Getting results on acropora color in DSB sys (pics)

icliao · #1 04/24/2006, 01:43 AM

I have a 500G acropora tank set up over 3 years now.
I have been struggling to get good color for the pass 3 years.
My effort including changing lamps, upgrading skimmers, feeding coral foods all with limited results.

Now long ago I added a sulfur reactor with 3 liter media and my NO3 drop to 0 after 3 weeks from 4~6 ppm.

I also added 2 liter of RowaPhos and my phosphate is now 0 ppm.

My acropora begin to show fast improvment of it's color and I would like to share the finding with everyone.

Perhaps it is cheaper than buying all kind of lamps and skimmers to remove NO3 and PO4 (Sulfur reactor and Phosphate sponge)before investing too much on more expensive equipments.

KEEPERZ · #2 04/24/2006, 02:02 AM

icliao- I began a sulphur reactor about 4 weeks ago and I cannot seem to get the bacteria/sulphur to begin to knock down nitrates,what gives? I am using the h&s unit on my 450g with a drip per second-what's the trick? Nice tank by the way-

icliao · #3 04/24/2006, 02:32 AM

keeperZ,

How much Sulfulr (liter) is in the reactor and what is the NO3 level in your 450G?

According to my study the drip rate has to be 1 - 5 liter per liter of sulfur and start slowly. (The Higher the initial level of NO3, the lower you should drip.

I was dripping around 1 liter per sulfur liter per hour and still got about 1 ppm NO3 from the reactor after one week from the installation.

The Nitrate become 0 after 12 days in my case and I increase the flow to 3 liter per sulfur liter per hour and still gets 0 NO3 from the reactor.

The NO3 in my tank felll to 1 ppm after 2 weeks and continue to reduce untill undetectable within a month.

It works in my case but I am not sure in yours?

According to the book if you still get NO3 from reactor means you are dripping to fast and if you get 0 NO3 but still get smell of rotten eggs (Hydrogen Sulfate) that means you are dripping to slowly.

Also you need from 0.5% - 2 % of Sulfur volume compare to the tank volume depens on the level of NO3 in you tank we are talking about.

If you have 50ppm you need 1%, if 25ppm then 0.5 %. Means if your tank is 1000 liter = 10 liter of sulfur if your NO3 = 50ppm, and 5 liter of sulfur if your NO3 = 25 ppm.

I use only 3 liter because my NO3 was only 4 - 6 ppm and never higher.

chindapol · #4 04/24/2006, 05:20 AM

Your tank look great! Thanks for the sharing, it remind me of the real reef scene where there're not many LR. Corals start from ground and finally build a reef...

If you are so kind to explain what's sulfer reactor are doing. (NO3 remover) dozing with sulfer? Can you compare with algone?

How often you change rowaphos media?

Thanks

10" Red Devil · #5 04/24/2006, 09:23 AM

Why not just get a refugium to export no3 and po4 along with a quality skimmer and phosphate reactor.

icliao · #6 04/24/2006, 10:44 AM

Tried that and still connect to a refugium. NO3 & PO4 never zero without chemical help, even with 2 great skimmers. Maybe cause I got 35 fish?

ReeferMonkey · #7 04/24/2006, 12:36 PM

Can you show some pics or provide links for the sulfur reactor? Search turned up very little, just some links to Advanced Aquarist.

Edit:
Cripes, a google search turned up $400-$700 line of Koralline sulfur reactors. Are there any cheaper ones that are sold? Which one are you using? I'm browsing DIY sulfur reactors right now, pretty interesting...

KEEPERZ · #8 04/24/2006, 09:31 PM

icliao- I am running the h&s unit rated for 500 gallons. The amount of sulphur that comes with the unit is about 2.66 L and using the 1% of tank volume for 50ppm nitrate would mean that I would need 15 L of sulphur to bring the ppm down to zero-does this sound correct?-tank is 1,514 L net .

icliao · #9 04/24/2006, 11:01 PM

KeeperZ,

Yes, according to the research (over the internet and Julian's new book) it is correct.

What is your NO3 level at the moment?

I am using a big Korallin Ca-reactor as my Sulfur reactor without dozing CO2 and does not plug in the circulation pump.

Here is one helpful article for sulfur reactor.

Sulfur reactor Info

KEEPERZ · #10 04/24/2006, 11:26 PM

I see- the no3 in my tank has been 45-50 ppm/salifert test- pretty solid even with consistent water changes. I have a few large tangs and a total of 25 fish, my acros grow and have decent colors but I know they could be doing better with less no3. Po4 is zero with rowaphos, the sulphur reactor was an option to reducing no3's but my new tank will have a large refugium and hopefully less fish per gal. ,maybe. It is possible my reactor is too small I guess?

aurora · #11 04/25/2006, 02:41 AM

Wouldn't putting a bag of sulfur bead/media in your Ca Reactor produce the same effect as a separate sulfur reactor?

icliao · #12 04/25/2006, 03:57 AM

I suppose putting sulfur beads in a Ca-reactor will work. The main problem is the flow rate of Ca-reactor and Sulfur reactor may not be the same.

Also most of our Ca-reactor is already undersized not to mention about making room for sulfur beads.

chindapol · #13 04/25/2006, 05:17 AM

hi incliao, In your Ca-reactor, do you use 100% sulfer beads or 2/3 sulfer + 1/3 ca media?

When you talk about you drip 1 ltr/hour/sulfer that's mean you directly use water from sump w/o adding CO2?

What about nitrogen escape, do u have the exit valve or something??

If I modified the reactor and direclty feed the output water from sulfer reactor to another CA reactor, that must be possible right?

thanks

kevensquint · #14 04/25/2006, 10:37 AM

What did the corals look like before? my current problem is things grow and look healthy but the colors are art-deco..very pastel. I don't get that deep coloration that you now have.

icliao · #15 04/25/2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chindapol
hi incliao, In your Ca-reactor, do you use 100% sulfer beads or 2/3 sulfer + 1/3 ca media?

When you talk about you drip 1 ltr/hour/sulfer that's mean you directly use water from sump w/o adding CO2?

What about nitrogen escape, do u have the exit valve or something??

If I modified the reactor and direclty feed the output water from sulfer reactor to another CA reactor, that must be possible right?

thanks

My Sulfur reactor is a large Korallin Ca-reactor without dosing CO2. I use 2/3 Ca media since there are plenty of space left. Nitrogen can escape from what was design to purge excessive CO2.

A lot of people feed Sulfur reactor water to Ca-reactor so that they don't need to feed as much CO2 to the Ca-reactor. The only thing you have to pay attention is to make sure each reactor has the correct flow rate to function properly. Such as Ca-reactor has to acheive PH of 6.7-6.5 and Sulfur reactor output has to contain no NO3.....etc.

I feed sump water from pump directly.

icliao · #16 04/25/2006, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kevensquint
What did the corals look like before? my current problem is things grow and look healthy but the colors are art-deco..very pastel. I don't get that deep coloration that you now have.

My coral looked kind of "dirty" if you know what I meant. That is brownish red, pale purple and such. I still feel they have the potential to become even brighter. Hopefully in a month or two.

They have grown well for the pass 3 years though despite the less bright color they have assumed.

I switched 4 colonies with my 200GL to bring better color mix but all other colonies have been with me for 1 1/2 - 3 1/2 years.

trueblackpercula · #17 04/25/2006, 07:13 PM

I think your tank looks amazzzzzzzzzzzing and the sps have great color as well.

tbass · #18 04/26/2006, 07:52 PM

i wish my reef looked this good. sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

tbass · #19 04/26/2006, 07:52 PM

i wish my reef looked this good. sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

tonedo · #20 04/26/2006, 08:33 PM

awesome tank!

chindapol · #21 04/27/2006, 11:39 AM

incliao: thanks for your reply, i got one more question for u. Regarding the sulfer bead you're using, are u using a special grade (puritywise) for aquaculture or general sulfer bead that's used in archiculture (cost 2$/liter like in the article stated)?

big thanks!

icliao · #22 04/27/2006, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chindapol
incliao: thanks for your reply, i got one more question for u. Regarding the sulfer bead you're using, are u using a special grade (puritywise) for aquaculture or general sulfer bead that's used in archiculture (cost 2$/liter like in the article stated)?

big thanks!

I am using AquaMedic's sulfur beads. Not sure what grade are those.