Sulphur nitrate reactor white slime

[1979fishgeek]

Is this normal for a sulphur nitrate reactor? I’ve been running it for 3 months and it’s been amazing at reducing my no3.
But I noticed the pump was loud so investigated and found this white bacteria/slime clogging the media and in all the tubing blocking flow. I took off the pump and pipes to clean them and the pump was blocked with it. The smell was very strong, maybe too strong!?

Is this a sign the flow was too slow or normal?

 

[claus]

De-nitrators are extremely efficient. You may need to increase the flow rate through the reactor. At this point your [n03-] concentration may be too low to support the anaerobic bacteria in the reactor. The bacteria at this point will start to fix the sulfur instead and convert it into h2s. By increasing the flow rate you introduce o2 back into the reactor and force the bacteria back into an aerobic state.

 

[SeaDweller]

Thats bacterial mulm build up, you need to increase the flow in and maybe open the effluent full bore.

what media are you using? Sulfur prills? not large spheres?

 

[claus]

If your no3- are low you may consider taking the reactor offline. Either way I would remove it, clean all the slime, wash the sulfur beads and re-install if necessary. I had one but over time the tank managed to fix nitrogen without it so I no longer use it.

 

[1979fishgeek]

If your no3- are low you may consider taking the reactor offline. Either way I would remove it, clean all the slime, wash the sulfur beads and re-install if necessary. I had one but over time the tank managed to fix nitrogen without it so I no longer use it.

Thanks I did a good clean and rinsed the media, the smell I will never forget!

My no3 was over 50ppm and this brought it down to about 3ppm. It’s crazy efficient.

Thank you

 

[1979fishgeek]

Thats bacterial mulm build up, you need to increase the flow in and maybe open the effluent full bore.

what media are you using? Sulfur prills? not large spheres?

I’m not sure what they are, they came with the reactor. Just tiny flat discs. I’ve cleaned it all, flushed media in fresh water and installed with higher flow rate. It’s almost a trickle now (from about 2 drips a second).

Thank you

 

[SeaDweller]

I’m not sure what they are, they came with the reactor. Just tiny flat discs. I’ve cleaned it all, flushed media in fresh water and installed with higher flow rate. It’s almost a trickle now (from about 2 drips a second).

Thank you

if you did all that, you need to break it in again, although it'll be alot quicker, you have to dial back the effluent to like 2-3 drops/dec again.

 

[1979fishgeek]

De-nitrators are extremely efficient. You may need to increase the flow rate through the reactor. At this point your [n03-] concentration may be too low to support the anaerobic bacteria in the reactor. The bacteria at this point will start to fix the sulfur instead and convert it into h2s. By increasing the flow rate you introduce o2 back into the reactor and force the bacteria back into an aerobic state.

Thank you that explains exactly what happened.

I was battling no3 for over a year was doggedly trying nopox which worked great for years then suddenly stopped working, my nitrates were sky high, water changes got them down to 40ppm but then I installed this sulphur reactor and they dropped to 3ppm in no time at all. They been very low for about a two months and then the white bacteria built up and I could smell the Hydrogen sulphid I increased flow but just this milky effluent was coming out and blocked the pipework and pump.

I’ve cleaned all the pipework, rinsed media with fresh water and reinstalled it, but with the flow rate much higher....almost a stream of water where before it was about 2 drips a second.

Going forward, if nitrates drop to low and this white bacteria builds up again, should I open the flow right up? St least till no3 starts to build again?

Thank you so much!

 

[1979fishgeek]

if you did all that, you need to break it in again, although it'll be alot quicker, you have to dial back the effluent to like 2-3 drops/dec again.

That makes sense, does it matter if the no3 is still very low in the tank?

Thanks

 

[SeaDweller]

That makes sense, does it matter if the no3 is still very low in the tank?

Thanks

So I run a denitrator because I feed my 35+ fish very heavily, 6+ times a day. If your NO3 is super low, you're gonna need to maybe try feeding more to have some residual numbers in the tank (better for the fish anyway), and then tune it so it produces 0.0 ppm effluent again (or close enough to it for me), and then start to run it full bore, because if not, then you go into a state where the bacteria consume the sulfur instead. I use the SD as a means to export the heavy NO3 my fish produce.

at least that's what I'd do if I were you.

I cleaned mine a few months ago, and didn't bother retuning it until now, when my NO3 is currently 15-25 ppm; and within a few days it's back to producing 0-0.50 ppm NO3 from the effluent again.

 

[claus]

If you run the reactor you should test for nitrates at roughly once a week and adjust the reactor accordingly. I would error on the side of caution and run it more open because you can always dial it down. If you get into a state where mulm starts to show and h2s smell appears its going to be harder to flush it out and clean it without taking it apart.

 

[ca1ore]

As one person noted, the white stuff is bacterial mulm and quite normal for a sulfur denitrator. Increasing effluent flow will help to prevent the interior surfaces from clogging up quite so quickly, but you still may need to clean out or replace the lines periodically. I replaced most of the 1/4” RODI tubing on mine with 1/2” silicone to extend the life of the hoses. Been toying with adding a flow sensor to the circulation pump - I have one already on the effluent.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Thank you so much everyone!

Absolutely astonished at how effective Sulphur Reactor is, really taken me by surprise. Over the past 7 years I’ve run bio pellets, cheato/calupera refugium, NoPox, Quantum nitrate remover HR and nothings been as effective! Just go to get to grips with the ins and outs! Thank you