denitrator filter how do they work?

If the water flow is shut off for any reason (power outage, blockage etc) and the bacteria start dieing off, you will end up having serious issues when the power/ blockage issue is resolved.

In any case, most folks that have used these, and even said they had no problems eventually take them off line because they really are a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

You can achieve zero nitrates with a fuge and be better off with all the other good things having a fuge does.
These are things such as, no ph swings if set on a reverse photo cycle, pod farm for the reef, and all that good export of nutrients.

Coil type Denitrators IMHO are simply a waste of money.

 

I would like to hear more from others as my personal experience with the one I have now run for 18 months is different than described here...and I have been through a 4 day power outage and restart with out concern or incident.

 

I would consider yourself lucky then. the last guy in our club that had a coil denitrator on his system had a pump failure for his denitrator. Before repairing the pump, he smelled the water and it was foul in the denitrator. That was maybe a day or 2 after the pump stopped. After he smelled the water in it, he did some research and found that several folks have had the same issues, and unless the water was completely changed in the denitrator that it very well would poison the tank. He also found that several of those folks that did not flush that water out and get bnew water in the denitrtator did have tank crashes afterwards.

Considering that a fuge does all that a denitrator does, and is pretty much fail safe, I see no need to waste $$ on a gimmick.

 

I don't have the "hatred" that Horkn has, but I will say this. I had one and didn't see anything, nor positive or negative. My trusted LFS also tried one and said the CD didn't do anything for them. I don't know if we both did something wrong or not, but it just didn't work for me. Some on this forum swear by it and say that it works great. The only way to find out is to try it out yourself and come up with your own conclusion.


luna

 

Thats all you get in the 300.00 to 500.00 plus nitrate filter's unless its sulfur based unit then you have to deal with them But unlike many sealed Nitrate filter you can recharge them . You may have to again in the future but at least you can where the coils I build simply feed themselves . Its hard to fool this old dawg LOL I have seen lots of latest greatest ideas come and go .

 

Don't get me wrong I am not trying to come off as confrontational and really did not want to say anything But I see so much wrong with you misconceptions of how a NO3 coil or filter works I wanted to pass on some information that has been gained from many more yrs of working with NO3 reactors then I care to think about for desalination plants to Factories Like I.E DuPont and Phillip Morris and even VEPCO in Va at the Dutch Gap power plant that is right on the James river .

No so I have used a refugium and algae scrubbers for many many many yrs and at some point there will be a NO3 build up . Maybe a long w hile down the road but it always happens It has to if the biological break down of ammonia and Nitrites is going according to plan.. I honestly do not think you have ever used a NO3 coil and are simply repeating what you have read or had been told ? There is nothing growing in these coils that is growing inside the L/rock and sand of your tank . The only difference is the bacteria are allowed to live in a totally friendly envirmonet to their liking and so they gorw in more concrated numbers .Like grass and bugs and DSB in a refugium . But if the refugium is sized and and lighted and flowed properly then I can bet you I never see a lick of PH swing from 2:00Am to 2:00 Pm mine is always at 8.1 to 8.2 24/7

main problem I find is guys simply try to build them from some DYI stuff around the net and think its O.K and will do great but its more to bulding them that that I have never used a 100ft of coil and see no reason to I scaled mine down from plans and blue print scales from installing multi million dollar commercial units and went from there with mine style . I love the sugar dosers my self thats a time bomb to each is own but I just have to ask what are you baseing this opinion on ? If you had ever ran a properly constructed one then you would no better .. I have yet to have anyone to say it did not work or ask for a refund . And I have sent out hundreds of them over the yrs they are nothing new been using mine since mid 70's

 

I have one of Tangsters denitrate coils and I have had any problems with it. I turned mine off for two weeks just to see what would happen and when I turned it back on nothing just went back to work no questions asked.

 

That's been my experience...and, with the Salifert test kit, NO3 stays at 0.00...as bright and clear as you can get...

 

this is very interesting to me im considering adding 1 to my tank but i am not sold yet . i do have a fuge but the mangroves dont have leaves yet os they are not helping much just yet. so the research goes on.

 

If the mangroves have a root system growing, then it is already working its magic.



luna