Denitrifying coil works like a charm

[Paul B]

I built a few of these over the years and was not crazy about any of the designs but this one I made last month works 100%.
My reef now has a nitrate reading of 40 and I figured it would be a good time todesign a new Denitrification device but I had no idea it would work so good and so fast. They usually take a couple of months to fully work but I had it running for a month and I just tested it. Water going in has a nitrate reading of 40 and with just one pass through the device which takes about 10 minutes, water comes out with zero nitrates. Not one or two, but zero. I never thought the thing would work so well and as soon as I get time I will install it on my reef.
I have some reservations about lowering my nitrates now, which seems wierd considering what everyone thinks about nitrates but for some reason, my tank never looked so good and the corals were never so big. SPS, LPS and leathers are growing faster than I have ever seen them grow.
I doubt it is the high nitrate levels but I wish I knew what it was. I may just install the Denitrification coil for a little while to slightly lower the nitrates to see if it affects the growth rate.
I have been cycling the device with Vodka.
It only processes about a gallon an hour or so but I will measure it exactly when I have time.

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Paul my friend long time no see, how are you? i also have a denitrator coil and works good, made from 1/2" watering hose from HD, the hose is the black direct burial one.

 

[Paul B]

Frankenstein, that 1/2" tubing is sort of large but I would imagine any tube will work. I have a lot of 1/4" tubing so I used that.
This thing uses 6 pipes that are inside each other with one end of each pipe on opposite ends capped so the water has to flow through the entire length of all the pipes. It takes 10 minutes for the water to make the journey

 

[Paul B]

I am putting it back together with some tweeks and I wil start cycling it again. I changed the flow from bottom to top just to make construction easier and I added 2 air vents and test ports. Right now I don't want to lower the nitrates too much because for some reason the corals are growing very fast. I have a giant mushroom that for 5 years was a tiny mushroom looking thing, now it is close to 9" across and it grew in a few months. I am afraid to feed the thing because it is taking up too much real estate and is covering some neighboring corals which are themselves getting too large for the tank.

This shows some of the internal parts, two of the tubes are inside other tubes and are not shown.

 

[Paul B]

I am cycling it again now and when it starts to work I will install it. This is a view from the inside top.
Those tubes let out the air and I can test the water in different parts of the thing to see which part is doing what.

 

[CJO]

Yeah, be careful. Lowering the nitrates too much will tend to starve your corals, even your SPS. If it ends up working well, would you be interested in doing a write-up on how you built it and your experience with it?

CJ

 

[pickupman66]

Paul! I have made a few of these myself. they can be very simple or complicated. yours seems in between. the simple verison is just 50 foot of tubing in a coffee can. my last clean version used a 4" pipe with the coil inside. the water didnt exit the tubing inside the chamber so I didnt have to seal it up. mine worked WONDERFULLY On my old 75. I have used it on my 180 too but it is just not big enough.

FWIW< I am running EcoBak now and getting great results. ZERO nitrates, and very low to non existent phosphates. It has always been my belief that having a zero nitrate system is where you want to be.

 

[wysiwyg]

ty for sharing this every1 will have to look into building one. just one question what size system you running these on

 

[Paul B]

If it ends up working well, would you be interested in doing a write-up on how you built it and your experience with it?

I thought this was the write up.

I am running EcoBak now and getting great results. ZERO nitrates, and very low to non existent phosphates. It has always been my belief that having a zero nitrate system is where you want to be.

Yes but I would never buy anything if I could build it. I don't want zero nitrates, I want about 15 which is a little high for SPS and a little low for LPS so it is right in the middle. My LPS are now outgrowing the tank as are the clams and gorgonians, the SPS is not growing as fast but it is stil doing fine. I think this device will reduce the nitrates very shortly to zero so I will most likely remove it when they go to 15 and build a smaller one. They only take about 2 hours to build and about $20.00

just one question what size system you running these on

My system is 100 gallons.

 

[secretreefer]

always a pleasure reading your threads paul, thanks for bringing the knowledge!

 

[CJO]

I thought this was the write up.

Other people can probably figure out how you built it from your pictures. I tend to be a little slow and do better with a materials list and directions

Thanks,
CJ

 

[pickupman66]

Paul, not to take away from your SUPER SLICK design.. here is my redneck version of this pipe bomb.

 

[Paul B]

thanks for bringing the knowledge!

Your welcome, now someone should bring the cake and coffee :hat:

 

[j.p. harrington]

hmmm might have to look into this maybe making a small one for my frag tank i dont really have nitrates in my main tank