Contained Carbon dosing in freshwater aquarium.

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30 gallon update,
Nitrates 8ppm
Flow 12 GPD
Dose 3 cc sugar/liter water.
Start dosing at 12 drop per minute, adjust needle valve to 3/4 turn open. If ORP is high I add a little clean water too dilute the dosing tank.
If it is ORP, low adjust needle valve.

The Needle valve and change of IV dripper, have been working well. The dosing tank flow is regular. The tubes get back flushed when I replace filter floss weekly.

75 gallon is on hold. Too cold. The fish are still alive, despite the bacterial bloom.

My 3 shelf 75 gallon tank stand is welded and almost ready to paint. Need to reseal a used 75 gallon drilled tank, chop up/ recycle a 60 gallon acylic for the lids on the 75 tanks. Put a support column in the basement.
Drain and clean the 75 in the basement. Move current tank, then set up the twin 75 tanks.
Finally got mbuna pseudotrophus fry. Hope mom can take care of them. Well I build them a apartment complex.
 
UPDATE,
Nitrates, 18ppm high.
PH 7.48
12 GPD.
Dosing 12 Dpm, 3cc/liter
Green algae is out growing the purple.
Changed battery on Orp meter.
Might need to recalibrate.
As nitrate should be half this.
Increased dosing tank to 5cc sugar/liter, adjusting flow to around 20gpd.
Change out all 6 mechanical filters, might have just had too much gunk built up. Increasing nitrates.
Last week removed one solid ounce of bacteria from the denitrator, 25 micron effluent filter.
Still getting feeding plenty.
Drilled 3/4" hole for ORP Probe. For faster removal. For checking tank PH.
10 gallon water change last week.
 
Update
+6 ORP mv = 5 ppm nitrate
+9 ORP mv= 0 ppm nitrate
After new battery.
I got it dialed back in today. I have 20 ppm nitrate and the purple algae is not growing back after it has been eaten. Green algae is coming back in its place. I am curious too see if it starts growing again as the nitrates get lower.
 
Update.
75 gallon is still too cold.
30 gallon is back around 8 ppm. After flowing 20 GPD for 30 hours. Using 6 ml of sugar in the process.
Tank PH is 7.42. Orp tested some sample, of higher PH buffered water.
If 7.5 pH is negative -50 ORPmv, when buffered with Arm n Hammer too 8.0 ORP mv drops too -65 mv.
This is probably why my ORP Data for 0 nitrates has been going up, over the last few months. The decrease in alkalinity.
 
Update on 30
Nitrate is 2.5 ppm "lowest it's ever been"
Dosing 3cc sugar/liter every 24 hours.
Flow about 12 GPD
Had a problem with clogged filters, after drilling the sump cover last week. The intake on the sump is attached via a bulk head fitting and flexible vinyl hose. The drilling rattled the plumbing, and bio ball. Then caused a sluffing of white sticky bacteria. Had to change filter floss 3 times this week.
Need to vacuum. Most of the algae has been picked clean.
 
Update on 30
PH 7.75 buffering with sodium bicarbonate.
Nitrates 9 ppm
3 gallon water/vac change.
Dosing 3cc sugar / liter every 24 hrs.
Flow has been decreasing , as PH buffering changed my Orp mv readings. I kept decreasing flow to maintain +9 mv ORP.
Recalibrated for 0ppm at -01 mv ORP.
Flowing 15 GPD currently.

The white stuff from the pipes, has cleared up. After many filter changed.

Started dosing some salt water suppliments, to see how the purple algae grows.

This tank will be replaced in the next month or two, so I am trying some things. I normally would not.
 
Amazingly the denitrator did not jam up at all, with the stuff that clogged my mechanical filters.
 
UPDATE.
Well nitrates are zero, with one minor problem.
I have come to the conclusion. That the last 7.5 cc of sugar dosed, was not consumed by the anaerobic bacteria. As nitrates hit zero, they were, unable to utilize a carbon source.
Which allowed straight sugar water too enter the aquarium. Where the pretty little white bacteria had a feast, and reproduced like rabbits.

So I am now trying out DIY, a 6" thick poly fiber filter.
 
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Update.
30 gallon.
Tank is crystal clear, poly floss rocks. I have not been dosing for 48 hours and nitrates are at 8ppm.
Did a 50% water change on friday, before the bacterial bloom.

The 75 gallon tank has been drained and is getting prepared for the new set up. I have an idea about using some plastic drums in the basement as a reservoir for quick large water changes.
I may be about finished with the denitrator experiment.
 
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