Sulphur Denitrator

[BrianOKC]

Ok I got a question reguarding the different sizes of reactors. Why would you need a larger reactor to handle larger tanks? The drip rate will still only be handling the same amount of water going in and out of the reactor , no matter how large you build the thing correct?

[r-balljunkie]

its a function of colonizing bacteria. more area, more dentrification. i personally only use two inches of media in my reactor, mostly for maintenance purposes.

what are your goals?
c

[BrianOKC]

I understand the more media the more bacteria you can produce but if the same amount of water like 1 drip a second is coming out and a smaller reactor is producing 0 nitrates at the same rate. What benefit does the more media in a larger reactor have if there both set at 1 drip a second and both are producing 0 nitrates at that rate? Can a larger reactor be set to a larger drip rate? I would think it couldn't be much larger of a drip rate due to anaerobic conditions the reactor must stay at to work.

For my goals I was just wanting to get my nitrates lower on a 400 gallon system that's heavily stocked. I thought about buying the larger reactor but I got to thinking that there output of 0 nitrate water would be the same if there set to 1 drop a second.

[Iwishihadgills]

it will drop your ph dramastically if you increase the drip to much. imo i dont think you need alot of sulphur media but rather more aragonite to adjust the ph. Then you will be able to increase the drip but remember these are anarobic bacteria not arobic meaning when you increase the drip more oxygen gets in not allowing them to so to speek thrive

[mcrist]

I would think having two smaller units would be better than having one large reactor.