Quote:
Originally posted by Psyire
The other thing I've noticed is that my drip rate will slowly taper off about once a month. All I have to do then is crank my restrictor valve all the way open for about a day and then it comes back fine. I believe the unit very 'slowly' airlocks and then you have to relieve the built up Nitrogen. I don't actually see this Nitrogen, but I'm not sure what else would account for this strange behaviour.
In any case, this piece of equipment requires the least amount of maintenance and does the greatest amount of filtration of any mechanical method I've used or seen so far. In the next couple months I plan to clean the reactor out and switch to a bead or pearl sulphur material. This is because I want too, not really because I need to.
Hopefully somebody finds this information useful and I will be around more to answer questions. (summer was very busy for me)
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This is why units by H&S and Korallin use a recirculating design with a higher flow pump... to prevent airlock.
The only downside to a system that uses the sulphur reactor is a buildup in phosphates and organics. These acids might be the reason for your alkalinity problems. Otherwise, if someone were to rely completely on the aerobic nitrogen cycle, and then a sulphur reactor, you could use a carbon and phosban reactor and have a complete system (the aerobic cycle produces the yellow in the water as well as phos). A skimmer is a good way to remove these organics from the water all together though... so its hard to pass up all together, unless its a system for say... xenia, zoas, softies, etc... things that dont mind, if not feed on organics. Heck... a clam tank.