Coil denitrator?

Tsc123

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 31, 2010
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I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with coil denitrators. If so, what is your experience with them, and can you recongmend a good link to a diy build. Thanks
 

kurare

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 7, 2010
111
1
48
Toronto
first link on google

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/diydenitratorplans/ss/sbscoildenitrat.htm

theoretically works well, all depends on the coil/tube length and where its placed, the longer the better, slow flow is good too, gotta be 100% sure by the time the water reaches to the top third, that the water is pretty much close to 0% oxygen, how do you do such a thing? Pray there's enuff aerobic bacteria house in the first section to SUCK deprive the water going through the rest of the coil. :|

Gluck, im gonna try and making a 4-foot long tube myself one of these days,,,
 

Motohide

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 26, 2010
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www.club4ag.com
While these are known to de-nitrate slowly, the load of the aquarium (number and size of fish) will ultimately decide if the nitrates can be broken down quickly enough. The best way is to do a water change on a normal basis, and for that its much easier and definitely healthier to invest in a capable RO system for the house and a holding tank.

Still I assume we are all versed in this so we'll skip that RO part.

De-nitrators rely mostly on anaerobic bacteria that feeds on nitrate and the volume and propagation of these bacteria strands are slow and easily upset. The most effective solution seems to be done with very fine sand, and deep substrate of over 6 inches. Reefkeepers use deep sand beds effectively in sumps and inside the tank, but for most freshwater aquarists who keep a heavier load usually cleans gravel on a regular basis...which is detrimental to de-nitrating bacteria (and if things go wrong, it can get very unsightly with detritus collecting at the shallow depths of gravel.) It's sort of a catch 22 with these systems, where one just needs to have a lot of dead space (I mean huge) that trickles water extremely slowly to allow this to happen.

In a tube reactor such as tubes of very slow flow rate, (I mean a few drips per minute -- slow) this can also happen and can be effective with a small load. Imagine though, that the fish waste created has to be slower than the drips of water through such system! That's SLOW...

However, to filter a heavily stocked aquarium, you'd better setup a big tank as a sump of deep sand bed and filter water slowly through it. This is the principle behind the "mud" sump filtration in fresh and saltwater tank. It's rather involved and takes a lot of patience to make it work. But it can work, when designed with proper volume, and with careful monitoring and setup until things start to rock and roll inside.

patience though, people prevail...most of us don't have it, and look for magical machines that make life easier. Sometimes science will work, and make life easier, other times it just causes more issues. When such systems become more efficient, and become a part of every recommended aquarium as wet/dry filters have today... we'll live in a better world.
 

Motohide

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 26, 2010
6
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Torrance, CA
www.club4ag.com
I think the major challenge to anaerobic bacteria colony keeping is the fact that one must deplete oxygen in such systems...all while the aquarium water column must have loads of oxygen for fish and bacteria to stay healthy. This contradiction of condition is what makes this a huge challenge.

Deep sand bed or long tube reactor, both has to be slow and oxygen hungry before the process to make it work.
 

piggy67

Feeder Fish
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Oct 31, 2007
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yogurt_21

Feeder Fish
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Jun 5, 2009
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second the algae scrubber if you're planning on reducing waterchanges. way eaiser to setup and install and it take less time to get cycled and working than a de-nitrator. ro systems with automated timers work too, however they do not reduce your waterbill nor are they practical if you're doing salt or brackish.
 

her209

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 4, 2010
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The Internet
Tsc123;4435878; said:
Woahhh haha that's a lot. I'm quite sure every single trace of oxygen would be out of that water.
I have an Aqualift pump. Do you think if I placed this coil and pump above the tank and had the pump suck the water up and out into the coil, it would work?

:D
 
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