Flat denitrator.... Your views

geologeek · 12-22-2004, 07:53 AM

After BL sugested a denitrator i thought about this idea!

Not wanting the problems of winding airline and all that!

I thought of using some of that polycarbonate sheeting (you know the stuff some greenhouses are made of - the sheet that is made of lots of little "boxes&quot

of a sufficient size to get about 50 foot of tubing (can make it multiple thicknesses to save on space).

basically i will make a notch in the top of the first section, the bottom of the next, then top and so on....

in other words the water must flow down one column and up the next where it will go over the top into the column next to that and so on...

if i am to use multiple thicknesses then the last notch will be into the side wall so water can flow into the "next section".

i was then thinking of using the last few columns as an oxygenating zone by adding an airline.

the water input will be at the top of the first column, with the exit about 2 inches up in the last column ( hopefully keeps water and humidity up if there is ever a prolonged power cut)

obviously the unit must be airtight for it to work so off cuts will be used to be the top and bottom which will either be siliconed or plastic welded into place.

i was also thinking of having the output of greater diameter than the input to alow for crud to exit the unit (have heard that coil types can clog after a year or two).

using an airline valve on the out put i can regulate flow to about a drop a second. and hopefully hey presto!

Has someone made something like this? will it work? anyone see any problems?

Do denitrators need initial feeding (such as a couple of grains of sugar) to get stated?

Happy to hear comments and criticism.

Birdlady · 12-22-2004, 03:14 PM

Sounds like more work than a coiled one! LOL

Sounds interesting tho....Is the plastic safe to use in the aquarium? No chemicals that would leach?

No one I know has fed theirs at all.

Keep us posted...

geologeek · 12-22-2004, 10:14 PM

Apparently it is safe, there are two forms, polyproylene and polycarbonate.

took the liberty of looking up US names for you and you can use coroplast for the former and exolite fot yhe latter.

now full sheets are quite expensive so you may need to ask at garden centers or the such for offcuts.

when i get some ill let you know how it goes!

beanoil · 02-16-2005, 10:30 PM

This is really similar to a product made 15 years ago. I can't remember the brand, but do have a visual. It was about a foot long, 2" deep, and 6" tall, and hung on the back of the tank. Water was dripped into it, and the theory was that the first couple of chambers depleted the oxygen, the last few chambers were O2 depleted, or even anerobic, based on water flow. It worked, but needed to be fed. Either a sugar water mix, or Vodka, if I remember correctly.
Frankly, the coil denitrator is an old, but proven (well as proven as you can get in this hobby) design that dates back to Thiel days of the 80's. I don't wind airline tubing, I get a coiled air tool hose from a tool company, like Harbor Freight. It wraps around the outside of a 3"PVC pipe. Water is fed in the top of the coil, exits the bottom, into the PVC though a hose barb, and up through the PVC filled with some type of media, then returned to the top of the overflow, or trickle box for reoxygenation. My coil unit is holding the NItrates steady at 10PPM with 12 total fish, 3 are 4-5" in a FOWLR tank. For the true DIY, and I'm talking CHEAP, go to your local Kinkos and have them save the straps from paper boxes. In no time you'll have all the clear vinyl strips you want that you can stuff in filters, or denitrators.
Good luck.

Matt Rogers · 02-17-2005, 08:43 AM

Good info Beanoil!

Thanks for joining.