Can a sulfur denitrator leak sulfur?

[Reefvision]

Hi Cory, no pics to share( not sure how to do that but will figure it out eventually lol) . But I am simply using maxi 400 power head with sponge filter on intake that sits in sump section where protein skimmer pump is at and it sends flow to two vertex media reactors that are connected in series and flow is sent to bottom of reactors than up thru sulpher beads (korrallin brand) and Triton calcium rocks at top 1/4 then thru exact same reactor setup again before exiting into another section in sumpwith gfo and activated carbon and to return pump chamber. The reactors are full completely with water (no air pockets)and exit flow is not submerged at all. I also have to really watch all level as well. Seems to want to drop a lot with this system. I also am running calcium reactor (avast marine) with the Triton calcium rocks at 6.5ph. So alk dropping due to all this combined I think. I hope your panther grouper is ok and you don't suffer any other problems. Best wishes ,Jim.

 

[Reefvision]

 

[Reefvision]

Cory , think this worked lol . Best I can do with this tablet camera. Sorry.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Got a pic of your sulfur denitrator setup? Mine doesn't use a pump just natural flow through it. Alkalinity hasn't been noticeably impacted until i started smelling this h2s smell.

To get it right, is it a rotten egg smell ,H2S, or does it smell like dry elemental sulfur?

Did the phenomenon affect alkalinity when it was noticed? Increase or decrease?

What about pH?

 

[Cory]

To get it right, is it a rotten egg smell ,H2S, or does it smell like dry elemental sulfur?

Did the phenomenon affect alkalinity when it was noticed? Increase or decrease?

What about pH?

I dont have a ph meter so i dont know. The tank water smelled like elemental sulfur. The container they were in smelled of rotten eggs. It did drop alkalinity more. About 1 to .5dkh per day more.

Im planning to make them into bades colums or rolls if my no3 starts to rise too much again and put in the sump.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I dont have a ph meter so i dont know. The tank water smelled like elemental sulfur. The container they were in smelled of rotten eggs. It did drop alkalinity more. About 1 to .5dkh per day more.

Im planning to make them into bades colums or rolls if my no3 starts to rise too much again and put in the sump.

Thank you. I may assume for some reason HS was produced at a relatively high rate? Released H2S giving the rotten egg smell. What I do not know is if the water contains a certain amount of HS it will smell like sulfur, apparently it does. It would be interesting if this sulfur smell could be linked to a certain amount. There is a significant difference between the smell of sulfur and H2S.
HS/H2S ratio depends on pH. The lower the pH, the more H2S is present. In anoxic conditions, the pH may become very low by which H2S may reach 50% and more.

I do have info on HS production making use of elemental sulfur in an anoxic sulfur-based denitrator tested for cleaning freshwater, this when no nitrate is available there where the action is. The bacteria responsible are anaerobic heterotrophs NOT able to reduce sulfate. Also, the bacteria using up produced H2S are present. ref: MB CMF De Haes 2017.
I do not have such info using seawater, having a high sulfate content.

Using BADES we do not make use of filters and reactors kept in anoxic conditions.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I do have info on HS production making use of elemental sulfur in an anoxic sulfur-based denitrator tested for cleaning freshwater, this when no nitrate is available there where the action is. The bacteria responsible are anaerobic heterotrophs NOT able to reduce sulfate. Also, the bacteria using up produced H2S are present. ref: MB CMF De Haes 2017.
I do not have such info using seawater, having a high sulfate content.

Using BADES we do not make use of filters and reactors kept in anoxic conditions.

Another good reason for NOT targetting 0 Nitrate in the effluent of a denitrator. A BADES bioreactor works fine still having 2 ppm DO in the effluent, anoxic conditions are NOT needed.

The presence of nitrate in the biofilm is very important for many processes taking place, in the first place to remove continuously produced HS, being responsible for the natural export of nitrogen in a nitrifying biofilm. No need for anoxic conditions in the water column. Adding some elemental sulfur as a substrate for the biofilm may increase the natural denitrification rate.

 

[Cory]

Im going to make bades rolls soon when i have time with felt mesh.

Im quoting my post because my tanks no3 hasnt changed since removing the sulphur media. Still 2.5ppm no3. So no need for bades rolls yet.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Im quoting my post because my tanks no3 hasnt changed since removing the sulphur media. Still 2.5ppm no3. So no need for bades rolls yet.

One should be aware using BADES rolls exports most nitrate produced by the rolls but leaves behind all other inorganic building materials produced by the remineralization processes taking place in and on the rolls. Nitrogen is needed for using up by remineralization produced inorganic nutrients, using BADES rolls ( BADES is an acronym) may cause essential elements to build up, elements that normally are essential for growth but at high availability, the same elements may become poisonous or and cause growth diseases. Using BADES rolls includes a risk for exporting too much nitrogen. Therefore it is advised to use BADES rolls in a refugium making it possible to manage the nitrate reserve in the function of the phosphate reserve, minimizing the risk for overdoing it.

 

[Cory]

One should be aware using BADES rolls exports most nitrate produced by the rolls but leaves behind all other inorganic building materials produced by the remineralization processes taking place in and on the rolls. Nitrogen is needed for using up by remineralization produced inorganic nutrients, using BADES rolls ( BADES is an acronym) may cause essential elements to build up, elements that normally are essential for growth but at high availability, the same elements may become poisonous or and cause growth diseases. Using BADES rolls includes a risk for exporting too much nitrogen. Therefore it is advised to use BADES rolls in a refugium making it possible to manage the nitrate reserve in the function of the phosphate reserve, minimizing the risk for overdoing it.

Which elements may build up that are essential for growth?