New sulfur denitrator working great!

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

@NO3
did you purchase this new or used?
i think you have a C-3002 which is a calcium reactor converted to sulfur reactor.
The factory Sulfur reactor in that size will be S-3002.
S-3002 has a de-gas outlet right in the middle of the lid on top between the pump and outlet.
Calcium reactor does not have that extra outlet.

What you pictured above is the white plastic screw that is supposed to go through the base of the eheim pump and locks in with a nut to keep the pump from moving.

 

[ca1ore]

Been very pleased with the performance of my sulfur denitrator. Has reduced nitrates in a 600 gallon system from about 50 to under 5. Initially, I was dosing about 200 more ml/day of alkalinity than calcium; now it's closer to 100 ml/day. I attempted to mitigate the effects with a large amount of reborn above the sulfur media, but that only served to drive calcium levels up too high.

 

[NO3]

@NO3
did you purchase this new or used?
i think you have a C-3002 which is a calcium reactor converted to sulfur reactor.
The factory Sulfur reactor in that size will be S-3002.
S-3002 has a de-gas outlet right in the middle of the lid on top between the pump and outlet.
Calcium reactor does not have that extra outlet.

What you pictured above is the white plastic screw that is supposed to go through the base of the eheim pump and locks in with a nut to keep the pump from moving.

@Dr. Reef I purchased new from Marineland and thank you for clarifying what the white plastic screw is. In your first pic, the middle airline tube is my effluent and the other tube is submerged in my refuge, where my protein skimmer is. Is this correct?

NO3

 

[NO3]

Here is my NO3 result today. This is after a week and half. Also, this water is from the effluent.

I have 1 drop every 3 seconds from the effluent, do I raise my drip rate now or do I keep it the way it is? Any help is appreciated.

NO3

 

[Fudsey]

Mine originally set at 2-3 drops per second initially. I think your drip rate is set to low.

 

[NO3]

Mine originally set at 2-3 drops per second initially. I think your drip rate is set to low.

So, should I up my drip rate now?

NO3

 

[Fudsey]

Is the effluent lower no3 than the tank? It may raise the no3 in the tank if it's higher. I would up it and watch the tank no3 closely for a few days and see where it goes.

 

[NO3]

I haven’t checked the level in the tank. I will in a few.

NO3

 

[Fudsey]

I know with mine it's always higher for the 1st few weeks then once the bacteria develop, it comes down.

 

[robbyg]

Been running mine for a long time and the Nitrates in the Tank are always near zero.
I am actually surprised that more people do not use them as they are very easy to work with.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is the effluent lower no3 than the tank? It may raise the no3 in the tank if it's higher. I would up it and watch the tank no3 closely for a few days and see where it goes.

How would it be raising the nitrate level?

Folks who report that are much more likely seeing nitrite in the effluent from partial reduction of nitrate, but with a nitrate kit, a small amount of nitrite can look like a lot of nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Been running mine for a long time and the Nitrates in the Tank are always near zero.
I am actually surprised that more people do not use them as they are very easy to work with.

IMO, most people do not use them because there are other ways to deal with nitrate that do not have some of the same issues (e.g., alkalinity depletion), and most folks do not want nitrate near zero.

I'd advise having a few ppm nitrate.

 

[NO3]

Here is the test from my tank. Do I up my drip rate or do I leave it alone?

NO3

 

[Fudsey]

@NO3 Yes, up your drip rate.

@Randy Holmes-Farley if the no3 coming out of the reactor is higher than what the tank is, won't it raise the tank no3 for a short period of time before it starts to lower it?

 

[Paul B]

I built one about a year ago just for a goof. As a matter of fact I even forgot about it until I saw this thread as it is behind my tank and I don't see it.
But my nitrates were always about 60 here in this new house. Now they are 10 even though I don't rinse food any more and I feed a lot of chopped up clams with associated juice.

That is also why my tank is covered in blue sponge.

 

[NO3]

@Fudsey What drip rate should I set it to?

NO3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@NO3 Yes, up your drip rate.

@Randy Holmes-Farley if the no3 coming out of the reactor is higher than what the tank is, won't it raise the tank no3 for a short period of time before it starts to lower it?

If that were true, obviously yes.
But measuring more nitrate in the effluent does not mean there is more, and I do not see a likely mechanism to make more in the reactor.

What people do see, IMO, is a small amount of nitrite that reads on a kit like a lot of nitrate.

 

[Fudsey]

If that were true, obviously yes.
But measuring more nitrate in the effluent does not mean there is more, and I do not see a likely mechanism to make more in the reactor.

What people do see, IMO, is a small amount of nitrite that reads on a kit like a lot of nitrate.

Ahhh gotcha

@NO3 2-3 drips per second is what I was told when I started mine.

 

[NO3]

@Fudsey Thank you, I’ll set that drip rate now.

NO3

 

[robbyg]

IMO, most people do not use them because there are other ways to deal with nitrate that do not have some of the same issues (e.g., alkalinity depletion), and most folks do not want nitrate near zero.

I'd advise having a few ppm nitrate.

Haven’t really had any depletion issues. Mind you I use half the Recommended sulphate and doubler the the buffering media.