Even if it works, you are still left with phosphates, which must be removed. Of course, you could use something like PhosBan. I like technology, but at a certain point all of these resins and reactors simply become too cumbersome. I prefer to rely upon routine water changes to deal with these issue.
Nitrate Filter - too good to be true?
- Thread starter henward
- Start date
I think the point here is for the lazy people who doesn't want to do water change. Has anyone even tried this?
Even if you beat the nitrates, other solids are mucking up your water! Fish hormones, ash from foods, salts and other odds and ends that no plant or filter removes are all accumulating. Eventually the water becomes saturated with metabolic byproducts and creates osmotic weirdness. Water changes will take care of all that.
I build a DIY coil denitrator (easy to find stuff here and all over the web) same concept but cheaper. They do work but take some adjustment but once set sholdn't need to be messed with. I beleive these bacteria are facultative.
As mentioned stuff builds up in the water other then nitrates that need to be removed. This is just the thing that builds up the most and is easy to test for. A working denitrator will lessen the need for water changes but will never elimanate the need for them.
As mentioned stuff builds up in the water other then nitrates that need to be removed. This is just the thing that builds up the most and is easy to test for. A working denitrator will lessen the need for water changes but will never elimanate the need for them.
I read through that site about a year ago. The site is/was written in a way to make the product sound great and all other's sound like they don't work. The guys wife is probably has a marketing degree. It's loaded with falicies you could rip the guy a new one in a debate. I didn't reread it so I don't know if it's changed.henward;3561640; said:
O2 lvls wont get low in your tank. In order for one of these to work you have to have the flow extremely low, some where in the range of 1/4 -1/2ghr once established. Essentially just a few drops per second, this is easily re-oxygenated. Any faster and the bac wont have time to use up the O2 and destroy the nitrates. I think the greatest risk is too long a dewell time.Noto;3561648; said:
Beit DIY or store bought, these require tweaking to get them to work. I prefer the sulfur denitrator so no feeding of the filter is required; however, they have other difficulties you have to contend with to get the desired results. But once you do the results are AMAZING! The problem with algae scrubbers is the cost of electricity to run the lights and the constand maintenance they need.
Personally, I think the proper use of a denitrator isn't to eliminate water changes but to decrease the amount of water that needs to be changed while maintenaning cleaner water chemistry. Lower water bill + cleaner water = happy fish and fish owner.
I read somewhere....I believe it was another forum that said that those filters were a hoax. I may be confused but aren't these the ones that you feed with Vodka? And the science they use is that vodka eats up the oxygen to promote the growth on anearobic bacteria? I'm not a scientist and I don't know everything about everything...but i would really hesitate putting Vodka in a place where it could leak out into the display tank....again, I don't know if Vodka would do anything to the tank maybe all you get is drunk fish but if the goal is better water quality in your display tank, I'm sure Vodka isn't going to get you there.
Vodka is a carbon source (food) for the denitrafing bacteria. A lot of reef guys dose vodka in there tanks becasue they have anerobic backeria growing deep in the live rock.
Also you can get Deni-balls which are said to last about a year and are a bio-ball type thing that are made of carbon as a food source, some people add suger as a carbon source.
The low O2 levels as mentioned are not at a high enough flow rate to cause problems, but dripping the water back into the tank or having drip back into the sump in a high areation area is a good idea.
Also you can get Deni-balls which are said to last about a year and are a bio-ball type thing that are made of carbon as a food source, some people add suger as a carbon source.
The low O2 levels as mentioned are not at a high enough flow rate to cause problems, but dripping the water back into the tank or having drip back into the sump in a high areation area is a good idea.
