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

[|FATHOM|]

That blue thing isa balloon holding stick . It fits snugly with the silicone tube, so it works perfectly as hose quick connect. I have a short tube fitted internally, followed by the blue plastic "quick connect" and the visible tube on the outside.

My control valve is using 3/8" quick connect type I bought from water filter shop.

No, you need a proper tee off if you are tapping from your return line. Mine is fed from the overflow pipe going to the sump, no pressure involved. Return line is pressurise, without proper fittings it will create havoc if the reactor feeding hose dislocated.

Awesome thank you.

I ment overflow return drain sorry for the confusion. Very excited to get started will post some pics up

 

[|FATHOM|]

The hose is 1/4 the fittings are 3/8 just added mine on the exit

Do you have a link here you got your fittings and hose? Or the name of the hose? Thank you

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Awesome thank you.

I ment overflow return drain sorry for the confusion. Very excited to get started will post some pics up

Nice!. Pictures or it didn't happen

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Do you have a link here you got your fittings and hose? Or the name of the hose? Thank you

BRS has it or you can go Home Depot that’s where I got what I did not have on hand.

 

[cchomistek]

So now that things are getting a little plugged up with bacteria I cannot get much more than a fast trickle out of my reactor. If I open the valve it just comes out of the emergency hole I put in just above the inlet hole to ensure it would flow back in the sump. How do you bump the reactor to get more flow if you do not have a sealed unit?

If it is clogging up this easily in the beginning I am thinking I am going to have an issue with not getting flow through the reactor. Am I correct?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

So now that things are getting a little plugged up with bacteria I cannot get much more than a fast trickle out of my reactor. If I open the valve it just comes out of the emergency hole I put in just above the inlet hole to ensure it would flow back in the sump. How do you bump the reactor to get more flow if you do not have a sealed unit?

If it is clogging up this easily in the beginning I am thinking I am going to have an issue with not getting flow through the reactor. Am I correct?

Use a small stick or small hose cleaner to clear up the outlet all the way into the chamber. You are not using coral rubbles, pumice stones or any smaller size media right?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Was think of putting egg-crate between the media’s to help combat blockage.

 

[cchomistek]

Use a small stick or small hose cleaner to clear up the outlet all the way into the chamber. You are not using coral rubbles, pumice stones or any smaller size media right?

All I used for media was fluval bio media which is bio rings and eheim bio rings. So yeah no small media

 

[cchomistek]

The eheim rings are not that big but they are rings so should not really cause flow issue due to packing I would not think.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

What size pump would you recommend ? I have a Mj 1200 on it now put notice it was very strong for the reactor during water test had to keep the gate valve almost closed

Hope there’s no more leaks this time [emoji23]

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Try cleaning the outlet first. If your media is filled way over the outlet hose, it will clogged faster. It should be below the hose, but even so some bacteria slime will build up at the outlet. Or, if you are using pump as feeder, close the dosing hole with your finger and crank up the flow to max. That will clear up the reactor (kind of blowing our nose on nasty flu)

 

[Donovan Joannes]

What size pump would you recommend ? I have a Mj 1200 on it now put notice it was very strong for the reactor during water test had to keep the gate valve almost closed

Hope there’s no more leaks this time [emoji23]

Any small pump below 1000 lph should be good.

p/s: You are putting this reactor outside the sump right?. If yes, make sure your dosing hose is plugged or extended into the sump in case it clogged .

 

[Donovan Joannes]

@cchomistek, are you getting zero no3 at the outlet?. If yes, reduce the vodka a bit.

 

[cchomistek]

@cchomistek, are you getting zero no3 at the outlet?. If yes, reduce the vodka a bit.

Not zero yet. I would say close to 10 ppm. So I will continue at this rate of vodka.

I had a longer hose to try and divert the water away from the Skimmer compartment to create less skimmate. It did not seem to make much difference so I am back to the short hose and gave decent flow.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Your coral will love the extra bacteria as foods. My carnation NPS when they sense foods in the water column. It will continue doing so (lasted for hours) until no more foods to filter

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Any small pump below 1000 lph should be good.

p/s: You are putting this reactor outside the sump right?. If yes, make sure your dosing hose is plugged or extended into the sump in case it clogged .

Thank you. I think I may have a smaller pump there. Yes it’s going outside the sump that’s why I’m doing so many leak test. The pump and dosing line will be in the sump.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Sorry guys fish list just came so had me for a minute. All is done waiting for it to dry. Rock rubber in bucket with pump and B7 I just need to find a spot inside of my stand to place my valve will try get the rest of my media during the week.

 

[AnakinReefWalker]

grrrr...wish I had seen this thread a week ago before I ordered my biopellet system, this would have been a lot more cost effective

 

[Donovan Joannes]

You can always build one if needed. DIY section is my favourite column. There is always something to trigger my brain with brilliant ideas that I never thought off.

 

[Stlouphil]

Just built this contraption. Four inch pipe both 18” tall. Tied together by a 1/2 inch union. Quarter inch tubing at input and output and a port on top with a push valve for carbon source injection. Input has a push valve to control flow.

I have tons of LR rubble. Aerobic side is larger rubble on top with medium pieces on bottom. They are separated by 1” pvc rings.

The anaerobic side has small rubble on the bottom half and really small on top half. They are separated by 1/2” pvc rings.

I seeded with skimmer gunk and effluent and injected 20ml Vdk. Flow is very small stream. You can see in the photo.

Today is day 1 with nitrates about 15.