Poor Man's Nutrients Control - Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer

[Donovan Joannes]

Ok my u-tube reactor is up and running. Just seeded with 6 mls of dr.tim's bacteria and left the pump off for a half an hour to allow the bacteria to settle in a bit. I will see how things go.

How many days till I can start adding vodka to the reactor?

Repeat bacteria seeding for 5 days straight, add vodka on third day. First nitrate test after 7th day, both water column and reactor outlet.

 

[cchomistek]

How much vodka should I start with and should it be spread over multiple times a day. I have a doser so that is no problem.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

What is your total water volume @cchomistek? Current NO3 level?

 

[cchomistek]

Roughly 220 gallons and starting NO3 is around 30 ppm.

 

[cchomistek]

I don't have much algae but cyano on the rocks and sandbed.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Roughly 220 gallons and starting NO3 is around 30 ppm.

Start with 1ml per 2 hours for 2 weeks, and test every other day. If there is a reduction, continue at this amount. Some doesn't register any differences, as such do the test after 1 hour of dosing.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I don't have much algae but cyano on the rocks and sandbed.

Quite common for a new tank. How old is this tank?. Do you dose carbon source into water column?

 

[cchomistek]

Not a new tank. It is 4 years old but up until 3 months ago i did minimal maintenance on the tank and i was not using RO water. Thus NO3 and PO4 were high. They have came down some and yes I was up to 17mL of vodka. I have weined the tank off the vodka and am now down to 5mL a day do to changing to the nitrate destroyer.

At this time I only have 2.5L of fluval bio rings and will be adding 2L of eheim biorings later this week.

I figured I would get it going and add the other 2L once they come in.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Gotcha. Dosing directly into water column encouraged cyano bacteria bloom in some tank. I have cyano long ago due to lighting. Good luck with the destroyer and update your progress. So far I never come across a failed unit, provided that it is done and feed properly.

 

[cchomistek]

Well I know I have not put in what you have recommended as media but I didn't want to use the matrix media as i figured that would have a better chance of clogging. I do have the flow pretty low at about 1mL per second.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

That flow should be fine for a start, but keep your nose open for any funny smell.

 

[cchomistek]

I will do that for sure.

 

[cchomistek]

So it has been roughly 5 days. I have not seen any snotty bacteria build up coming out of the destroyer yet. I tested the water today. I don't think there is much difference. If anything there may be a slight more nitrates in the destroyer than the tank.

A couple thibgs that have changed. The skimmer is priducing alot of skimmate. And there has been a large cyano matt bloom on the rocks and back wall since taking the vodka away from the display tank and putting it to the destroyer.

Should I try increasing the vodka to the destroyer. Right now I am at 5 mL dosed over 4 time periods. So 1.25 mL four times a day.

 

[Isaac Alves]

I'm curious. Can the BRS dual reactor setup be used to create one of these? Or is it too small for an 85 gallon tank?

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-dual-reactor.html

 

[Donovan Joannes]

So it has been roughly 5 days. I have not seen any snotty bacteria build up coming out of the destroyer yet. I tested the water today. I don't think there is much difference. If anything there may be a slight more nitrates in the destroyer than the tank.

A couple thibgs that have changed. The skimmer is priducing alot of skimmate. And there has been a large cyano matt bloom on the rocks and back wall since taking the vodka away from the display tank and putting it to the destroyer.

Should I try increasing the vodka to the destroyer. Right now I am at 5 mL dosed over4 time periods. So 1.25 mL four times a day.

You can increase the vodka, but i would avoid that as you have cyano outbreak. Slight increase of NO3 in the reactor is a good sign that your nitrification zones are building up. You can add more bacteria for a few days. Do you have a picture showing your reactor output?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I'm curious. Can the BRS dual reactor setup be used to create one of these? Or is it too small for an 85 gallon tank?

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-dual-reactor.html

It kind of small and it's a clear reactor. Dark places grows bacteria better and I read a published study suggesting denitrification increases in dark places.

 

[cchomistek]

Here are a couple pictures of my destroyer and the flow. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

By looking at the flow, I think you are at the right track. Just give it more time to mature. You can reduce the flow a bit more, not trickling but a fine stream is good enough for bacteria colonization. Dose bacteria a few more days if you have extra. You should see some reduction once your nitrification zone grows bigger, consuming oxygen and leaving less for the denitrifying bacteria.

 

[Andeyking]

Donovan, what are your thoughts on this for a nano tank? Say 100L?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Donovan, what are your thoughts on this for a nano tank? Say 100L?

If you have the space for it, why not?. Make a smaller one, 3" diameter is good enough. Other than consuming nitrate and some phosphate, the bacteria feeds other inhabitants as well. It's a double edge sword.