denitrators

[esoxlucius]

I've done a bit of reading up on denitrators and these things, if they do exactly what it says on the tin, should be the answer to all our nitrate problems. Why put various resins in our filters, why transform our tanks into dwarf amazon rain forests, why bust our guts and waste our time doing a zillion water changes a week when these things allegedly remove nitrates like nobodys business. Pros and cons?

 

[Owens]

Not sure what specifically your referring to, but generally, those products dont do enough to remove nitrates. The only reliable and cost effective way to remove nitrates is to do water changes; there is no magical product that will replace that.

If there was, it would be pretty popular in the hobby.

Water changes>any chemical attempt.

The only other possibility is plants like pothos in a lightly stocked tank where the plant can keep up with the waste and even in that scenario you should still do occasional water changes.

 

[jaws7777]

I have a friend on another site that uses one and it doesnt remove a ton of nitrates. He has nitrates in his tap water and says it removes just enough to keep his tank at respectable levels along with 2 weekly wc's

 

[krichardson]

Not sure what specifically your referring to, but generally, those products dont do enough to remove nitrates. The only reliable and cost effective way to remove nitrates is to do water changes; there is no magical product that will replace that.

If there was, it would be pretty popular in the hobby.

Water changes>any chemical attempt.

The only other possibility is plants like pothos in a lightly stocked tank where the plant can keep up with the waste and even in that scenario you should still do occasional water changes.

Agreed.I remember back when I was just getting into salt there was a company called Aqua Medic, or something like that and they marketed a pretty elaborate and pricey denitrator system.I wanted to have it back then but couldnt justify spending the funds so water changes it was and has been ever since.

 

[rodger]

Not sure what specifically your referring to, but generally, those products dont do enough to remove nitrates. The only reliable and cost effective way to remove nitrates is to do water changes; there is no magical product that will replace that.

If there was, it would be pretty popular in the hobby.

Water changes>any chemical attempt.

The only other possibility is plants like pothos in a lightly stocked tank where the plant can keep up with the waste and even in that scenario you should still do occasional water changes.

Looks like you have some studying to do. You are correct, there isn't magic, but we can apply what happens in nature to our aquariums.

 

[rodger]

Agreed.I remember back when I was just getting into salt there was a company called Aqua Medic, or something like that and they marketed a pretty elaborate and pricey denitrator system.I wanted to have it back then but couldnt justify spending the funds so water changes it was and has been ever since.

Krich, DIY ones are realistic but they take a lot of monitoring till they are well established. Unfortunately, unless you want to devote a good amount of real estate to it they don't seem to be all that practice when maintaining a 200+ gallon system.

 

[krichardson]

Krich, DIY ones are realistic but they take a lot of monitoring till they are well established. Unfortunately, unless you want to devote a good amount of real estate to it they don't seem to be all that practice when maintaining a 200+ gallon system.

Right.I don't think I'll be bothering with one anytime soon.

 

[markstrimaran]

I love my DIY denitrator, takes about 2 minutes of time every other day. No special pumps, dirt cheap to maintain.
My tank is 5ppm nitrates, over stocked, and overfed. Fat and happy fish that are reproducing like rabbits.
Takes up about a cubic foot of space in the sump.
It will easily replicate a 20 gallon water change every 24 hours.
Still in the development and research of its maximum potential.
Electronic monitor for $ 50.00 used. The rest is less than 50.00 at lowes.

 

[rodger]

I love my DIY denitrator, takes about 2 minutes of time every other day. No special pumps, dirt cheap to maintain.
My tank is 5ppm nitrates, over stocked, and overfed. Fat and happy fish that are reproducing like rabbits.
Takes up about a cubic foot of space in the sump.
It will easily replicate a 20 gallon water change every 24 hours.
Still in the development and research of its maximum potential.
Electronic monitor for $ 50.00 used. The rest is less than 50.00 at lowes.

Yes, but as I recall in following threads you have made, don't you have a rather small system? Is it feasible to do with a 200+ gallon tank?

 

[markstrimaran]

I will soon have about 180 gallons of aquarium water to run.
Currently it is flowing 15 GPD. That 105 gallons a week, of water with zero nitrates.
It can run faster, but once nitrates get into the 5ppm zone it needs to slow down to be efficient with the sugar dose.