I've used these type of reactors for 18 years and they work miracles.

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Good things huh?!

Thank you for this very detailed video! I've been exploring various ways to control my nitrates and had not heard of this method before. The fact that you can set it and forget it once it's tuned makes it a great option.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome!

Thanks, I asked and u provided the vid...This is why more KZreadrs should follow u. U give perfect info and help fellow Hobbyists like myself. Thanks Parker!!!

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Happy to oblige! Let me know what else you’d like to see!

I’ve watched quite a few sulphur reactor vids on KZread attempting to find a good one. Mate this is the go to sulphur reactor info for sure you explain perfectly. And by a fellow Aussie it’s even better. Set up my reactor yesterday it’s a modified Korralin calc reactor it sits inside the top up tank of my RSRxxl750 and displaces less than two litres to worked out great.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Great to hear man, I love the simplicity of a sulphur reactor and am pleased to hear my video helped. Have a great day 👍🏻

@insanity4224

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef after setting up my reactor I left the effluent valve fully open for 24 hours. Then I slowed it down to 1 1/2 drops per second. 24 hours later.. ZERO nitrates! Considering my tank water had between 20-50 that’s pretty impressive. I’ve been testing every day and increasing the flow and haven’t been able to detect any nitrates coming from the reactor. And my tank is down to 10 after three days. My tank is 170gal and the reactor only has 1.5L volume so very impressive!!

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic news!!! Love to hear good news stories like that

I just installed a sulfur reactor about 2 months ago and I have to say wow, it's amazing. I no longer have to worry about starving my tank just so nitrates do skyrocket. I basically feed my tank (combo reef and fish) twice to tree times a day without holding back (within reason of course) and I dialed my nitrates in at about 2-3 ppm. I could go 0 but I know my corals like some nitrates. Edit: I purchased the one at Marine Depot for about $300 which was not cheap but it really works great and has that bullet proof pump mounted externally.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Works a treat hey!

@98cricketer

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I’ve been looking everywhere to get one of the deltec reactors in NSW do you happen to know anywhere that stocks them?

Very well put together video. It answered alot of questions I had on setting one up.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it was of use mate! Feel free to ask any questions if they come up :)

Incredibly informative video Sam 👏👏👏 Thanks for making the vid!

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Cheers David

Great video don’t see many videos on sulphur reactors great information thanks for sharing

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great timing was looking into these. Great video thanks.

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

yell out if you have any questions!

Unbelievable how well these work!! I have zero nitrates no matter what happens in my reef tank now! This video was perfect to set mine up! Thank you!

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was useful!

I've used a Sulfur reactor since the early 90's. And I'm still using that same reactor now! Best investment I ever made!

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Even the media lasts ages!

@iczerone2000

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Yup! That reactor is still using the same media from the first day I bought it.

There is so much I still have to learn about reefing. I am grateful for these lessons so by the time I get my new tank I'll have a better understanding. Nitrates scare me! They plagued me in the past.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Nitrates don't need to be anything more than a bad memory these days :)

Loved your video! wonderful tutorial. I have been running mine for several months now. I find that the flow rate slows down over time. do you know why that would happen? I would like to run it more wide open so I do not run into that, however, that will bottom out my nitrates. also, when it actually does run slow, it stinks from sulfur. I am likely using way too much sulfur media and now that I watched your video, I am going to reduce the volume of media. unless you have another suggestion as to how to run the flow slower and not have the flow rate diminish over time. thank you!

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah it will slow down as the bacterial sludge builds up. If running too slow, it will stink as you’re starving the bacteria. Sounds like you need to remove a little media and run it a little quicker :)

Hi Sam when making adjustment on effluent flow how long should I wait to check for nitrate levels to stabilise before checking? Btw.. my reactor is 60lts I have 30lts of sulphur and 30lts of calcium. Thanks Joe

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

I’d wait 24 hours

Great video. If the reactor only has a slow flow. (Drips)Even though the effluent is zero or low wont the tank produce nitrates quicker and therefore have a higher reading ?

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, if that is the case - you will need a larger reactor

Great video Sam, why am I just hearing about sulphur reactors now? Surprised more people aren't using them

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

You and me both mate, work a treat for me

Hey Sam,thanks for the great video.one question,if my phospates are really low will my nitrates come down or do I have to raise phosphates to lower nitrates

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

With this system they will come down without needing to raise phosphate

Hey Sam! Thanks for the great content! Just wondering if you have any experience with the caribsea No-No3? Looks to be a blend of sulfur and argonite? Thanks!

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

I haven’t, but you are right - it is. Has a bit too much aragonite for my liking though

@adamplevey8385

4 жыл бұрын

I have a 450 litre tank, and I setup a basic 3 litre hang on the side bio pellet reactor, and filled it with carabsea no - no3 (sulpha/aragonite blend, it is heavy on aragonite) (and it holds about 2.5 to 3l of this media) I have the effulent running at a slow but steady stream, and the water is entering the reactor at about 30ppm nitrate and leaving at about 5ppm nitrate, it's a heavily stocked freshwater tropical tank and I couldn't keep nitrate under 80ppm. These things work 😁 if I wanted zero nitrate I'd need to slow the flow down or I'd probably need a larger reactor that holds an extra 1-1.5 litre media. but I'm not chasing zero nitrate.

Great video. I love watching your stuff. I have a question. I am about to start up my nitrate reactor. I currently use a calcium reactor and it is very stable at keeping my alk cal levels. You mentioned that my aLK will drop once this starts to get going. My question is will it throw off my balance of cal alk meaning I will have to dose additional ALK above what my calcium reactor is dosing or do you mean i will have to increase my alk/cal coming out of my calcium reactor. The second question is will this reduce Phos as well or will I need to reduce Phos with another method GFO or something like that? I have a full SPS tank and would love to hear what you have to say.

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Hey thanks for the questions. Yep, you will need to supplement some alk when this is first getting going. It will take a decent chunk out while establishing. It won’t remove any phosphates though

Sam! Thank you so much for this video! Made the whole concept so easy to understand! I took your explanation and designed my own nano sulfur reactor for my 30 gallon. No matter what I did, I couldn't get nitrates under 75+... Partly because I have a lot of small fish, but I also feed a very dense frozen food. Setup my custom creation last week and let it run full speed for a week, got all the air out, etc. Then dialed it back to 1 drop per second and I'm getting 0ppm out of the reactor! Amazing! Now I just need to dial it in to a 5-10 range and I'll be set. Can not thank you enough!

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Amazing!!! Great work and thanks for commenting to let us know it worked well for you :)

Hello Sam can you share some light where I could find the sulphur media and would you recommend using a PH or ORP probe to monitor as in now low oxygen levels is what helps this reactor to work best at -150 to -180 ORP to allow the bacteria to thrive and eat up the NO3.

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Hey mate, DeerPark Aquarium can get the media for you. I personally have not used PH or ORP in sulphur reactors, but there would be no harm in doing so. I find that as long as you don't try to skip steps, they're super easy to setup and get working

HI, loved your video...I want to try on of these...do I need to place this in the sump or can it be mounted on a wall or shelf and pull water directly from the tank and drip directly back into the tank? thanks for your help! Mike

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Mike, you absolutely can mount this anywhere!

@mikescichlids

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Awesome! I am going to get one of these and get started! thank you!

Very interesting. Gives me food for thought.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Yell out if you have questions!

Watching this video and wanting to set up a nitrate reactor but the issue I am running into is that I can't find the sulfur media available anywhere. I am only finding Brightwell Aquatics "Xport-NO3 Cubes and their Xport N03 Bricks

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Where are you located mate?

hi parker my reactor is been at 1 drop a second slow drip for 2 weeks. my nitrates affluent is stuck at 20ppm . i have 1.5 L sulfur media in reactor. how much more sulfur should i add to my reactor.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Is that the same as your tank nitrate? If so, you’re going to need to slow the effluent down some more. Gotta get it near zero before you can speed it up

Also I wanted to ask. Is it safe lowering nitrates through this method when housing SPS corals? I am curious if the nitrates dropping too quickly could cause them to RTN or how large the drop in alkalinity per day might be.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Safe yes, but always do it slowly :)

Hi. So, I reached to the point where after keeping effluent on 1 drop per 2 seconds effluent Nitrates finally dropped to 0, that day I increased flow to 1 drop per second. The next day I tested effluent Nitrates again and result was again 0. Therefore I increased flow to 2 drops per second. But today I tested again and effluent nitrates jumped from 0 to almost the same as tank level again. Is that big difference between 1 and 2 drops per second normal or I incresed it from 1 drop to 2 drops too soon? Maybe I should increase it like 1.5 drops per second first?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that is odd… I’d try it again and see if you can keep it at 1 drop a second for an extra day or two first

Hi Sam, Are you planning on putting a sulpher reactor on your dream build , or do you think you have that covered with other filteration

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I’m hoping the refugium will be enough, but if not - I will add one yes :)

Is it common that the nitrates reading coming out of the reactor reads a lot higher than the actual reading in the tank? Mine has a 7.5ppm nitrates in the tank, but more than 50ppm measured at the output of the reactor. I had successfully bottom out the nitrates output @ 1 drop/sec (although it took 2 months to reach this). But 1 day after I increased to 2-3drops/sec nitrates output is through the roof again.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Not at all, something is drastically wrong

Sam, with a 940lt system should I be starting with about 2.50lts. My nitrates are sitting at about 15-18ppm

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

I’d try 1-1.5 Litres first, can always add more

Really interesting... I used to have a beautiful reef aquarium and moved homes about three years ago and lost just about every coral. Left the tank sit for about two years with fish only and now I’m trying to add coral but my nitrates were off the charts. In the US bio-pellets are the main way to lower nitrates so I was shocked to hear there’s another way to achieve the same goal. What sulfur media do you use?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I like Aquamedic bio pearls myself, but they can be hard to track down. Bio pellets are so unstable, they usually crash more tanks than they fix....

Hi Sam, I’m really enjoying watching your videos. I have a question in regards to the sulphur reactor. I currently use a calcium reactor and all levels alk, cal and mag are stable. You mentioned alk will drop once the sulphur reactor gets going and will need to be supplemented. Will I need to add additional ALK only while it is establishing for the first few weeks or will this need to be ongoing?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

Ah good stuff, glad you are enjoying it! You'll need to supplement more alk at the start while the reactor is seeding but still a little more ongoing. A pain I know when you have a calcium reactor doing all three evenly then you have to dose one element on it's own - but it does work well!

@mpg1214

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Yes that does complicate things a little. Working out how much alk the nitrate reactor is consuming and not the tank itself and an additional dosing pump for alk only?

To run the reactor do you need a skimmer to remove the bacteria like with carbon dosing Sam my tank sits around 25ppm with 60l week wc tanks 200l so anything that can help cut back on the wc a bit would be Thanks for your time

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Great question! I’d assume a skimmer would be needed, but perhaps not? Sure thing, try 500ml of sulphur with a drop a second. Adjust it if it zeros your nitrates. Let me know how you go

@jamiejeffery9556

5 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I'll give it a try soon and let you know

It's been about four weeks, I still have nitrates coming out, if it's to sleep a drip, the reactor fills with gas, and circulates that. I have about 1.5 ltrs of sulfer in there. I'm guessing just add another liter? I have 3 eels, high waste. Thoughts?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Gas is a worry... we need to stop that. But yes, try some more sulphur to allow you to not have to slow it too far

Hi, Brilliant video. Im about to set up a reactor (Deltec NFP 509 - Using Sulphur). Im keen to know where you found the effluent valve. Looks like a 1/4 ins outlet back to the sump?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Geo’s reef have the needle valves in John guest 1/4 inch. And yes, indeed 1/4 in and out :)

@MarkBagley

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thanks, Struggling to get hold of one in the UK.

@MarkBagley

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Hi Parker. I managed to locate a valve over in the US, it should be with me tomorrow. Can I ask another question please? How long should it take to get the system working properly. I read that it can take up to eight weeks? is this your experiance? Thanks in advance.

So for the Deltec reactor, I don’t see any ARM in the same chamber. What would you recommend using that reactor in this situation? Would you connect a 2nd chamber in-line and fill it with ARM or something similar and control the drip rate from that unit? It seems that’s a logical solution but checking your opinion.

@ParkersReef

8 ай бұрын

The ARM is totally optional. It doesn't do a heap, but will help buffer the effluent a little

Hey mate,thanks for helpfull video.I have a question I made Sulphur Reactor at home and at the end result I get a very stinky substance(its smell like old eggs if You know what I mean) Basiclly slowest leak means more stinky substance.It should be like that(I mean wierd smell),or not? Im a bit scared to use it at my fishtank. Thanks for any advise.

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

yep that means that you are starving the bacteria in there and need to speed up your effluent rate

I have been searching for a way to lower VERY high (off the chart, litterally) nitrates in my heavly stocked system but I'm a bit nervous of the hydrogen sulphide discharge happening as I know this can wipe out a tank in short order. Can you give any tips on how to stop that from occuring?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I can’t... other than to say I’ve ran sulphur for years with no ill side affects. Works a charm :)

Hi Parker, a quick question. My Ni had gone fro 0-26ug/l from one ICP to the next. The only thing I can think of was that I had used a sulphur reactor for a few weeks to reduce nitrates. Have you noticed Nickel in your ICPs with using the sulphur reactor? .... Joe

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Joe. Definitely not... I’d be checking out the pump on the reactor if nothing else changed. Could well be leaching nickel from the motor. Definitely didn’t have any hose clamps near water with the sulphur reactor?

@battyjoe

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef No, no metal hose clamps in the tank at all. The pump was new on the reactor as well. I was looking up how they made sulphur pearls and it seemed to be from Nickelliferous Pyrrohotite, hence the question about the sulphur.

Great video Parker, question though nitrates in my take are 45ppm but out of reactor are 60ppm has been running for 6 days now and no drop if anything a slight increase out of the reactor why would this be ? Reactor using is hmali with sicce pump.

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Slow the effluent right down :)

@bb08718

2 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef is that the Inlet water or outlet water.

This was helpful thanks. I was having a problem after a cleaned out my sulfur reactor and put in new media. I forgot the steps to get it working properly again. I was dripping the water out at 1 per second but the reactor was full of air bubbles. I am starting over after 2 months of failed attempts and running it full open to get the air out. Then I'll try again starting with 1 drip a second.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hope it helped. Keep me updated with how you go

@OperationDx1

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Will do.

@OperationDx1

4 жыл бұрын

It's only taken a few hours to flush all the bubbles as I have had the reactor running for awhile. I'm running at 3 drips per second already probably because I already had a good amount of bacteria I assume. So I was wondering how you check your out put. You said in the video that you check for nitrate levels to see where they are and make adjustments. However I always check for (nitrites) first to see if I will get a good reading of Nitrates. Usually if I see Nitrites in the water I tend to back off the drip rate. Would you recommend that I do this or should I just let the reactor push out Nitrites and let it build more bacteria? My worry is if I'm pumping in Nitrites which will process into Nitrate would that make the situation worse or do I just power through and say Nitrites be damned?

@OperationDx1

4 жыл бұрын

At 3 drips I'm getting 0 Nitrite and 0 nitrate.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

If you have zero nitrate at three drips per second, you will need to speed the effluent rate up. Otherwise it will start to stink

I heard you should let air out from reactor every few days, any comments on this? Thanks

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

I find the air makes it’s own way out, but if it is getting trapped - yes you should

Can using this sulphur reactor mixed with calcium media can you totally due away without using 2 part like my ATI essentials? What do you use to replenish trace elements

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

very unlikely to, unless you have super low consumption requirements. I run calcium reactors and also dose trace elements to ensure they are maintained

thanks great video, do you still use this method to keep your no3 down?

@ParkersReef

3 ай бұрын

I don't use it on my current tank as my nitrates haven't gotten to the point where I need to. However, if they do rise again (which is likely as the tank ages) I absolutely will

Thanks for your help in advance. Question with my AquaMaxx TS-1 and why Im having issues. I set this up with 2 litres of sulfur prills and media. Set it up according to your instructions Started with a drip a sec and measured affluent water until it measured 0ppm nitrates then doubled the drip out put and continued over 2 weeks untill I had a good output and brought tank parameters down to zero. Then about a month later I checked and levels went up to about 20ppm. Then a few weeks after that to 50ppm. Nothing has changed feeding etc. Wondering what Im doing wrong and why the levels would go up since these things are suppose to be set it and forget it once dialed in.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

That certainly seems odd. Any chance of detritus getting caught in the reactor?

@lancelenhart2276

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef looks good and clean. also has a prefilter.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Hmmm ok then, not getting oxygen into the reactor by chance?

@lancelenhart2276

3 жыл бұрын

Not that I can see. There may be a liite bubble at the top that hasn't found its way out but I don't see air going through it

@lancelenhart2276

3 жыл бұрын

i think im going to back off on the flow and start again and see what happens

How do you keep a balanced nitrate-phosphate ratio, when you use one of these, and feed heavily?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

GFO for phosphate, sulphur for nitrate

Hi sam hey mate have you had much to do with the caribsea lsm or do you think the beads are a better option in a reactor

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

I really like the beads, but have used the caribsea chips. Both work, if I had my choice I’d take the beads as I find they trap less detritus

@nevilwasley946

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef ok thanks mate cheers nev

Hey Sam, what did you use to push the water into the deltec reactor? Plumbed from a manifold or a continuous feed dosing pump? Thanks 😊

@ParkersReef

Ай бұрын

I had it plumbed off a return pump (with a tee)

Awesome video.. I've just set mine up using a repurposed calcium recirculating reactor with Seachem Calcium amd 0.5L of sulphur. I'm 4 days in and already getting 0ppm from the reactor. Tank still shows 100ppm nitrates but it will catch up. Seems to be working for my 500L tank. I'm at stage 2 now where I've sped up the effluent to 2 drops per second

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Sensational! Start speeding up that effluent :D

@arshishmaneckji9547

2 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I've hit a bit of a wall and would appreciate some advice pls. I've gone from 0.5L sulphur to about 3Liters of sulphur in the reactor and I'm able to get 0 nitrates from the effluent at about 250ml / 3 mins. Any higher than that and the effluent touches about 30+ppm nitrates. At this rate it will take me 3.5 days to cycle all the water through the reactor. (450L tank) Now I feed quite heavily because I have 12 Discus, 12 Angels, 6 Rams, 4 Clown Loaches, 8 Corydoras, 4 algae eaters (a lot of hungry mouths) and I don't know of a way to calculate the nitrates getting produced daily but looking at my result it seems like I'm obviously producing more than I'm removing. What should I do from here? Add a lot more sulphur? Or increase the effluent speed and wait longer to check? If I have to add more sulphur, I'm pro ably have to add a separate container for the calcium and Max out the sulphur in the primary reactor with the recirculating pump. What should I do? At this rate I will always be playing catch-up and at best I would be able to slow the rate of increase of nitrates. Pic of my current reactor: photos.app.goo.gl/sGBivgCrP7BBUYcd8 Effluent Speed: photos.app.goo.gl/N1MY3ftUdqWHwa4A8

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

@@arshishmaneckji9547 sensational setup! OK - based off your results, images and videos, I would max out the sulphur in the reactor. That should allow you to speed up the effluent whilst still maintaining a zero nitrate ppm output.

@arshishmaneckji9547

2 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thanks for your reply i'll have to figure out how to house the calcium elsewhere.

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

@@arshishmaneckji9547 might not be needed if your ph isn't too low?

Hello I have lost the two O-rings from the Korall reactor, do you know their size? I am in the states. Thanks

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

afraid I don't sorry. You could take it to a bearing store and they will be able to measure it up for you

My FOWLR tank has very high nitrates (250ppm). I was using an Korallin denitrator but I had to much of a problem with nitrogen gas filling the top of the reactor and could never get it dialed in. Any suggestions or experience with that issue?

@ParkersReef

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, I find if you make the recirculating port take from the top of the reactor it will mix the gas with the water which will eventually make its way out of the reactor. Or of course, make the outlet come from the highest point

found this video and wondering if you still use this reactor. I've been dosing NOPOX, but just need to lower my nitrates and found your video. If you still use it, where can one in the US get the pellets and reactor from?

@ParkersReef

2 ай бұрын

Not in my new display as my nitrates haven’t become an issue just yet (although getting close!) The reactor is just a calcium reactor with no c02 inlet. The media you should be able to track down via a local fish shop

Another great video 👌

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

thanks mate!

Hello, I have a question, sir. Is it required to dose carbon if you are using a sulphur reactor?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hello. No need to dose carbon :)

Do you need to put Thiobacillus denitrificans from external sources into the sulphur media?

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

no need for any extra bacteria to be added. You can if you want to speed it up, but it is not necessary

What purity sulfur do you use? I am having a difficult time finding sulfur media in US. I can only find the media Deltec sells but it is expensive I see some on Amazon but trying to find the full sphere(pearls/beads) I can only seem to find the half sphere(prills). What do you recommend? Do you have a link?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

Full spheres are ideal. I don’t have any links for you I’m sorry, perhaps see if a caribsea dealer can get you some of there brand in for you?

@johncabral4394

Жыл бұрын

I contacted Caribsea and they said that they have not sold sulfur media in several years.

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

Ah bummer. Pearls still exist and are most definitely the way to go, will just have to find another pathway

does it have to recirculate when using a calcium reactor ? also , does it need it's own pump or can it be run off a manifold ? thanks

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

yes, ideally recirculating as that is considerably more efficient so is the way I would recommend. You can absolutely feed the reactor off a manifold, just keep an eye on the effluent as it can clog up with bacterial slime.

I've had my reactor running for 6 days now. The nitrite coming out of the Effluent is 0.25ppm. From what I've researched this is perfectly normal as the bacteria are reducing nitrate to nitrite and once there is a lack of nitrate with an abundance of nitrite the bacteria will began reducing this into nitrogen gas. How long should I expect the nitrite spike to last? Nitrate tests are useless when nitrite is in the water as the tests work by reducing nitrate to nitrite using zinc or cadmium and measuring the quantity of nitrite. My flow rate is 1.5ml/min about a drop every 2 seconds.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

yeah great question - I am not sure, I never tested nitrite in the effluent - only the nitrate

Hi, thank for sharing! I currently running sulphur and arms on day 2. I was wondering if i let my tab reactor wide open for 3 days to flush out all the air bubbles, will i overdose my tank with calcium, magnesium and trace elements?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

no you wont. The ARM will only release the parameters when it is melted, which it wont do at a speed to flush out the air :)

@vincenthendri9465

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef thanks a lot for replying. Really appreciate it

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Anytime :)

@vincenthendri9465

3 жыл бұрын

I had a huge pH and 1 dKh dropped after opening the tab wide. Advices please🙏 500 liters total volume. Reactors filled with 500mL arms and 500mL yellow beads

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. That is because your bacteria is consuming the alkalinity. Need to go slowly,

My reactor has been running great for around 2 months now. Workers exactly as Parker describes. I do have a question. I’m also running a Ca reactor and I know sulfur causes your Alk to drop. My question is mine keep going down and my Ca is high. What’s your solution for this. So used 5lb of Sulfer on a 200 gallon system. Nitrate is around 2.7. Current tank levels. Alk 8.0, Ca 564, Mg 1440 and pO4 0.08.

@ParkersReef

5 ай бұрын

Glad to hear!

@ParkersReef

5 ай бұрын

You will need to dose alk to balance things out again

I am setting up one of these. It has been so hard to bring my nitrates down in my 220 gal. Total 280 gl of water do you feel 1 3/4 liter of Sulfur media could work? Really hard to find more where I live. Thank you.

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

If that is all you can find, it is certainly worth a shot. It will still work in the sense that the reactor will produce effluent with near zero nitrates - but it may not be at a fast enough drip rate to have much effect on the tank. Make sure you are using a recirculating reactor for maximum efficiency too

@martinvaillancourt2650

11 ай бұрын

Hello Parker. I have set up a sulphur reactor using an old calcium reactor. It’s been over two weeks now and the effluent still is not coming down. I’m sitting at 65 nitrates. I have followed the proposed 2 L of sulphur media. Can you think of any reasons why it’s taking so long or it isn’t working? How fast do you circulate the water in the reactor? I started slow but I have upped it as of late to see if it would help. Thank you.

@ParkersReef

11 ай бұрын

@@martinvaillancourt2650 can you slow the effluent right down. Need it to be at a drip per second, or even slower if possible to get it seeded. Then you can slowly speed it up

Hey, I recently purchased a Korallin S-1502 sulfur reactor for my reef tank from Marine Depot and I have a few questions about tuning nitrates. I installed my unit with 50% of the Sulfur media & 100% of the calcium media (wasn’t much) in my 15 gallon refugium for my 60 gallon reef tank (~75 gallons total). Here’s the events of what happened so far: -Nitrates in the tank and reactor started at 40ppm -I let the reactor run at 1 drop/second every day & tested nitrates every day -After 8 days nitrates dropped to 2ppm out of the reactor, the tank was still at 40ppm -I let the reactor run for 3 more days at this rate and watched nitrates reduce from 40ppm to 20ppm to 5ppm in the tank, reactor still outputs 2ppm -I increased to 2 drops/second and ran it for one week, nitrates in the tank reduced to match the sulfur reactor, both are now 2ppm. I stopped doing daily nitrate tests as the instructions said I could stop here -Another week went by and the reactor outputs 2ppm, but the tank rose to about 12ppm -I increased the reactor to 4 drops/second -Within one hour my tank was cloudy (I think it’s the bacteria coming out of the reactor) but I left the reactor run anyways for 3 more days without testing -After that I tested nitrates and saw 20ppm coming out of the reactor and the same for the tank -Using the Korallin instructions I backed down to 2 drops/second and tested everyday -After 2 days the reactor output was back down to 2ppm, and the tank back to 5ppm and let it run another week -Now on the 3rd week of install I am facing the same issue, nitrates in the tank rose to 15ppm and I tried increased the flow to 4 drops/second on the reactor - but the exact same thing happened again and the tank got cloudy - I backed down again to 2 drops/second and the tank nitrates are now sitting around 10ppm *I am asking for advice on the best way to proceed so I do not have to “chase” these nitrates when I see nitrates rise Other users mention they increase the drip rate everytime they hit 0ppm on the reactor’s output until they get to a full stream. I only made it to 2 drops/second which seems very low in comparison to others. On the other hand the Korallin instructions (as bad as they are) read as though you will find a “goldie locks” zone where you stop increasing the output once the tank hits a desired level, in my case this was 2 drops/second. Has anyone seen a tank get cloudy while using a sulfur reactor? Should I move the input/output of the reactor directly into the tank instead of the refugium? Moving forward I am considering the following, and appreciate any input -Let the reactor run at 4 drops/second for another ~8 days to see if it bottoms out again. Maybe I didn’t wait long enough? -Add more sulfur to the reactor, it is rated for 150 gallons so cutting the media in half seemed like a good starting point, however this may not work because I don’t have my reactor output fully open. I would imagine one would add more media when the system is running at full throttle and the nitrates still aren’t low enough.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

thanks for the detailed comment! Yes, it sounds like you need more sulphur in the reactor. I would add some more and go back to one drop a second until you get zero on the outlet. Then slowly increase it. It should remain zero on the outlet, if it rises, you are increasing the flow too quickly or do not have enough sulphur in the reactor. Then you will get to a stage where your tank nitrates are as low as you want them to be.

@nateferris9813

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thank your the speedy response, I will add more and report back! Thanks for the advice!

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

@@nateferris9813 no problem - keep us updated!

@nateferris9813

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Hey, so I added 2 cups of sulfur to my reactor last we spoke (now 75% full) and let the drip rate run for 3 days at 1 drop/s. I tested yesterday and saw nearly 0ppm on the output so I increased to 2 drops/s and ran that over night. Today I tested and saw 0ppm out of the reactor and 6ppm in the tank! I will let this run for another day or two before bumping that up to 3 or 4 drops/s, but so far so good!

You just clarified my doubts. If I want a higher no3 I need to increase drops per second and set and forget

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

If you want higher nitrate, I’d personally remove some media

@cubanreefer1582

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thank you! My goal is to be between 5-10 , testing with my Hanna Checkers.

HI Sam, How long on average will it take to see a reduction in Nitrate, if I have it set to 1 drop per sec? I am using the Aqua medic Nitratereactor 1000 recirculating reactor. The second question would it help to add BioDigest Proddibio to help speed up the process.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

hi Nader, very hard to say - depends on the size of your tank, volume of sulphur in reactor and the nitrate level in your display. You should see your effluent nitrate level drop to zero within a day or two.

@naderfahmy4426

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thank you Sam for getting back to me so quickly :) My tank water volume is about 900 to 1000 liters, I have added 2 liters of Sulfur. I have really only started the 1 Sec drip counting yesterday as I was fiddling with this reactor to set it up correctly, leaks, adjusting the flow at the inlet as apposed to the outlet. ( Correct me if you see an issue)... Anyway lets see how it goes. Love your channel and I love reefing every day is another story :)

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Good stuff mate, keep at it!

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Keep slowing the effluent down until you do see it drop

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I would not add more sulphur until you have the effluent at zero nitrate and cannot speed it up enough to have any impact on the tank. Till then, slow the effluent down till you get zero nitrate

Just watched this video and noticed you run what looks like a pacific sun algae reactor. Is it ok to run a sulphur reactor alongside an algae reactor ? I run a pax bellum NR18 on my 300ltr system. My nitrates are still very high after over 1 year of running it.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

It is ok, but they will compete against each other a little. Sulphur if done correctly will bring your nitrates down no problem at all

@paulbasham8016

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef thank you. What is the model of the deltec reactor without a pump, you demonstrate in the video please? I might decide to sell my algae reactor as it’s a bit of a faff harvesting cheato every two weeks. I run a reactor with gfo also, so could replace the Pax Bellum reactor with a decent sulphur reactor. Is the geos reef one any good do you know ?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I would definitely opt for one with a recirculation pump if your nitrates are high. The geos reef units are fantastic, cannot recommend highly enough!

@paulbasham8016

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I recently bought a Hanna nitrate checker and was shocked to discover my nitrates are around 36 ! Yet my corals are thriving. One of the reasons I want to reduce my nitrates drastically though, is I stupidly put pulsing Xenia into my aquarium a while back, and it is now becoming a pest. I want to starve it out by getting my nitrates down. Thanks very much for your help and advice

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Was going to say, if they coral is healthy, don’t worry! I’ve seen amazing tanks with nitrates well over 20. But yeah ok, Xenia can be starved of nitrate (apparently) so could be worth a shot

Hi Sam, currently setting up sulphur reactor as per your video. I ran full flow for 3 days and slowed down to 1 drip per second. I tested the effluent nitrate Hanna max out and my tank nitrate also bumped up to 28 from 20 before I put the reactor on. Is this something usual when starting a new reactor?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

Not usually no. Has your effluent started to drop yet?

@shankybrar

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef mean drip rate slowing down automatically?

@shankybrar

Жыл бұрын

For nitrate reading it still reading 75+ the colour on Hanna vial even darker today

@shankybrar

Жыл бұрын

For media I’m using aqua medic sulphur pearls in aqua excel nitrate reactor.

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

@@shankybrar not slowing down automatically, I meant is the nitrate reducing. If the effluent is higher than the tank, there is indeed something wrong. Was the media new? Make sure the reactor has no oxygen in it and slow the effluent down even further

I have a Deltic Alcohol base unit, the problem with that reactor is the Aqua Bee pumps, your unit looks easier to use. I wonder if I can buy the two end ports the in and out per say?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

yeah I am not sure how the alcohol ones work, but I guess it is a form of carbon dosing. I find sulphur to be much more effective and considerably more forgiving. I couldn't say if you can buy the parts for the deltec though I am afraid, just know that calcium reactors (with the c02 blocked off obviously) is the perfect reactor

@Moondoggy1941

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I also have the Korallinn reactor, my question concerning that model does it require a seperate pump to feed the reactor? Or does the Ehiem pump do all the work?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

@@Moondoggy1941 I'd highly recommend a feed pump to ensure consistent effluent rate :)

Hi Sam do you find that a recirculating makes much difference

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

yes, huge difference. Probably makes the reactor work about 20-40 times better

Hey Sam, on the deltec reactor with the adjustable value, is that on the in or out flow? Thanks

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

The adjuster is on the outlet

@si8780

5 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef Silly question, does it put pressure on the reactor slowing it down from the outlet?

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

You could restrict the inlet if you preferred. But yeah, it would put a tiny amount of pressure on the reactor (but they are designed for it.)

@si8780

5 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef I was just on the deltec web site looking at the NF 509 reactor and it showed the valve on the inlet, was just double checking on how you ran it. Thanks for your reply.

@si8780

5 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef Any of those up for sale lol?

I just bought the Aquamaxx reactor and can't find an LSM or any sulphur meadia at all. Please help me find a place to purchase. AWESOME VIDEO

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

yeah sulphur has been tough to get lately! You can try ebay, they often have sulphur "chips". As long as it is not a powder you will be fine

@dynomitedp

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Found a 2lb bag on eBay. My reactor holds 3L is it a problem if I use 2L Sulfur and 1L calcium media in a 120g? I have very high nitrates over 100 sometimes 150. Is using extra sulfur a good or bad thing?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

@@dynomitedp that will be fine! With nitrates that high, just keep an eye on the system as it will take off quickly once seeded

Hi. Great video. I want you use a nitrate reactor with my fresh water aquarium. Do I need to use the calcium media along with the sulphur? Will greatly appreciate some advice.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

It’s not needed no, but recommended yes :)

I like to use this method however I can’t find any sulfur aquarium media in USA, only one I can get is soil sulfur prils 99.0 pure do you think that would work. Thank you

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah I’m sure they’d work.

@williamfyler7162

4 жыл бұрын

You can find 99.9% prills on Ebay

@donot2639

4 жыл бұрын

bill fyler I found it thank you, I am exited about this method

@williamfyler7162

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome. I am planning on turning a spare mrc procal calcium reactor to sulphur reactor

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

@@williamfyler7162 that should do the trick!

Hi mate ,what pump did you use on the reactor , great video btw

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Feed pump? Or recirculating pump?

@ivorysddreefpro9006

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef to feed your sulphur reactor

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

IVORY'S DD REEF PRO 900 I have just tees off my return pump and restrict the outlet, but I will be switching to ecotech Versa pumps

I am having a hard time finding large sulfur prills. Any tips?

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah they are seemingly difficult to get hold of…

The nitrate reactor must be supplied with water from the aquarium. There are different ways to choose the water source, feed pump, peristaltic pump .... which way do you choose and how it connected to the reactor. thank you very much

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question, I supply it from a tee of my main return pump. I regulate the outlet speed with a fine control 1/4 valve 👍🏻

I have a geo n64 nitrate reactor it is running off a 210 gallon fresh water fish tank it has been running for almost three months my effluent is at 0 ppm but my tank water is at 80 ppm I’m very fusterated the reactor says it can handle a 600 gallon tank I have a lot of sulfur beads in there and on top of that I have searchem denitrate media as well I don’t see the fish tank nitrate dropping ever I start at a drop at 3 drops per second when I increase the drops the nitrate reactor goes to about 10 ppm how do I get my tank to have 0 ppm please friend help me I would appreciate it thank you 🙏🏼

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

hi there, is the reactor recirculating? As in, does it have a pump on it moving water within the reactor itself? A decent sized tank (or a decent bio load) will need a reactor with a recirculating pump for maximum efficiency. Alternatively, you will just need to add more sulphur media

@FishTankMonsters

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it does have a pump on it the reactor is a geo reef n64 it is about 20 inches tall and an 8 inch cylinder tube I have the reactor 85 percent full of sulfur and I topped off the top with seachem denitrate media

Great video thanks 👍👍👍

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate!

Hi... Can i add 1 more additional chamber for this sulphur reactor.. Connecting to my calcium reactor? I mean after flow come out from cr then go to this sulphur chamber reactor..? Thanks...

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Of course :) Almost better drawing through this into calcium reactor though as ph will be reduced a little by the sulphur

@anthrax5643

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef u mean this method is better than put sulphur beads into cr? Thanks

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Yes

@anthrax5643

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef did u still using this method? Got any side effect?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

@@anthrax5643 have been for about 5.5 years mate. Love it. Only side effect is increased alk consumption

Something different. Thats great. Thanks

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Always good to have a point of difference :)

It's very hard to find an information about sulfur/calcium carbonate ratio inside sulfur denitrator. I saw some people put just a little bit of calcium carbonate, some put 1:1 and some put much more Calcium carbonate than sulfur... What ratio do you recommend? (I hope you will see this question and answer because I noticed that comments are disappearing on KZread for no reason)

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

no comments disappearing here! Personally I recommend focussing on the sulphur levels you need first, then if you want, fill the rest of the reactor with calcium carbonate. But only do that after you are confident you wont need to add or remove any further sulphur.

@duskosreef4952

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thanks for your answer. I purchased Korallin denitrator S-4002 although I needed S-3002 but it wasn't available anywhere, therefore I got a bigger one... Denitrator came with 4 bags of sulfur media and only 1 bag of calcium carbonate. For my 400 gallon system I plan using 3 liters of sulfur media and I just put that 1 bag of Calcium carbonate on top of it. It appears to be about half the amount of sulfur. Now I am not sure should I get more of calcium carbonate or just go with what I got from Korallin. I also remember reading somewhere before that some people think that too much of calcium carbonate could increase Ca levels in the tank too high.... and that it's easier and safer just to dose more alkalinity instead. So I am kinda stuck here now. Not sure what to do hahaha.

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

I’d run those amounts you have, will be fine. I highly doubt it will raise your calcium too high :)

@duskosreef4952

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thanks. Well, yeah I was actually worried that I have too little Calcium Carbonate.... because my sulfur/calcium ratio is about 1 : 0.5. But, I guess, as many other things in this hobby, the only way to know for sure is to try and see what is going to happen.... Thanks for your help. P.S. I love your tank!

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks and good luck!

So I’ve got a question about adjustments. I had my nitrates coming out of the reactor down to 0. I slowed down the flow a bit and was at .7 after a few days. I noticed the nitrates in the main aquarium stalled around 19. Not bad, but wanted to get down to 10. So I slowed down the flow again a little, but then my nitrates increased in the main tank to 22. I waited 2 days, retested and the nitrates increased to 24. I checked the affluent and it was at .1. Confusing to me that the nitrates would go up. I thought maybe the flow is slow enough, that if the bacteria can’t consume fast enough. Waited two more days and retested and now nitrates are at 26. So I’ve increased my flow through the reactor and it’s currently outputting at 15. So my question is, when adjusting the flow through the reactor, does it take 3-4 weeks a to adjust? I figured with an established bacteria bed you’d be able to make minor adjustments without a huge change. I’d really like to get the nitrates down to 15 or 10 if possible. So I’m curious your experience here and any thoughts on what I’m seeing. I’ve never seen a rotten egg smell so I don’t think I have too much. I was at 0 during multiple tests when fine tuning it. It is odd to me that the adjustment would result in such a swing. Also, if I add more sulfur, do I need to start the whole process over again, as in waiting 4-8 weeks? Seems to me the bacteria there would just need to multiply.

@ParkersReef

3 ай бұрын

Sure thing, let's work through it! Firstly, you never want to slow the effluent down when it is already reading zero. You can't go any lower, it will kill bacteria and stink :) 0.7 out of the reactor is about perfect, if that is not enough to reduce the nitrates to the level you want in tank, you'll need to add more media (or get a larger reactor). So in your example, you would need to add more media and likely increase the flow a little (to keep the effluent just above zero nitrates). The addition of media should only take a few hours to a day to bed in and any adjustments you make to the reactor should really show up in tests of effluent within a few hours (definitely not a few weeks, might takes days to weeks to impact the tank nitrate levels though). Hope that helps!

@davidprice3965

3 ай бұрын

@@ParkersReef ok thanks. I have a big reactor and can easily add a few more pounds of sulfur. I’ll start with one pound and see where that gets me. Thanks for the feedback, really appreciate it!

@ParkersReef

3 ай бұрын

@davidprice3965 fantastic, you should see the difference with that extra media (glad to hear you have a reactor with space available!!)

@davidprice3965

3 ай бұрын

@@ParkersReef so it’s been 4 days since I added another pound of sulfur. I tested the affluent last night and there is no change. What are your thoughts here? Water is a steady stream but not full throttle like yours in your video but it’s not a drop either. I would have expected this to drop near 0 at this point.

@ParkersReef

3 ай бұрын

You’ll need to slow it down until you hit zero and then speed it back up again

So the solphur reactor take care of you nutrients and the calcium reactor takes care of your supplements. Why do you do water changes with the awc? Thank you for sharing all your knowledge

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Sulphur helps with nitrates, calcium reactor helps with alk/cal/mag and trace. I am still a very strong believer in water changes though, very cheap and effective insurance for your tank. I know it is possible to run a tank without water changes, but to me it is kinda like running a marathon backwards. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should :p

@seralaltidor370

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef I gotcha. Great concept

@seralaltidor370

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef you think soil sulphur is the same thing? Found it on amazon and it says it’s 99% pure sulphur

@seralaltidor370

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef I want to use it but it’s hard to find in the states

Hi Sam great video just wondering if this system would work on a 17000 liter Aquarium. My concern would be it would take over week to cycle water in tank at the slow drip/ trickle rate ?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

All depends on the volume. It will work for any size tank, just have enough sulphur with enough flow and you’re set

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Just ease up on it though, with volumes of sulphur that large - if it goes wrong it will smell really really bad. Make sure you have a large enough reactor (or multiple) and increase sulphur volume over time 👍🏻

I want to understand more about how this media is working. What IS the media? Is it actual pure sulfur beads? It is yellow, so that seems likely, but what is the chemical reaction between pure sulfur and nitrate? Pure sulfur is not at all soluble in water, so that is good, but I would like to know how this works in chemistry detail because I would be interested in trying it on smaller scales.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Andrew. Excellent questions, all of which I cannot answer. The media is a pure sulphur bead yes. It's not so much a reaction, the sulphur seems to breed bacteria that eats the nitrate. This is a paragraph I cut and paste, hopefully it helps: Operation of the Sulphur Nitrate filter is based the natural principle of REDUCTION of nitrate NO3 to nitrogen gas N2 using a colony of anaerobic bacteria in a low oxygen environment. The bacteria require a food source and oxygen to survive. The food source is the sulphur and as they are anaerobic bacteria and only grow in the low oxygen water they must obtain the oxygen from another source. The bacteria take the oxygen from the nitrate molecule by reduction, first from nitrate NO3 to Nitrite NO3 and then further from nitrite to nitrogen gas N2.

For calcium-tolerant fishes... Does this system also work with low brackish or fresh water??? Mahalo. -Scotty on Maui.

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

I have never tried it in fresh or brackish, but apparently it does

@bubblerings

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Mahalos! -Scotty on Maui. 🌴🏄

I can’t get sulphur. I found some on Amazon 90% for soil. Is that ok

@ParkersReef

7 ай бұрын

It will work, but not as good. You want the “pearls” not the “chips” as they won’t clog together

Is there an advantage to just using two simple media reactors and using calcium carbonate additives in one and sulfur in another

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Only real advantage I can think of is that it would allow you to add/remove sulphur more easily if you needed to.

@camerongallo5940

3 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef I assume it's the pandemic but I can't find any sulfur reactor in stock. Would a two little fishies PhosBan reactor work ?

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Calcium reactor is the same thing :)

So i started this. In the first few days, at one drop per second, the nitrates measured coming from the reactor are over 75 while the tank water is 23. Is that normal? Doing this exacly as u say...

@bigbearmeetslittlebear3401

Жыл бұрын

Hanna nitrate checker used. But seems to be consistent and accurate.

@bigbearmeetslittlebear3401

Жыл бұрын

Tank meaures 25, out of carbon reactor measures 23 out of sulphur reactor measures 75+. Alk dropped from 8.3 to 7.2 today according to kh director. Any thoughts? Could a sulphur reactor create nitrate at first? Sulphur cause nitrate test interference and errors in readings? Going to try another test kit tomorrow.

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

yep I would slow the flow down even further and make sure you are not getting any air into the reactor. Then leave it a for a few days (or until the effluent smells)

@bigbearmeetslittlebear3401

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef ok, will try!

@bigbearmeetslittlebear3401

Жыл бұрын

I was able to shake out some air bubbles in the reactor by shaking it vigorously while Versa dosing pump was on a high speed. I'll leave on high flow for a while to make sure all the air is out of the reactor then reduce the flow rate a bit lower than one drop per second. Appreciate the help!

Thanks for such a well-presented video. I set one up eight weeks ago with one litre of sulphur beads and almost one litre of coral rubble. It's connected to a 350-litre freshwater tank with a heavy load of African cichlids. I started off with one drop per second, then one drop every few seconds, and now down to one drop every ten seconds. My nitrate readings are still sky-high after all this time. Are you able to make a suggestion? I started off with high hopes, and feel very disappointed. Your comments would be highly valued. Thanks. Les, Brisbane

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Les. Hmm, I have no experience in running these in freshwater - but should be fairly similar. Have you tested the nitrate of the effluent? Has it smelt like eggs yet? If you are down to one drop per ten seconds and still seeing nitrate in your effluent, you will need more sulphur media.

@lessavage2623

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Thanks for your reply and your suggestion. I used 1L of sulphur based on your suggestion of 1L per 400L of water. I've not detected any sulphur smell in the effluent, which shows nitrate at the same high level as the main tank. Adding another litre or so of sulphur will be difficult for me, so I'll continue waiting in the hope it will kick in. If I get no results, I'll have to rethink my design. Thanks again.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Is the reactor a recirculating type? That will help with the efficiency of it

@lessavage2623

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef No, it's a simple homemade cylinder with water in at the bottom and out at the top. If it seems I have to go to recirculating, I guess I'll have to. I thought that a simple flow-through would at least have some effect. Thanks Sam.

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Les, yeah fair enough. Like I said, never done them with freshwater so I am not sure exactly on the volumes required. I do know that if you are down to 1 drop per ten seconds and are still not getting a reduction in nitrate, then you will either need more media or more flow through the media (without more effluent)

Parker are you still running an NO3 reactor on your tank?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

on my new tank, no, have not found a need to yet.

@AJ-bi6ns

Жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Where are your nitrates hovering these days?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

@@AJ-bi6ns usually between 2-6ppm

Cheers Sam, your channel rocks 👍👍

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks man!

Have you ever run an orp probe on your reactor?

@ParkersReef

Жыл бұрын

I haven't actually although I hear it is interesting

Has anyone been able to find anywhere online in Australia that stocks any sulphur reactors

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Just use calcium reactors :)

can you use it in fresh water setup (goldfish crayfish)

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

yes you can

Amazing video. I think Reefs.com did a totally different style version (like in a small sump) but besides that I have never heard of it before. I was thinking all the time can you run this as a supplementary Calcium Reactor using the Sulfur instead of the CEO or doesn't it produce high enough effluent? Like I was thinking about that new Nyos reactor (maybe you can't tune it too slow) and running say 300g/400L and a whole lot of ARM media. I think it should keep nitrates in check (if they aren't too high) and if you are running Kalk then you offset the pH and the dissolving media should help with stability. As you didn't really touch on the pH though I guess it isn't acidic enough to dissolve the media fast enough. But as I prefer running Kalk I expect (on my main tank build if I ever do it) I will use this if I ever need to keep nitrates in check should the fuge and whatever water changes I do not deal with it. Plus I think by using LaCl for phosphates and this for Nitrates you could probably really feed heavy and dial in the extra numbers you want - that's REALLY interesting.

@sunnygoold9449

5 жыл бұрын

Oh the reefs.com one is methanol - that was an interesting concept too but the cost and the space for one of those means I don't think it is practical for most people.

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

Methanol is a different concept. You can use a calcium reactor, but not for calcium at the same time. Do not add co2 if you have sulphur in the reactor. You’ll need two reactors if you still need to supplement in this way. The ph out of the sulphur reactor is around 7.5, not enough to dissolve arm media ;)

@sunnygoold9449

5 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef Oh I wouldn't add CO2 - I was wondering if the sulfur lowered the pH enough to get a little bit of the media dissolved (and kill 2 birds with 1 stone) but clearly not. Thanks mate - I think I will keep it in mind if my nitrates ever start being consistently too high ;)

@ParkersReef

5 жыл бұрын

@@sunnygoold9449 yeah it won't unfortunately. In fact, the sulphur media will actually strip some alk out. So it will sadly still take 2 stones for those 2 birds :P

Hi Sam I’m getting higher nitrates coming from my effluent than my tank water , any reason why ?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

I cannot imagine how unless your media is trapping detritus that’s is breaking down?

@joebasile267

4 жыл бұрын

Parkers Reef I’m not sure , but it does smell slightly eggy

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Gotta speed up the flow till it doesn’t then mate :)

@joebasile267

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam I’m still not getting a nitrate drop out reactor after 8 weeks, I’m wondering if the way I’ve filled reactor may be the problem? Ive got a layer of calcium and then a layer or Sulphur which I’ve repeated 6 times each on the way up finishing with calcium? Cheers Joe

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

It honestly shouldn’t matter. If you are getting eggy smell, it is working, just working too well (the bacteria is starving and dying off). What is your nitrate in the tank? How much sulphur are you running? Does your reactor have a recirculation pump or is it just flow through?

setup like you stated and seems to be dropping to zero. keep increasing speed of flow. fingers crossed. Seems like my Kamoer FX-STP may not end up with enough flow for the setup

@ParkersReef

2 жыл бұрын

Wow how big is the reactor? Or how much sulphur have you in it? Is the tanks nitrate level dropping now too?

thanks very informative... how do you know if sulfur media is exhausted ? on mine color has changed from yellow to black. thanks in advance

@ParkersReef

3 жыл бұрын

Doesn’t really exhaust, but sounds like yours could do with a rinse in some clean salt water :)

Do u have any extra that I can buy?

@ParkersReef

7 ай бұрын

Where are you located?

@2010cabj

7 ай бұрын

Magnolia nj 08049

@ParkersReef

7 ай бұрын

I’m in australia :)

can a sulfur feactor be run while the sand bed is fed with bacteria and carbon?

@ParkersReef

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@johnrawson6823

4 жыл бұрын

@@ParkersReef thank you. if results are interesting, i will add them. yr site is a god service