Can i run DeNitrate, carbon or phosguard in a cheap hang on back filter

[snaza]

Can i run DeNitrate, carbon or phosguard in a cheap hang on back filter or would it be much better to use a fluid bed filter. its just hang on backs are 10 buck wtih a pump. just take out what every media is in it and hang it on my sump with the denitrate or carbon or phosguard

[Avi]

Well, you could run them in an outside hang-on filter, but it would be far more effective....particularly the phosphate-removing medium...if you ran it in a dedicated "phosphate reactor," because those in particular are more effective running in a fluidized fashion. You don't give any details about your setup so that's about all I can say in terms of how to proceed with this.

[snaza]

120g tank with 20g sump/fug. opctopus skimmer. lots of flow with seio and K4 pumps. mixed reef. nitrates sit around 10-20ppm so just thought maybe the denitrate would help this. i know there are other more natural ways to remove nitrates but i've tried them all. all other parameters are fine. would the hang on back filter be ok for just the denitrate. it required slow flow

[Avi]

I can say from my experience that the denitrifying products just arent' effective if you have consistent readings like that...at least that's what happened with my reef. I took all the recommended measures like increased water changes, smaller feedings, etc. but they stubborn. Growing chaeto in my sump was successful but to a point, though, and didn't bring them to zero. I tried all kinds of denitrifying "mediums" and those just didn't work...at all...for me at least. I finally bought a sulfur denitrifier and that brought the nitrates down to zero and has kept them there without a hitch.

Sure, you can try the "denitrat" that way, but I don't know what result it would bring.

[sanababit]

i second what avi said, the sulphur based denitrifiers do work, just be careful, you need to dial them in, but once you do get ready for a 0 nitrate tank, good luck

sana

[snaza]

thanks guys.