I was wondering if anyone had plans on how to make your own denitrator. I have a growing population of Tangs and want to keep my nitrates next to zero.
I constructed one over 90 days ago and I am still waiting for it to work. I may have built one that was too big. Anyway my 5 inch deep sand bed has taken my nitrates to undetectable with my test kit. It was a lot of fun though getting the tubing to stay in the 6" cylinder, putting the boi-balls in and sealing the cylinder. It weighs a ton. :shock:
hmmm a remote DSB. This will be alot easier then having a denitrator. I can add an additional section to my refugium but it'll cut down on my refugium area.
Their different. Maacro is for phosphate and other nutrient reduction (not as much on nitrates) but mainly for pod populations, DSBs are really really good at nitrate reduction. Don't do much for phosphates.
I would have a DSB before a refuge if your having nitrate issues for sure. Other times I would vote the refuge if you have no nitrate issues.
I actually plan on tinkering with this project this weekend. I am lucky enough to have a behind the wall 90gal drum sump, so asthetics are not a concern... I plan on getting a 6' or so section of pvc and filling (with a foot or so of headspace) of some sort of non leaching substrate like lime. I am going to feed it bottom up. I don't totally agree with the whole "spiral method" you get if you search diy nitrate filter because in the tubing there is no room for the bacteria to latch onto. I figure the more substrate I have the faster the flowrate can be, albeit the flowrate will never be able to be "fast". Since I never got the 250 gal tank of my dreams I may as well try and be able to have the parameters of one. I guess the official results will be months away, if it works you can bet I will post it here.
Personally, good flow, good protein skimmer, large bag of charcoal, bare bottom, and no refugium. All you need for low nitrates (that and maintaining a water change schedule).
My nitrates have been high, around 60 or so,and on9-29-07 I installed a denitrater. I pd $30. for it. now two weeks in it hasent changed anything at all yet. here's some pics of it.
