Aquaripure?

[thehawkfish]

Has anyone seen this video?

http://youtu.be/dRzTiJVz-aQ

It looks pretty legit to me ...

[slief]

I looked into them once.. They need to be dosed on a regular basis (weekely I think) which defeats the purpose in my opinion. If I were to go with a denitrifier, I would likely go the sulfer route. I much prefer a set it and forget solution than something that needs to be constantly fed in order to work.

[thehawkfish]

Originally Posted by slief

I looked into them once.. They need to be dosed on a regular basis (weekely I think) which defeats the purpose in my opinion. If I were to go with a denitrifier, I would likely go the sulfer route. I much prefer a set it and forget solution than something that needs to be constantly fed in order to work.

Don't you need to replace the sulfur though and don't you need to buffer it with aragonite or something? Or is that not true? Does anyone know how often the sulfur needs and the aragonite needs to be replaced? Every 3 months? 6 months? Do you need to replace the aragonite more often than the sulfur? How do you know when it needs to be replaced?

The unit in the video seems pretty straightforward but I've never any denitrifier.

[slief]

Originally Posted by thehawkfish

Don't you need to replace the sulfur though and don't you need to buffer it with aragonite or something? Or is that not true? Does anyone know how often the sulfur needs and the aragonite needs to be replaced? Every 3 months? 6 months? Do you need to replace the aragonite more often than the sulfur? How do you know when it needs to be replaced?

The unit in the video seems pretty straightforward but I've never any denitrifier.

In the video, they dont show dosing the unit. The Sulfer based ones need the Sulfer replaced annually if memory serves me. You might need to replace the arragonite every 6 months or so depending on how fast it breaks down. That's much less maintenance than the alternative that needs constant weekly or more frequent attention to keep the bacteria alive. The Sulfer units just work and don't need any feeding let alone regular maintenace.

[thehawkfish]

Originally Posted by slief

In the video, they dont show dosing the unit. The Sulfer based ones need the Sulfer replaced annually if memory serves me. You might need to replace the arragonite every 6 months or so depending on how fast it breaks down. That's much less maintenance than the alternative that needs constant weekly or more frequent attention to keep the bacteria alive. The Sulfer units just work and don't need any feeding let alone regular maintenace.

Once a week doesn't really sound like too much trouble to me ...

I'm a bit concerned about all the sulfur and acidity possibly affecting the pH too much if the aragonite gets used up without me realizing it.

[slief]

If you search the forum, there are a couple topics on Aquaripure. Its been around for a number of years and there are very few adopters. Sulfer denitrifiers on the other hand have been relatively popular in comparison. My guess is that there is good reason. One is proven to work and the other is questionable.

If you have no issues dosing the reactor to address nitrates, why bother using the reactor when you can dose the same thing directly into your tank to accomplish the same goal?

Many here are using the Sulfer Denitrifiers with great success. Like I said, they require next to no maintenance. I dont understand the logic of having to dose every week vs taking a peak at your sulfer denitrifier every couple weeks to make sure you have some media left. That makes no sense to me. Isn't looking at a reactor to verify they arragonite easier than not only looking at your dosing source but also making sure it has enough in its holding tank and then having to top it off every week or 2?? That sounds much more labor intensive to me than something you practicly set and forget.

To each their own. Its your tank and if you want to experiment with the unknown on a salt water tank, thats your choice. Notice that most of the info related to Aquaripure is based on fresh water.... If you want to accomplish the goal of removing nitrates, than I would suggest going with a virtually maintenance free approach that is widely used and proven. That or eliminating nitrates at the source by doing water changes, better skimming or managing your feeding and not overstocking a tank.

[thehawkfish]

Originally Posted by slief

If you search the forum, there are a couple topics on Aquaripure. Its been around for a number of years and there are very few adopters. Sulfer denitrifiers on the other hand have been relatively popular in comparison. My guess is that there is good reason. One is proven to work and the other is questionable.

If you have no issues dosing the reactor to address nitrates, why bother using the reactor when you can dose the same thing directly into your tank to accomplish the same goal?

Many here are using the Sulfer Denitrifiers with great success. Like I said, they require next to no maintenance. I dont understand the logic of having to dose every week vs taking a peak at your sulfer denitrifier every couple weeks to make sure you have some media left. That makes no sense to me. Isn't looking at a reactor to verify they arragonite easier than not only looking at your dosing source but also making sure it has enough in its holding tank and then having to top it off every week or 2?? That sounds much more labor intensive to me than something you practicly set and forget.

To each their own. Its your tank and if you want to experiment with the unknown on a salt water tank, thats your choice. Notice that most of the info related to Aquaripure is based on fresh water.... If you want to accomplish the goal of removing nitrates, than I would suggest going with a virtually maintenance free approach that is widely used and proven. That or eliminating nitrates at the source by doing water changes, better skimming or managing your feeding and not overstocking a tank.

You certainly seem to be very against this company ... to be honest your comments don't seem objective.

[slief]

Originally Posted by thehawkfish

You certainly seem to be very against this company ... to be honest your comments don't seem objective.

My comments are purley based on the research I did and trust me, I did a lot. Matter of fact, I spent hours researching the product. Both here on this forum as well as others. I even spoke to the manufacturer who would disclose nothing about how it works but only about how good it works. I even spoke with others from the forum who used them and removed them.

I have had reef and salt water tanks for more than 25 years and consider myself somewhat knowledgable on marine aquariums. What I don't know, I spend a lot of time researching.

Like most people, I don't like to do maintenance so for me, that was a key factor.. Maintenance seems to be the achilles heel for most people. If they are not maintained, the bacteria will die. Dosing things like Vodka or carbon sources are a highly discussed topic in the chemestry forum and there are many pitfalls when dosing that kind of stuff. A mistake can wreak havok on a tank or worse, take out your entire tank in a real hurry.

Also they fact that they are not widely recognized when they have been around for several years is another factor which to me, said something about the viability of that product in a marine enviornment. I know they work, how well they work just isnt really proven in our applications. At least not well enough that they have garnered any kind of recognition in the marine aquarium hobby. Sulfer and coil denitrifiers on the other hand have been around for years, are used my many public aquariums and are proven to work and do it safely. They also have the upside of buffering PH and calcium if taken care of properly. There is no secret to how they work and a number of manufacturers make them.

Now that said, your comments seem very much for this solution or moreover, for the company. Being that it was your first post and you joined today, one could wonder if your motives are not about finding facts about its usefulness but more about product promotion... Not that I believe that, I'm just saying that since you pointed out my lack of objectiveness...

You asked the question and I took the time to answer and included everybit of information I know on the subject and I did it prejudice. That and I certainly didn't say anything bad about the company or the product. Just the facts as I know them and why I chose not go go that route.

[thehawkfish]

Yes, I just joined. I belong to other forums but since this is the biggest I thought I'd join this as well. I had decided against going the sulfur route but was considering this one hence the post.

Now you are going on and on and on against this company when you have no experience with it and now you are accusing me of working for the company or something.

I am beginning to find your posts and comments strange and hostile ...

That companies website has a lot of pictures of saltwater tanks and I have read good things about them on other forums in regards to saltwater aquariums. Like you said they have been around for a long time so obviously people are using them. They sure have a lot of testimonials.

I was looking for something objective or maybe someone who actually used one.

[thehawkfish]

"Also they fact that they are not widely recognized when they have been around for several years is another factor which to me"

Not recognized by who? You? I have seen posts on other forums. Lots of them in fact.

[thehawkfish]

"your motives are not about finding facts about its usefulness but more about product promotion"

You only motive only seems to be to bash this product I am considering!!!!!!!!

[thehawkfish]

"Being that it was your first post and you joined today, one could wonder if your motives are not about finding facts about its usefulness but more about product promotion."

You know the more I think about your comments the more mad I get ... I was just kind of excited about this product and all you have done is be hostile and falsely accuse me.

Do you do this to all new forum members? What a tool

[slief]

I didn't mean to come off hostile and I am sorry about that. I apologise for insinuating that your had some alterior motive as well. Your comment about me being against the company took me back when all I was doing was providing you with the information I have from lots of research and actually talking to people who used it as well as the manufacturer.

I was honestly trying to help you make an informed decision because your not going to find too many (if any) people here who are still using that product on their reef tank. Considering this is the largest reef forum arguably on the planet, the lack of responses other than mine, might just speak volumes.


I NEVER bashed the product or the company. If stating facts so you can make an informed decision is bashing, then I don't know what to say.

Again. All I did was share what I learned from talking to people and doing research. My only real negative comment was that they need to be fed regularly or they stop working. If you consider that negative, again, I don't know what to say. The other thing that I didn't mention is they have a tendency to clog up and need costant adjusting, otherwise you will get a rotten egg smell similar to that of the sulfur denitrifier. Now that might be considered negative. For me it certainly isn't a positive. Since you have been reading up on all the threads online, I can only assume you knew that. That said, same can be said about the sulfur dentrifiers if you don't get them set right in the first place. Difference being is that once you get them setup properly, they are good for a year or so without much if any tinkering. Going back to the sulfur ones, if I were to do it, I would use a seperate reactor for more calcium as you kill two birds with one stone. You get the dentrification along the added bonus of PH and calcium buffering as mentioned above as the effluent can be used like a calcium reactor if used properly...



As for there being plenty of info on line and in other forums... While that may be somewhat true, take a look at the dates of those threads.. Most are years old with only a few being within the last year and I read every last one of the threads out there that I could find. Also, is there any information about whats is inside of that reactor???? I couldn't find a single thing on that and I like to know what I am putting into my system.

I chose not to go that route and I explained why. Is that bashing.. I dont think so. I also chose not to use a sulfur dentrifier. I was able to get my nitrates down with automated water changes using a litermeter. That whole setup cost me just a bit more than the appropriate sized (for my system) denitrifier and made my tank much happier all around.

Do they work... Yes. Do they need more maintenance than other denitirifiers... Yes. If you call that bashing, I am sorry.

Good luck in your search. I am sure you will be happy with it if you don't mind tinkering. Like I said, they do work if you don't mind pouring vodka into your system and are willing to take the risks that go along with it..

Sorry again for rubbing you the wrong way. That was never my intent.

Now I will bow out of this thread however gracefully I can and go slip into my flame suit.

[slief]

I will say this though... This is not intended to be contradictory to my statements above.

If I found my self seriously considering vodka or carbon dosing, this would be a mechanism to dose into that I would give serious consideration. There are places where perhaps vodka or sugar dosing has its fit as well as benifits under the right circumstances. I too have considered that when I was dealing with nitrates and other issues.

Like I said, I looked into their product and gave serious consideration to it and was ready to buy one of their larger units. It forced me to read up and research not only on that unit, but also on the stuff you dose with. I had already read up a lot on vodka dosing but I read even more.

In my opinion, there are a number of ways to address nitrates. You have water changes, sulfur denitrfiers which is essentially nothing more than a sulfur reactor. There's vodka dosing, there is the Aquaripure which in my mind is a vodka or carbon source reactor with perhaps some secret sauce inside.

I am also a firm believer in using dedicated reactors. Calcium reactors have their upsides besides just the calcium they provide. I use an ozone reactor instead of using my protein skimmer as it has its upsides. Many of us use carbon or GFO reactors instead of throwing bags of the stuff in our sumps etc. So again, its not that I am against it at all. I just look at and research every aspect and make my decisions on what I feel is best for me and my application.

One of my reasons for not liking things that need lots of maintenance (besides laziness) is that I travel frequently and most of my trips are a week plus. Being away as much as I am means I need to have as much automation as possible and be able to monitor and control everthing in my tank from anywhere I may be. As such, my set it and forget it mentality weighs heavy on my decisions.

So if I chose to dose vodka, I would probably try one myself but I would feed it using a dosing pump so there was no question about if and when its getting dosed.

Again, sorry if I came across wrong. I certainly didn't intend to but I also wasn't trying to be objective. I was simply trying to to be informative. Your first reply to my first post included the angry face.. Perhaps I was on the defense though that was never my intent.

Welcome to the forum and sorry again for any confusion.

[thehawkfish]

Well, the unhappy face was purely accidental. I don't know how that got on there.

I don't think I can get behind an ozone machine - not when I hear about ozone alerts on the news and to stay inside if you have respiratory problems when ozone levels are high outside.

It seems to me like there are a lot of options out there. Each one with pros and cons. Your main argument against this particular denitrator is weekly or biweekly maintenance or whatever but I feed my fish every day and I change and clean my skimmer cup twice a week and scrub my glass regularly so it would be no different than that to me.

Anyway, this has been beaten to death ... I'm sorry I posted this