160ppm nitrate suggestions?

[FitoPharmer]

Originally Posted by Doug

Ya I was going to suggest the pellets also. Never used them but is nitrates not what they are good at.

I think an ATS for that system would be to large and messy for them. My large one did the job on my 225 but thats about it. A remote plenum sandbed also works well for nitrates and is fairly cheap. Being remote is dose not collect as much crap and is easily accessed for cleaning.

I also have friends back in Manitoba who run nitrate reactors still and have success with them.

I have a few ideas about how to fit a nice sized ATS in without the mess normally associated with the open screen concept. I figure any lighting in the sump should help, even if it is just growing cheato.

Are plenums very effective at processing nitrate? This tank apparently had a plenum under the display at some point, but it was removed. I would assume because it did not impact the nitrates enough?

As for nitrate reactor, my search here resulted in nothing. Google gave a huge array, but nothing like what monocus is describing and most of them are for freshwater. Ill keep looking though, I think I have a pretty good idea of what it will look like.

[FitoPharmer]

I also had a question about denitrate from seachem. In my google search for nitrate reactors I came across this stuffed into cansiters or media reactors and suggested a low flow rate of 50-60gph. It reminded me that this tank has a layer across the sump floor. Is this stuff effective when it is used at the right flow rate? or should it be removed in favor of other equipment? Some how I doubt it is getting the right flow right now. The top gets too much flow and underneath gets little to no flow and traps detritus.

[Doug]

My friends run denitraters from SWC. I would have to look to see if still sold there.

This was the ATS I used. Screen was app. 240sq. in. Never had any phosphate or nitrate in that tank.




The "guru" of plenums. Bob Goemans, has a site here that may help for plenums. He eventually conceded that one in the tank was a nutrient sink, that would eventually crash. Mostly because it was not easily accessible for cleaning.

http://saltcorner.com/


I,m pretty sure he now runs a remote, so he can clean the top layers when needed. I liked Sprungs suggestion I once read of using all crushed coral substrate for it, closer to 5mm than 2mm. Allows for better diffusion, IMO. But then Goemans is suppose to the most knowledgeable on them and has written on them since they first became popular.

This is Sprungs article on the Goeman website. Not sure if in there where he suggested 5mm or it was in a Fama article.

http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/S...p?articleID=15

[FitoPharmer]

Thanks Doug.