New Nitrate Removal Korallin Sulfur-Based BioDenitrator

[jbanks]

ReefAddict1,

Might a peristaltic pump solve your problems. It does mean spending more but, this way, the effluent leaving you denitrator will be the exact same amount entering the unit. I believe it is like a dosing pump and it pulls water through at the rate you set it to, similar to a medical doser. This should take care f your air buildup and you should not require the power head that you are using to feed the unit any longer.

On a seperate note, I used the Korallin 1502 reactor. I got rid of it for the exact problem that your having- every few days or so. I would get an air buid up at the top of the reactor. What a pian in the A$$. However, to try and resolve the problem frst at minimal cost, I would throw the ball valves incuded with the denitrator in the garbage, which is where they belong and replace them with john guest valves, they are much more accurate and have less clogging issues. I believe that is what's causing your problem.

[Brad A.]

Is it "air" or nitrogen gas building up in the reactor?

[kreef]

Originally posted by jbanks
ReefAddict1,

Might a peristaltic pump solve your problems. It does mean spending more but, this way, the effluent leaving you denitrator will be the exact same amount entering the unit. I believe it is like a dosing pump and it pulls water through at the rate you set it to, similar to a medical doser. This should take care f your air buildup and you should not require the power head that you are using to feed the unit any longer.



On a seperate note, I used the Korallin 1502 reactor. I got rid of it for the exact problem that your having- every few days or so. I would get an air buid up at the top of the reactor. What a pian in the A$$. However, to try and resolve the problem frst at minimal cost, I would throw the ball valves incuded with the denitrator in the garbage, which is where they belong and replace them with john guest valves, they are much more accurate and have less clogging issues. I believe that is what's causing your problem.

The Korallin has an intergrated pump, you must be reffering to a single pass denitrator




Your right about the taps supplied, they do leak over time,but they are on the outlet and should not cause an airpocket in the reactor.


kreef.

[jbanks]

No. The pump on the Korallin is for recirculation purposes only. The persitaltic pump would take the place of whatever method he is currently using to feed the denitrator.

[kreef]

Oh i see, yep your right.

kreef

[ReefAddict1]

jbanks --

Good suggestion on the p-pump. I checked last night, and the air pocket still seems to be forming, albeit slower than before. I happen to have a pump lying around that I can try, but space it tight in my setup.

EXCELLENT point on the ball valves. They do look rather flimsy and I wasn't sure if I should replace them, but based on your experience, I'll try swapping them out with my RO/DI filter valves.

Thanks for the tips!

[kreef]

[ReefAddict1]

So just change the valves then?

[jbanks]

I would try that first and see if you get a positive result. If that doesn't do it, the peristaltic pump should do the trick.

Oh, one other thing. I read something in another thread on a similar issue of air/gas collecting and they resolved the issue by making sure that the outlet tube was suspended just above the reactor. Instead of trying to explain it and get it wrong, here are the exect words for the thread. I think this may do the trick for you...

"I FINALLY got rid of the problem of excessive gas buildup when I positioned the outlet tube 1" above the top of the reactor. This creates a *tiny* amount of backpressure on the reactor, and more importantly, discourages a negative pressure in the reactor. If your outlet tube is positioned so that the effluent exits about halfway up the reactor, the water in the reactor wants to seek that lower level. ie: If you were to turn the feed to the reactor off, it would drain to that level. This allows gas to build up and replace that space that the water would be occupying. The CO2 is not dissolved as readily when it is allowed to accumulate at the top of the reactor, and can easily displace water." -RC poster Ewan

Ewan is referring to his calcium reactor set up- but physics are physics.. Try it, it may be a very simple solution and let us know how it works out.

[cmc5dc]

I bit the bullet and purchased the smaller unit today. In the near future I'll be adding a heavy bioload.....only time will tell if this product will work

[ReefAddict1]

jbanks --

Looks like your tips are helping! I haven't replaced the fittings yet, but did raise the output tube above the top edge of the reactor. Although there is a slight amount of gas accumulating, there's not as much as before. I'll try replacing the fittings this week. That might resolve the rest of the problem.

Cheers!

[jerrymlr1]

Has anyone got a picture of this denitrator setup they can post? The directions are a little unclear. A pic would be worth 1000 words.

Jerry

[jbanks]

Excellent! Keep us posted as to your results..

[kreef]

Originally posted by kreef
ReefAddict1.
The best way to run it is to have the inlet in the main tank,that way it has a gravity feed, if you dont want it in the main tank you will probably need a peristaltic pump to get enough pressure.

kreef.

ReefAddict1.

I dont understand your last post, as you can see i told you this when you first got the reactor.

[ReefAddict1]

kreef--

Yes, you're right. At that time, I would've had to do some major re-arranging to hide the tubing from view, so I hoped it was just the natural gas accumulation as you mentioned. In fact, the air pocket still kept forming even after moving it up to the main tank to test. The reference from jbanks above mentioned the minor ajustment of moving the inlet tubing slightly above the reactor without drooping to the floor as before, and now it seems to be working much better.

After switching out fittings next, I may have to try the pump.

[kreef]

Oh i see, yes the drooping would cause it to lose a little pressure.

Well i had my reactor floor level. the input went straight up the back of the tank roughly 3'foot then i put 2 elbows over the lip of the tank and ran about 1'foot of tube down the back corner,and it seemed to work fine like that no matter where the outlet was put,sump or main tank.

[crrichey]

Has anyone got a picture of this denitrator setup they can post? The directions are a little unclear. A pic would be worth 1000 words.

Ditto, I would love to see a picture as well!

[cmc5dc]

Kreef, reefaddict,

So you don't have a column of air at the top of the Biodenitrator? I'm using a aqualift pump that siphons the sump H20 into the Biodenitrator ( John said that would be ok (Marine Depot) but am thinking it may not. Let me know

thanks

[scuzy]

mine don't got no air buttle column in the denitrator. I gravity feed it from main display to the denitrator and return to the sump.

[kreef]

Originally posted by kreef
Oh i see, yes the drooping would cause it to lose a little pressure.

Well i had my reactor floor level. the input went straight up the back of the tank roughly 3'foot then i put 2 elbows over the lip of the tank and ran about 1'foot of tube down the back corner,and it seemed to work fine like that no matter where the outlet was put,sump or main tank.

cmc5dc. This is how i set mine up and never had an airpocket,i didn't need or want to use a pump, as a gravity feed would be less to mess with,.....and you dont see the airline tubing in the back corner,unless you are looking for it.


kreef.

[jbanks]

Any updates on nitrate level??

[cmc5dc]

Purchased it last week so the denrifying bacteria has not fully colonized the media. Per the instructions I took the reading of NO2 (effluent) and read 0 ( FasTest by Aquarium System), therefore changed the effluent drip to 1/sec. I than let it ran for 24 hours and re-tested.....NO2 level = 0 and NO3= 2 ( Salifert )of the effluent. Tank water NO3=25ppm. Thus the BioDenitrator has began to reduce NO3.

Per the instructions.....it will take 4-6 weeks to fully colonize the media

[64Ivy]

For those of you still waiting for pictures, here is what the unit looks like from the side:




And this is from the top:




I have no first hand reports of its effectiveness yet as I just put it online today. The instructions were pretty hard to follow. For instance, I had to lay the pump on its side for the fittings to line up correctly. It would've been nice if they mentioned that. And don't even get me started on the 'Entluftung' tube (it's the one in the middle that fills up the chamber). I wish they would've made that clear too. Also, for some reason I had one heck of a time getting the unit primed, even with a feed pump. I kept getting air locks. Eventually though, I got it all cleared up and now it's running fine. I'll keep an eye out for air/gas locks in the future however.

Oh, and as someone mentioned previously, those little ball valves do seem pretty flimsy.

[cmc5dc]

Update:
Previous tank water NO3=25ppm

Current tank water NO3=5-10PPM

Fish: 2 yellow tang, 1 regal tang, 1 Angel, 1 Marine Betta, 3 True Percula, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 2 psuedochromis....all fed daily. Not only did I have a high nitrate initially but I have added the Tangs, Angel and 1 chromis last week

[fishman805]

Any more updates..???


Bob