Need help with a Sulfur denitrate Reactor

[huttyhawk]

I have a AQUAMAXX TS-3 Sulfur Denitrator that at one point I had working great, producing 0 nitrates. This lasted for about 6-8 months but after some tinkering with it, it somehow turned into a nitrate creating cesspool creating more nitrate coming out of it then coming in.

I ended up taking the reactor offline for a
A couple Months trying to find more sulfur prills.

Finally Got new sulfur and media and just started it back up a few days ago. The only thing that remains from the original reactor setup is the black filter media pad that I set on top reactor media.

When I set up the reactor used max flow first 24
Hours and then reduced to 1 drop per second.
So two days in at one drop per second and I’m getting higher nitrates coming out of the the reactor then is going in. 62.2 nitrates coming into the reactor and off the charts 100+ coming out.


Maybe I should have out the reactor in a citric acid bath between cycles to clean it?

Maybe reusing the black filter media was a bad idea?

Any ideas of what I am doing wrong here?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Might be some nitrite coming out that looks like a lot of nitrate.

I’d suggest keeping going.

 

[WVNed]

Nitrites are coming out and you are reading them as nitrates. This is normal when starting up.
Not sure why you put the pad in there.
How big is your tank? The TS-3 is a big reactor. I mixed sulfur prills and Seachem Matrix and filled the bottom 2/3. I filled over that with the aragonite media to within a few inches of the top.
I have had trouble with mine plugging in the past so I didnt pack it so densely and it is working.

 

[huttyhawk]

Might be some nitrite coming out that looks like a lot of nitrate.

I’d suggest keeping going.

Thank you!

 

[huttyhawk]

Nitrites are coming out and you are reading them as nitrates. This is normal when starting up.
Not sure why you put the pad in there.
How big is your tank? The TS-3 is a big reactor. I mixed sulfur prills and Seachem Matrix and filled the bottom 2/3. I filled over that with the aragonite media to within a few inches of the top.
I have had trouble with mine plugging in the past so I didnt pack it so densely and it is working.

Thank you.

Great question with regards to the using the filter pad. The pump that circulates flow within the reactor is very strong and pushes the media upwards. I made a YouTube video showing the issue.

https://youtube.com/shorts/y-OJD1qj0h4?feature=share


The TS-3 is a very large reactor, my tank is 120 but I purchased the reactor with the idea that I could use it on a 300+ gallon system in the future.

The first time I set up the reactor I put in significantly more sulfur and it was taking too many nitrates out the system. I have a lot of SPS,
So on this go round I am targeting a nitrate level of around 10-15. I’m hoping with a reduced amount of sulfur media that I may have more success.

 

[huttyhawk]

Might be some nitrite coming out that looks like a lot of nitrate.

I’d suggest keeping going.

I am using Hannah high nitrate test kits. Any thoughts on how to accurately measure nitrates in my display tank if I am getting artificially high nitrate readings due to the nitrites coming out of the reactor?

 

[WVNed]

The amount of sulfur you have is fine. Seachem Matrix is a biological growth media and looks like medium gravel.
The anaerobic bacteria in mine formed mats and clogged the sulfur layer. So I mixed it with the matrix.

Read this. The end part about running it. This is where I read about using the Matrix media.
https://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-01/diy/index.php

Instead of adding or taking away sulfur to control nitrates just slow down the flow through the reactor. Most people crank them way up, get a huge bloom inside the reactor because they have really high nitrates when they started the reactor. Then the nitrates go way way down and they turn the flow down.
The bloom inside starves and turns to grey goo and plugs the reactor.

This is exactly what I did.
Just let a tiny stream pass. Once the nitrates start falling stop there. When they get close to where you want them then slightly decrease the flow and test everyday and you can get them where you want them.

If you are at a drop a second still, measuring the tank water should be very close to your actual nitrates even though the reactor output looks very high.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am using Hannah high nitrate test kits. Any thoughts on how to accurately measure nitrates in my display tank if I am getting artificially high nitrate readings due to the nitrites coming out of the reactor?

Im not sure what the multiplier is for nitrite in that kit.

 

[grenseal]

Nitrites are coming out and you are reading them as nitrates. This is normal when starting up.
Not sure why you put the pad in there.
How big is your tank? The TS-3 is a big reactor. I mixed sulfur prills and Seachem Matrix and filled the bottom 2/3. I filled over that with the aragonite media to within a few inches of the top.
I have had trouble with mine plugging in the past so I didnt pack it so densely and it is working.

May I ask how long this stage lasts? I'm a week in, first 2 days was full flow to flush out any air bubbles and what not. For the last 5 days I have it going at 1 drop per second. I'm reading super high nitrate, I guess it's actually nitrite. Should I leave it alone or speed it up? Thanks.

 

[WVNed]

May I ask how long this stage lasts? I'm a week in, first 2 days was full flow to flush out any air bubbles and what not. For the last 5 days I have it going at 1 drop per second. I'm reading super high nitrate, I guess it's actually nitrite. Should I leave it alone or speed it up? Thanks.

Yes leave it alone
These reactors are tricky
There never is a point where you just crank it up
You slowly turn up when your testing says to
I remember it was 3 weeks or so

a fine stream coming out equals so many gallons an hour
Get to the point your nitrates slowly fall and slow the flow as you approach your goal

 

[grenseal]

Yes leave it alone
These reactors are tricky
There never is a point where you just crank it up
You slowly turn up when your testing says to
I remember it was 3 weeks or so

a fine stream coming out equals so many gallons an hour
Get to the point your nitrates slowly fall and slow the flow as you approach your goal

Thank you, this helps.

 

[Rybki]

I have a AQUAMAXX TS-3 Sulfur Denitrator that at one point I had working great, producing 0 nitrates. This lasted for about 6-8 months but after some tinkering with it, it somehow turned into a nitrate creating cesspool creating more nitrate coming out of it then coming in.

I ended up taking the reactor offline for a
A couple Months trying to find more sulfur prills.

Finally Got new sulfur and media and just started it back up a few days ago. The only thing that remains from the original reactor setup is the black filter media pad that I set on top reactor media.

When I set up the reactor used max flow first 24
Hours and then reduced to 1 drop per second.
So two days in at one drop per second and I’m getting higher nitrates coming out of the the reactor then is going in. 62.2 nitrates coming into the reactor and off the charts 100+ coming out.


Maybe I should have out the reactor in a citric acid bath between cycles to clean it?

Maybe reusing the black filter media was a bad idea?

Any ideas of what I am doing wrong here?

Thanks!

 

[Rybki]

Control flow not media amount, I would get rid of black foam and add more sulfur and arm. I control mine with versa pump and install pre filter (simple car fuel filter). great idea from
Jake Adams RIP

 

[grenseal]

Yes leave it alone
These reactors are tricky
There never is a point where you just crank it up
You slowly turn up when your testing says to
I remember it was 3 weeks or so

a fine stream coming out equals so many gallons an hour
Get to the point your nitrates slowly fall and slow the flow as you approach your goal

Hey, so thanks again for the tip. Coming out of the reactor is now zero nitrite and zero nitrate. I'm turning it up to 2 drops per second and going to check tomorrow.

 

[WVNed]

Hey, so thanks again for the tip. Coming out of the reactor is now zero nitrite and zero nitrate. I'm turning it up to 2 drops per second and going to check tomorrow.

Think of it like starting a tiny fire. Now you slowly make it as big as you want. To much at once and you start over.

Get a cup with graduations and measure your output volume

from the original article
After the initial break-in period, adjust it to one drop per second until your nitrates measure zero out of the effluent. Adjustments after that should be done in increments of 10% and always wait three days to let the unit catch up. Retest and if nitrates are zero adjust again in the same manner until you reach the desired flow described below. Let the unit catch up before making any further adjustments.

Final recommended flow through your reactor should be 3-4 liters per hour per liter of sulfur media as long as the effluent reads zero nitrates.

 

[ReeferBud]

Is anyone still using these?

 

[JJP9398]

I'm in the process of setting one up. I just used an old calcium reactor. I tried a homemade one at first. I kind of got it to work but I don't think I had enough sulfur in it to make a difference. I couldn't get my nitrates down to zero no matter what I did. I had it running for about 4 months.

After using the calcium reactor and adding the used sulfur from the homemade reactor and adding about 15 more pounds it took off. Within a week I was reading zero nitrates. I just jumped up my flow Monday to 15ml/min and will retest tomorrow. I have found that using a continuous dosing pump I can really dial in the output. I'm hopeful this will work.