dissolve and by that time the reactor is more or less self sufficient and biologically active and it doesn't require any outside food sources. I prefer to not use any more sulfur then needed as it can/will throw off the ionic balance of the ions in the tank since you are adding sulfur to the tank. So me personally I'd go about 2/3 or more filled with BioMedia and just enough sulfur to cover the top (plenty). Then run the calcium material in the 2nd reactor.

Carlo

Now I am filling up my first chamber with just about 2 liters of the Matrix media and about 1" of sulfur. Now is this too much? I notice you have this on a 1300g. I only have a 60g system. I am worried that I might have too much bacteria and then run into problems with the reactor "stalling" out?

 

[Carlo]

As long as you adjust the flow properly and either adjust based on ORP or Nitrite/Nitrate results you should be ok.

Completely personal but I'd remove a bit of the sulfur and only use enough to cover the top of the media.


dandy7200 using the ORP probe in "pH" mode should work just fine.

Carlo

 

[sellout007]

I don't supposed anyone has any extra Sulfur beads from PA (non LSM). I only need about a cup full from what I am being told and I would hate to have to spend $60.

 

[Phyl]

Where in NJ? We have a spare cup we could trade you.

 

[sellout007]

Where in NJ? We have a spare cup we could trade you.

Hmmm the far part... Like the part close to Chicago, Illinois.

 

[JohnS_323]

Where in NJ? We have a spare cup we could trade you.

Hmmm the far part... Like the part close to Chicago, Illinois.

Road Trip!

 

[black71gp]

where is the best place to buy sulfur and the bio matrix media? I am guessing there is a better sulfur media than the LSM from carib sea?

 

[Phyl]

This is where/what we ordered. It would be great to share it with a few people since you only need a handful (well maybe a few handfuls, just in case).

 

[black71gp]

thanks a lot.. working on getting the acrylic flanges and then i can get started on building the reactors!

 

[sellout007]

Road Trip!

Sounds good! When you coming on up here? ;D

This is where/what we ordered. It would be great to share it with a few people since you only need a handful (well maybe a few handfuls, just in case).

So how close is your post office to your house? If don't mind shipping a bit, let me know and I will send ya some money for the sulfur. Just let me know soon, or I gotta bust out the order from PA. I am itching to get this thing up and running.

 

[Phyl]

Close enough that we could send you some. What do you need, like 1/2 c? PM me your details.