ANYONE USE DENITRATOR FILTER UNITS?

[RockHound]

Awesome. Someday, I might be able to do what you're doing. Just a question re: the squirrel cage. By pushing that much air past the trickle filter, isn't there going to be a lot of evaporation?? I don't mean to overcomplicate things, but what do you think of integrating a condensation tower to capture some of the moisture? Tim

It will be interesting to see how much water is driven/evaporates out, daily.
If it is a significant amount.
I will simply trickle in an equal amount of fresh water, a day.
Rather than try to catch/recycle condensation.

[RockHound]

Rock, I believe the theory is sound. I also think you will have a very efficient denitrator when you are done, and your results should be excellent with the vodka feedings. Happy bacteria work harder !

Methanol, ethanol, acetic or citric acid are the most inexpensive chemical carbon sources.
Sewage plant peaple tell me the highest growth rate is found when using methanol, ethanol, or acetic acid.

Methanol (wood alcohol)
Acetic acid (white vinegar)
Ethanol (vodka)

That way, I can have a sip, to.

[salth20]

Scolley, you are way way way to modest.
You don't design/build/filter/stock optimal tanks like yours.
As in this thread by you:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=58151
Without knowing whats "going on".

Your "moral" support is much appreciated.

As usual, I have opened mouth and exchanged feet. Rock, thanks for posting that thread. Keep us posted on your Denitra beta 1.0 Scolley, You ARE way too modest. A beautiful tank. I can only hope to have a tank as nice as that someday. Abosolutely incredible!

[salth20]

Rock, scolley, others,
I'm 11 days into having the denitrator turned down to about 120 drops per minute. I started at 25ppm on nitrate. Today, the test did not even show a hint of color. It has been steadily declining over the last few days. I've got 4 corys, a BN, and 6 rummy nose in there now, so the load is light. I'm finding the same effect on fresh water I saw when keeping marines: denitrators do have an effect on the water quality, and it seems to be a positive one. The tank was set up 2-1, and I started cycling it 2-8. I ran the denitrator wide open the whole time it was cycling to feed it, and cut the flow on 3-2, after I began to show nitrate. I'm going to keep monitoring the water quality closely, but this compares to my notes from years ago when I tried a Thiel-Aqua-Tech denitrator for the first time on my then GF tank. It was a very simple 3" acrylic tube, a coil inside (and not very long) no media, and two barbs on top. It did bring nitrates down some... my notes show from a fairly steady 100ppm to 50ppm with no change to the maintenance schedule or bio load. (In retrospect, that is a primary reason we didn't make it... I'm real detail oriented, she isn't, thus the high nitrate reading in her tank, and the denitrator tryout. At least the fish made it!) That was the seed for the idea to make a larger unit with media, and a longer transit time through the unit... plus my version could still be built today for about 35.00.

[dandestroy]

This is really interesting.

I've look into this a while ago, but never came up with the full idea like this.

I believe that the reason why people don't use these in the discus world is because these units can achieve at best 5ppm of nitrate, while regular water change on a BB tank can bring it down near 0 way more easily.

If one system was to be made to produce 0 ppm, I would definitively look into it.

I will watch this tread closely to get your full report on all this.

[RockHound]

It's all setting in the garage, not togather yet.
But, it will get done.
Then, we will see what it does.

LOL, I discovered, when you retire.
You become a day care center for grandchildren.
Not to mention, a jack of all trades.

Because your children assume you have time to gladly:
Help out framing in the kids new garage.
Fix their leaky plumbing.
Help install the kids new hot tub.
Help put in the kids new lawn.
The list is near endless from that perspective alone.

Then, there is the HoneyDo list to deal with.
(because she isn't retired yet & I am)
Install new kitchen counter tops.
Install new dishwasher & a trash compactor.
Tear out the old wooden decking.
Pour a concrete patio.
Etc, Etc....................

I'm GLAD trout season opens soon.
I need a 2 week vacation.

[balha]

what is the trickle tower?

it is e little confusing because on the net degassing tower = trickle tower

[Graham]

Hi The nitrifying bacteria that we rely on to oxidize the ammonia that our fish produce from eating and just living for that matter to Nitrite and then the other nitrifers that oxidize the nitrite/NO2 to Nitrate/NO3 all use large amounts of O2 to do that job.

A Trickle Tower, or bio-wheels allows water to trickle down over biomedia in a thin film...this gives the water a chance to gain maxinium amount of O2 levels. The bacteria work better.

A TT is just basically a chamber, the bigger the better, to house bio-media and allow water to trickle over it. Sumps are a great place to build one.

De-nitrification unit do just the opposite and strip O2

G

[balha]

what is the difference between degassing tower and the trickle tower (in the picture ) ?

my understanding is that the degassing filter is a like bakki filter (used in pond). example : http://thegab.org/Articles/images/FilterSump.jpg

the trickle filtre ??? how it's made ?

[Graham]

A TT generally has a lower flow rate, providing a longer dwell time with the bio-media. This will off gas CO2 and heavily aerate the water. A very large pond TT will look after nitrate....aquarium ones are nitrate factories


A Bakki, the way Momotaro designed it, uses massive water flow, probably 3 to 4 times what would be put through a TT and a highly porous ceramic media called ''bacteria house'' going through 3 or 4 trays. This water shear affect and extreme high O2 does seem to off gas nitrogen, lets alone aerate the water. They also cycle very quickly.