las4444

I just got a new sulfur denitrifier. It is a two layer with sulfur in the lower half and crushed coral on the upper. Has anyone had any issues with the startup of this type of denitrifier?

BTW. I got it free for exchange of some drawings I drafted for the company for their product. I would not have spent 340.00 bucks for it otherwise.

I will report my findings on the use of it.

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Tank: 75 Gallon Reef, 20 gallon wet/dry, Quiet1One 4000 pump, 250 watt heater, Milwaukee PH monitor, Coralife 125 skimmer, Coralife 260 watt light.

Fish: Golden Wrasse, Sailfin Tang, Convict Gobbie, Tomato Clown, and Foxface Rabbit, CCStar, BTA, Colt coral and a cleanup crew including a camel shrimp.

las4444

I thought I would update in the installation on the denitrifier.

Cleaned the unit out with fresh water and ran it for a day with water from the same day water change. I did not want to risk contaminating the tank with residual chemicals.

Day one - Installed the unit and set to one drip per the instructions

Day two - tested PH, nitrite, and nitrate from effluent/ 7.0, 0, 5

Day three - 7.0 ,0,0 no nitrates. Concerned about acidic effluent. Manufacture recommend taking some of the effluent and aerating it in a cup for 15 min. PH went right up to 8.2 upon the release of the carbon dioxide. They offered two solutions. Have effluent drip into a jug, add an air stone and and let the effluent drip back out of the cup into the sump. Option two was to direct it into the skimmer. I like option two better so I would not be adding yet another cord under the tank. Since my skimmer has a step down hose fitting, I placed a hose on the smallest part of it. I drip the effluent into the hos a foot up and this allows it direct entry into the skimmer. At two drops per second it should get well aerated. I put a cap of purple up into the system to test. All the PU streamed right into the skimmer. Skimmer was still operating right after the mod. Increased the drip rate to 2 drops per second.

I'm keeping a close eye on the tank parameters for the first couple of weeks. Tank nitrated is still 10-15, but manufacture says up to four weeks to drastically reduce. They warn about rushing the denitrifier. Another card of Patience in this hobby.

FYI. I'm a tech geek and love the latest and greatest stuff. I trust my experience will benefit someone in the future. I did not see many threads on this topic either. I will keep you posted on the progress.

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Tank: 75 Gallon Reef, 20 gallon wet/dry, Quiet1One 4000 pump, 250 watt heater, Milwaukee PH monitor, Coralife 125 skimmer, Coralife 260 watt light.

Fish: Golden Wrasse, Sailfin Tang, Convict Gobbie, Tomato Clown, and Foxface Rabbit, CCStar, BTA, Colt coral and a cleanup crew including a camel shrimp.

las4444

After five weeks nitrates are zero and the tank occupants are happy. I pleased with the denitrifier. However, the manufacture says nothing about the fact that it is rated for up to 200g. Well, it got to the point where I could not run the water through fast enough to lessen the hydrogen sulfate. Think thats that nasty byproduct of an overactive sulfur denitrifier. So, I contacted the manufacture and lessened the sulfur beads by the third. Worked like a charm.

I have not done a water change in five weeks. I add the supplements and have been just chugging along. My favorable algae is growing in leaps and bounds. Yes, I will do a water change next week.

__________________


Tank: 75 Gallon Reef, 20 gallon wet/dry, Quiet1One 4000 pump, 250 watt heater, Milwaukee PH monitor, Coralife 125 skimmer, Coralife 260 watt light.

Fish: Golden Wrasse, Sailfin Tang, Convict Gobbie, Tomato Clown, and Foxface Rabbit, CCStar, BTA, Colt coral and a cleanup crew including a camel shrimp.