Sulfer Biological Filter

[KurtG]

Has anybody tried these? I've been reading up on them and they sound
interesting as I have persistently high nitrate levels.

--Kurt

[Peter Pan]

I never heard of this but; I had a problem with Nitrates for a while and
when I got rid of the Bio media in my canister, plus more partial water
changes, I was able to get it under control.
"KurtG" > wrote in message
...
>
> Has anybody tried these? I've been reading up on them and they sound
> interesting as I have persistently high nitrate levels.
>
> --Kurt

[that *other* annoying little troll]

KurtG wrote:

>
> Has anybody tried these? I've been reading up on them and they sound
> interesting as I have persistently high nitrate levels.
>
> --Kurt

Might want to start with something simpler such as a deep sand bed -
simply have 6 inches oir so of sand depth on the bottom of your tank,
and arrange the live rock so that most of it is NOT in direct contact
with the sand (ie: build lots of rock "bridges" so most of the rocks are
not directly on the sand) - you also need to have good turbulent water
flow - I aim for about 15 times turnover of tank volume per hour. Use
more little powerheads rather that 1 or two big ones. Aim them at the
back of the rocks, or even at each other, so that the flow is turbulent.
DON'T aim them straight into open spaces in the tank.

Works quite well for me. Oh, and also don't use anything like a wet dry
or trickle filter - it creates nitrates to fast. In fact, just use the
circulation over your live rock as your biological filtration (assuming
you have enough - at least 1/4 total volume of the tank IMO)

Doing what I describe above, I consistently have 0/0/0
ammonia/nitrite/nitrate in my tank.

[KurtG]

that *other* annoying little troll wrote:
> you also need to have good turbulent water
> flow

Hm, good ideas.... I have a dry/wet setup right now and it's obviously
not working. Maybe I should just rip it out and rely on the protein
skimmer and my live rock (which I have copious quantities of). I could
also upgrade my power heads.

I might as well while I'm still figuring out the sulfur angle.

--Kurt

[KurtG]

Peter Pan wrote:
> I never heard of this but;

It's much more common in Europe (from what I read).

Here's one:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_filters_korallin_biodenitrator.asp

They are also used for public water supplies to remove nitrates from
fresh water.

In sal****er, the reactions aren't well understood, but they appear to
work well, but they may raise PH due to proton release so they are back
ended with a calcium carbonate chamber (which in theory will release Ca
ions).

They are amazingly expensive for a tube of plastic with separated
sections for elemental sulfur and calcium carbonate, but I was planning
to build my own.

--Kurt

[George Patterson]

KurtG wrote:

> Hm, good ideas.... I have a dry/wet setup right now and it's obviously
> not working. Maybe I should just rip it out and rely on the protein
> skimmer and my live rock (which I have copious quantities of). I could
> also upgrade my power heads.

I had an Eheim Wet/dry filter. I now have about 130 pounds of live rock in a 125
gallon tank with a Tunze 6060, which generates 1600 gph flow. I was originally
intending to keep the Eheim running, but it sprang a leak.

The nitrites remain at 0. The nitrates build up at about the same rate as they
did with the Eheim. Based on this, I would definitely recommend the course of
action you're considering.

Based on what that other annoying little troll said, I will probably try
realigning the Tunze to produce more turbulence.

George Patterson
No one ever says "It's only a game." when his team is winning.

[swarvegorilla]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
news:xhUuh.585$Ss1.215@trnddc07...
> KurtG wrote:
>
>> Hm, good ideas.... I have a dry/wet setup right now and it's obviously
>> not working. Maybe I should just rip it out and rely on the protein
>> skimmer and my live rock (which I have copious quantities of). I could
>> also upgrade my power heads.
>
> I had an Eheim Wet/dry filter. I now have about 130 pounds of live rock in
> a 125 gallon tank with a Tunze 6060, which generates 1600 gph flow. I was
> originally intending to keep the Eheim running, but it sprang a leak.
>
> The nitrites remain at 0. The nitrates build up at about the same rate as
> they did with the Eheim. Based on this, I would definitely recommend the
> course of action you're considering.
>
> Based on what that other annoying little troll said, I will probably try
> realigning the Tunze to produce more turbulence.
>
> George Patterson
> No one ever says "It's only a game." when his team is winning.


I love me trickles and biomedia filled sumps
yea I water change to get rid of nitrates
anyway, have setup a deepsandbed for a mate in his new 6 footer
not sure if it's gonna help
but went and dug a hole at the beach
actually collected stinky blackened sand
and layered the sand bed in the tank
not sure if it's going to speed it up much
but can but hope.

Most of my marine
are very overstocked with fish
and lots of biological filters are needed
only now am I moving into
the reef style tank

So I am going to try the LR and powerhead technique
yea have a nice skimmer as well
but main difference is the big reduction in bioload
super understocked
but I tells ya
they are some happy shrimps!

One question tho....
for a deepsand bed
should I be worried about excessive worm life?
only been a month and they have made tunnels all thru it
well can't see right at the bottem
but there is a lot more than I have ever had before
bristles and others
I know they are good normally for moving o2 thru sand
but thats not desirable is this case?...?

[Add Homonym]

swarvegorilla wrote:
> "George Patterson" > wrote in message
> news:xhUuh.585$Ss1.215@trnddc07...
>
>>KurtG wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hm, good ideas.... I have a dry/wet setup right now and it's obviously
>>>not working. Maybe I should just rip it out and rely on the protein
>>>skimmer and my live rock (which I have copious quantities of). I could
>>>also upgrade my power heads.
>>
>>I had an Eheim Wet/dry filter. I now have about 130 pounds of live rock in
>>a 125 gallon tank with a Tunze 6060, which generates 1600 gph flow. I was
>>originally intending to keep the Eheim running, but it sprang a leak.
>>
>>The nitrites remain at 0. The nitrates build up at about the same rate as
>>they did with the Eheim. Based on this, I would definitely recommend the
>>course of action you're considering.
>>
>>Based on what that other annoying little troll said, I will probably try
>>realigning the Tunze to produce more turbulence.
>>
>>George Patterson
>> No one ever says "It's only a game." when his team is winning.
>
>
>
> I love me trickles and biomedia filled sumps
> yea I water change to get rid of nitrates
> anyway, have setup a deepsandbed for a mate in his new 6 footer
> not sure if it's gonna help
> but went and dug a hole at the beach
> actually collected stinky blackened sand
> and layered the sand bed in the tank
> not sure if it's going to speed it up much
> but can but hope.
>
> Most of my marine
> are very overstocked with fish
> and lots of biological filters are needed
> only now am I moving into
> the reef style tank

Depends on what you call "overstocked"

right now my 20 gal has:
1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)
2 ocellaris
1 red scooter "blenny" dragonette
2 large hawaiian fether dusters
about 1 sq foot of xooanthid polyps (5 different types)
1 indonesian cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
1 mythrax crab
5 blue leg hermits
4 astreas
6 ceriths
2 tonga conchs..

And to especially help nitrates:
2 tridacna maximas
1 tridacns derasa
2 stalks of pink and whit xenia


>
> So I am going to try the LR and powerhead technique
> yea have a nice skimmer as well
> but main difference is the big reduction in bioload

More impotrant to have an OFFSET bioload - add things that eat the waste
of the other things.

> super understocked
> but I tells ya
> they are some happy shrimps!
>
> One question tho....
> for a deepsand bed
> should I be worried about excessive worm life?

nah.

> only been a month and they have made tunnels all thru it

Yup.

> well can't see right at the bottem
> but there is a lot more than I have ever had before
> bristles and others
> I know they are good normally for moving o2 thru sand
> but thats not desirable is this case?...?

Deepends. How deep is deep for your deep sand bed?

[KurtG]

Add Homonym wrote
> right now my 20 gal has:
> 1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)

How is he doing? I'd consider my 48" 110 gallon barely adequate for my
7" yellow tang.

--Kurt

[swarvegorilla]

"KurtG" > wrote in message
.. .
> Add Homonym wrote
>> right now my 20 gal has:
>> 1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)
>
> How is he doing? I'd consider my 48" 110 gallon barely adequate for my 7"
> yellow tang.
>
> --Kurt

I have moved from retail for the moment and my smallest marine is now more
than 100gal.
The sand bed in me mates new tank is prob 40cm, which is a LOT of sand in
this tank
A lot of sand!!!!!
As to understocking
I'm enjoying having tons of life on the liverock..... the fish can have the
other tanks!
have been burying chunks prawn for the worms to eat
and the pod population has exploded
at night there are SWARMS of the things!
So considering trying something tricky fish wise
and yes I mean trickier than a dragonette
perhaps a local red cheek 3 fin.....
would like to try breed
and they really need a tank to themselves for the males to display
could be interesting anyway
:)

[KurtG]

So, what do Pods eat? I've been dosing them twice/day with a plankton
mix. Sounds like I should blend up some shrimp/krill as well.

--Kurt



swarvegorilla wrote:
> "KurtG" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> Add Homonym wrote
>>> right now my 20 gal has:
>>> 1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)
>> How is he doing? I'd consider my 48" 110 gallon barely adequate for my 7"
>> yellow tang.
>>
>> --Kurt
>
> I have moved from retail for the moment and my smallest marine is now more
> than 100gal.
> The sand bed in me mates new tank is prob 40cm, which is a LOT of sand in
> this tank
> A lot of sand!!!!!
> As to understocking
> I'm enjoying having tons of life on the liverock..... the fish can have the
> other tanks!
> have been burying chunks prawn for the worms to eat
> and the pod population has exploded
> at night there are SWARMS of the things!
> So considering trying something tricky fish wise
> and yes I mean trickier than a dragonette
> perhaps a local red cheek 3 fin.....
> would like to try breed
> and they really need a tank to themselves for the males to display
> could be interesting anyway
> :)
>
>

[Add Homonym's home account]

KurtG wrote:

> Add Homonym wrote
>
>> right now my 20 gal has:
>> 1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)
>
>
> How is he doing? I'd consider my 48" 110 gallon barely adequate for my
> 7" yellow tang.
>
> --Kurt

Doing well enough. He's still small, tho. He's the third we have had in
there. When they hit about 4-5 inches, they go back to the LFS and get
traded in for a new 2-3 inch yellow tang.

[swarvegorilla]

Pods are not that fussy.
In the past I just used an aquaculture protien pellet
but the chunks of prawn seem to work well
just don't overdo it!

Pods seem to bloom better in tanks that are fed lots.
I suspect my bloom is more the result of them having the tank to themselves
than too heavy feeding but in combo tis workin good

A trap would be nice to transport them to other tanks
will put a bottle with shrimp inside in tonite 'n see how it goes



"KurtG" > wrote in message
news:R_kyh.235$tn3.1@bigfe9...
>
> So, what do Pods eat? I've been dosing them twice/day with a plankton
> mix. Sounds like I should blend up some shrimp/krill as well.
>
> --Kurt
>
>
>
> swarvegorilla wrote:
>> "KurtG" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>>> Add Homonym wrote
>>>> right now my 20 gal has:
>>>> 1 yellow tang (yep - yellow tang in a twenty - doing well at that!)
>>> How is he doing? I'd consider my 48" 110 gallon barely adequate for my
>>> 7" yellow tang.
>>>
>>> --Kurt
>>
>> I have moved from retail for the moment and my smallest marine is now
>> more than 100gal.
>> The sand bed in me mates new tank is prob 40cm, which is a LOT of sand in
>> this tank
>> A lot of sand!!!!!
>> As to understocking
>> I'm enjoying having tons of life on the liverock..... the fish can have
>> the other tanks!
>> have been burying chunks prawn for the worms to eat
>> and the pod population has exploded
>> at night there are SWARMS of the things!
>> So considering trying something tricky fish wise
>> and yes I mean trickier than a dragonette
>> perhaps a local red cheek 3 fin.....
>> would like to try breed
>> and they really need a tank to themselves for the males to display
>> could be interesting anyway
>> :)

[KurtG]

swarvegorilla wrote:
> Pods are not that fussy.
> In the past I just used an aquaculture protien pellet
> but the chunks of prawn seem to work well
> just don't overdo it!

I blended some krill and shrimp. It may have been too fine as I don't
want it returned to the sump. Maybe I'll just chop some up and throw it
in (in a few days).

My last batch of pods died out. I'm making some adjustments this time.
The fug is better established with temp control, mud, macro algae,
and, now, better food.

Not sure about that 40 cm sand bed. That's impressive.

--Kurt

[swarvegorilla]

"KurtG" > wrote in message
...
> swarvegorilla wrote:
>> Pods are not that fussy.
>> In the past I just used an aquaculture protien pellet
>> but the chunks of prawn seem to work well
>> just don't overdo it!
>
> I blended some krill and shrimp. It may have been too fine as I don't
> want it returned to the sump. Maybe I'll just chop some up and throw it
> in (in a few days).
>
> My last batch of pods died out. I'm making some adjustments this time.
> The fug is better established with temp control, mud, macro algae, and,
> now, better food.
>
> Not sure about that 40 cm sand bed. That's impressive.
>
> --Kurt
>

impressive.... hmmmm....
it's definitely bloody heavy!!!
kinda rainbow with layers of sand dug up from beach
have been thinking about putting some burrowing snails in there
In one corner is a pile of snail shells
a couple of pistol shrimp live in there
but their tunnles don't seem to go very deep
really not sure if I can add pipi sorta cockle things in there
but they are in the plan

my attempt to catch pods failed using the trap
but I swept the brineshrimp net around and managed to get enuf to seed other
tanks