Natureef denitrator instructions

[DRThompson]

I'm starting a DIY natureef denitrator (special thanks to Matt and Roger). Tonight I bought the nitragone/phosphagone but I cant find any dosing instructions.

I'd like to get this thing up and running tomorrow. I could not find a thread on exactly HOW to dose this, especially for the initial start up.

Help me oh great denitrator guru's

[gasman059]

Send me a PM with your email and I will forward you a pdf of manual.

[Rogger Castells]

i have a manual, I could email to you, just pm me your email address

[gasman059]

Email sent- enjoy.

[DRThompson]

Thanks Gasman and Rogger for all your help. Started the reactor this morning at 11am, chamber holds about 15gal and my nitrates are pretty low right now so I dosed 5ml of just nitragone, added the starter bacteria I got from Rogger, turned on the small pump inside the reactor and will check on it in 4 hours.

Instructions say the first cycle could take up to 48 hours. If I'm reading the directions correctly the system should go thru a NH4 and NO3 spike at the halfway point.

Keeping a spreadsheet log and will update.

thanks again,
dave

[DRThompson]

Thanks Gasman and Rogger for all your help. Started the reactor this morning at 11am, chamber holds about 15gal and my nitrates are pretty low right now so I dosed 5ml of just nitragone, added the starter bacteria I got from Rogger, turned on the small pump inside the reactor and will check on it in 4 hours.

Instructions say the first cycle could take up to 48 hours. If I'm reading the directions correctly the system should go thru a NH4 and NO3 spike at the halfway point.

Keeping a spreadsheet log and will update.

thanks again,
dave

[Rogger Castells]

I think 48 hours is probably very conservative estimate, It took me approx a week to cycle it.

[gasman059]

YUP agreed
If u really want to mmake this happen exotic aquarium on Oakland is the only place that sells the (denitrifier bacteria in a bottle refirgerated) to seed the reactor.

I cycled mine for over 10 days w/o major changes but once I added the bottled bacteria two days later the nice smell came out and the unit was done.

I cycle mine 3x a day now.

[DRThompson]

It's been about 10 hours and I've tested for NH4, NO2 and NO3......no change. Do I just keep dosing or leave it alone?

[gasman059]

gotta leave it alone no dosing until the cycle happens.

PATIENCE and then some more PATIENCE

[DRThompson]

Day 2 and no change....found an old Red Sea dissolved oxygen test kit and decided to test once a day and log O2 values. I should see a drop when this thing goes anaerobic.


Will keep posting

[nivram]

Any pics of your DIY denitrator?

[DRThompson]

Added fritz turbo start 900 to the reactor yesterday....Dissolved O2 dropped to 2ppm...water is turning brownish....I hope this thing is starting to work now.

[mrx66699]

Originally Posted by nivram

Any pics of your DIY denitrator?

here are a few of it marvin .....I made it for him.....one thing the egg crate in this pic is not the correct number sheets of, or size..... I just used it to show him how to put the egg crate when he got it

[nivram]

Thanks, I'm just trying to get an idea of how they work. Is there any media stored inside?

[DRThompson]

just the eggcrate (I added 4 more pieces and some lining the bottom, I also added ceramic media to the bottom)

If you google "denitrification with methanol" you'll find a bunch of stuff on how wastewater treatment plants use this technique to remove nitrates.

Rogger cycles his 4 times a day, Gasman 3 times a day. My chamber holds about 15 gal, If I can remove nitrates and phosphates 15gal at a time even twice a day that would really save on salt, water changes and time. Once I get this thing to properly cycle I can automate it.

Currently on Day 5 and still working on the first cycle. O2 still dropping, i'm hoping this will finish cycling in the next day or 2. Then I start over again. Once I get it to cycle in <24 hours I can automate it.

[DRThompson]

1st cycle took 14 days, second cycle took 6 days, started 3rd cycle this morning. Here are some pics of the stuff that's growing in the reactor.

Thanks again to Rogger, Matt, Mitch, Bill and everyone who has helped me with this project!

Cant wait until I can get the reactor to cycle under 24h so I can automate it

[gasman059]

excelent start- now patience in between cycles so the bacteria can get established.

[DRThompson]

I've been cycling the Natureef denitrator manually every 24 hours for about a week. Last night I hooked up the 2 drew's dosers and an EB4 to control it with my apex. (see pics) I have it cycling twice daily; dosing about 12ml nitragone and 6ml phosphagone every 12 hours. It is completely automated now!

The Bacteria is growing like crazy inside the chamber and my tank nitrates have dropped to 0.2 (salifert kit) and my tank phosphates dropped to 0.3ppm on the Hanna checker.

This will probably be the last post on the natureef denitrator, so again, thanks to all those experts who helped me with this project. I hope to be as successful as those who taught me.

[Rogger Castells]

very nice, good luck

[Biggar]

Dave, hows has this method been working out for you? Looking for easy way to drop nitrates.

My phosphates I can keep pretty low. .02 -.1 (hanna), but my nitrates are creepy up to 10ppm. Would like little lower.

I put a bio-pellet reactor on with about a 1/4 dose of pellets, im noticing little cyano on my cheato in my sump, and im guessing its the new bacteria growth. Its been running about 5 weeks now. Trying this method, buy I dont like seeing cyano.

[DRThompson]

Originally Posted by Biggar

Dave, hows has this method been working out for you? Looking for easy way to drop nitrates.

My phosphates I can keep pretty low. .02 -.1 (hanna), but my nitrates are creepy up to 10ppm. Would like little lower.

I put a bio-pellet reactor on with about a 1/4 dose of pellets, im noticing little cyano on my cheato in my sump, and im guessing its the new bacteria growth. Its been running about 5 weeks now. Trying this method, buy I dont like seeing cyano.

Hey Mike,
Try putting the output of your biopellets so it is near the intake of your skimmer or even put a T-pipe on your intake so it gets all of it. The biopellets put excess bacteria (nutrients) into the system, you should be able to skim out a lot of it. When I cycle my denitrator, I put the output right above the intake of my skimmer so it chews up some of the excess protein(bacteria) exiting the chamber.

The Natureef product works well but is far from perfect. Runs on bacteria and they can be fussy at times. Right now I'm cycling the reactor once a day. One cycle removes nitrates from about 12gal of water. At it's best I had it cycling 3 times a day. Still, a 12gal water change per day isnt bad. You have to feed the reactor with nitragone to keep it going - gal jug is $40 and lasts me about 3 months. I'd say it is the most expensive way to remove nitrates.

[Biggar]

Originally Posted by DRThompson

Hey Mike,
Try putting the output of your biopellets so it is near the intake of your skimmer or even put a T-pipe on your intake so it gets all of it. The biopellets put excess bacteria (nutrients) into the system, you should be able to skim out a lot of it. When I cycle my denitrator, I put the output right above the intake of my skimmer so it chews up some of the excess protein(bacteria) exiting the chamber.

The Natureef product works well but is far from perfect. Runs on bacteria and they can be fussy at times. Right now I'm cycling the reactor once a day. One cycle removes nitrates from about 12gal of water. At it's best I had it cycling 3 times a day. Still, a 12gal water change per day isnt bad. You have to feed the reactor with nitragone to keep it going - gal jug is $40 and lasts me about 3 months. I'd say it is the most expensive way to remove nitrates.

You know what I did recently, I used to have the out put of the bio pellet reactor going into skimmer section. I now have tie wrapped the line to go more into the skimmer intake. Maybe that was the problem. Hope the new bacteria can kung fu the cyano to death eventually

Ill keep the pellets going and just see what it goes for now. Nitragone is bit pricey.

Thanks

[italquam]

Does anyone have pictures of a Natureef setup or the PDF manual?

[DRThompson]

Originally Posted by italquam

Does anyone have pictures of a Natureef setup or the PDF manual?

PM me your email and I'll send you a copy of it.