Extending the Nitrification Cycle into DeNitrification......

Setting up a Denitrification System using Seachem's De*Nitrate. According to Seachem:

Seachem Post/Response

I am looking for a Layman's explanation on Why these compounds are converted back to Ammonia and/or Nitrite and then rendered harmless? I am assuming it has to do with the conversion created by the Specific Bacteria that grow in the low/no oxygen environment. Is that Correct, or am I way off-base?

Any Insights would be Greatly Appreciated.....!

Thanx!

 

Ok, I understand what You said. So, I guess my question is: This occurs because of the specific bacteria that grow in the anaerobic/slightly anaerobic conditions of a Denitrate system, Correct?

They convert it directly from NO3 to N2 gas that then dissipates into the air, Correct?

Whereas, the "Normal" aerobic bacteria in an aquarium convert it from ammonia to nitrites then nitrates, and that's it.

If this is correct, then it explains why I would not expect to find an increase in ammonia and/or nitrites after adding a Denitrafication system. According to Seachem's statements, I would expect both of those to increase while waiting to be processed into N2 gas.

Conformation on my Thoughts/Understanding?

 

Thanx Tom!

I'm a Subscriber, so I'll check it out......

 

Well, Your post gives me mixed feelings on this Denitrafication System...!

Its already built and loaded with about 3.5L of De*Nitrate, so I am going to hook it up and see how it goes.....Wish me Luck!

Would You care to give further info in regards to:

My initial guess would be from a lack of adequate Pre-filtering before the water enters the Denitrate system causing the pores to clog. But that's just a guess....I run a UV, Diatom filter(regularly) and the pump is seriously Pre-filtered with a mass of Floss and 2 mirco-filter pads--Not the Best, but a noble effort nonetheless.

Any Insight would be Greatly Appreciated! I've spent enough money, time and effort on this system--and will continue to do so just checking nitrate levels and flow-rate.....

TIA

 

Ok, bare with me here.....LOL.....this should be kinda of long......

I agree Completely. I have become a Big Fan of Seachem and their products.


This is what I am dealing with and what the overall setup is for,...The smear of Duckweed is from Drip-Acclimating some Food (Comet Goldfish--which ate the Duckweed--Yay!):



Its an Acrochordus javanicus which is a fully aquatic snake. They are Extremely Sensitive. Zoos cannot manage any Long-term success (over 6 months) and only a Handful of people (literally!) on this planet can keep them alive "Long-term". I do not yet know if I am one of those people, but, if not--I am close. I have over 30 yrs herping experience and about 2yrs of working with Acrochordus species. They are animals that are Extremely Sensitive to "Stress" which includes Light, Temps, Water Quality, Vibrations, and the list goes on.

This setup is as follows:

40g Breeder-36x18x13"H
~100gph Overflow to
~30g Plant Filter full of Hygro Polysperma
which overflows to
~40g Filtration Sump/Return(back to the 40g Breeder)

The 40g Br is filtered Directly with an xP2 which is full of sponges, filter floss and micro pads.
The ~40g Sump is currently just housing 18w UV, heaters and the Return pump--which is prefiltered by ~1g container full of floss and 2 micro-pads.
the Return Pump plumbing has a "manifold" like this:



One ball-valve will feed the UV. -110gph to kill parasites et al.
The other ball-valve will feed the Denitrate System--30-40gph.
The large valve is to balance the Return-flow.

Ok, so this is why I posted all of the above. With all of the sponges, floss, subtrate, etc: Is it safe to assume that I can avoid:

???

The Denitrate System is simply a SUB-system of the entire setup--Its just there to help maintain water quality. And will only run at 30-40pgh. I can increase the flow slighty--if it works too well. Water will by-pass the Denitrator via the Return, since Denitrator flow is only 30-40pgh.

The reason for this Original post was becuase of confusion over a response from Seachem to another poster there:

Their statement above says that nitrite and/or ammonia will be produced BEFORE it is converted to nitrogen gas. Tom says otherwise--from the way I understood it. I'm not picking sides here: because I am confused. What confuses me more and leans me toward what Tom says is Seachem's response to my question of whether I should see an ammonia and/or nitrite spike when I hook up the system:

I realize now that they didn't answer specifically about the nitrites.

So, the result is: I'm confused......LOL

I understand, I think, what has been said here, so far, but I now have 2 questions:

1) IS there a step in the Denitrafication process that creates Nitrites and/or Ammonia from Nitrates before it is turned into Nitrogen gas?

2) What, from Your Experience/Knowledge, should I be able to expect from the Denitrate system used as described above as a sub-system?

Here are the specs for the Denitrator:



It contains ~3.5L of De*Nitrate. Flow: 30-40gph (Current calculation: 80oz in 60secs=37.5gph). Water well Pre-filtered.

Just trying to get a grip on this stuff.....LOL

TIA

 

Thank You. From my Simple understanding of all of this and our mutual faith in Seachem--I am hoping that this system suits its intended purpose. But comments like the one below cause me to wonder:

I am assuming here that they are referring to the anaerobic "pockets" that can form in substrates. But I might as well ask....LOL: From Your Experience, with the Denitrator built and setup as above--Should I expect any problems from "deadly Hydrogen Sulfide" or any other negative by-product?

One of the problems with these snakes is that in identical setups--some thrive, some don't. Of the ones that thrive--Normally: Eventually Something occurs, sooner or later, that causes a downward spiral from which the animal cannot manage to recover.....I agree with your secondary infection leading to a respiratory infection followed by death. They are plagued by a "Fungus" that is theorized not to actually be a fungus at all, but probably a bacteria. Most of the information available on these snakes is from field studies. The water "Quality" et al was not looked into very much at all---it's a shame.

Your out-of-the-blue reference to tannins and their antiseptic qualities is intriguing. I add Kent's Blackwater Expert--for the Tannins. These snakes not only seem to do better with it in the water----they definitely don't do as well without it--in my experience.

It appears at this point that these snakes and some extremely difficult turtles from the same general region of the planet (Indo, PNG, Australia) benefit from Highly Oxygenated water......but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

Any thoughts on the Hydrogen Sulfide?

 

I am currently pushing ~37.5gph(=80oz/min). I can tweak it up to above 40gph. Seachem recommends 50gph or below (optimal:30-40gph). I've asked them the same question, but I am currently waiting on a response.

I did some Googling, but came up pretty blank. Would You care to elaborate? And are either one of them DIY?

I will definitely look into this. I will be pretty busy over this weekend, but next week is a new week!

I've been running a limewood "airstone" on a dedicated pump. I just added another airstone and increased air exchange ability. I've been pondering how to oxygenate the water and get the airstone(s) out of the tank for a while now. I have a couple of airstones in the sump currently, but I plan on increasing that soon.