Gozer_1

Neither. I read about them. The way they work LED me to try something similar with equipment I already had. I have seen some easy DIY stuff on making one though. It's a simple concept. You want the water to slowly pass through a long "coil" of media using up the Oxygen as it goes through aerobic bacteria. After the coil the water is pumped upward through more media with anaerobic bateria. The water coming out of the coil will basically be depleated of Oxygen and heavy in nitrate. The Nitrate gets used up by the bacteria and nitrogen gas and water goes in your tank. The out flow of this "denitrator" or "nitrate reactor" should be pointed up to help the Nitrogen gas escape into the atmoshpere. What does stay is no big deal. As for the Oxygen, it will be supplemented by things like your skimmer. In my setup the water moves a little faster through the media than is optimal but it works. I haven't had Nitrates show up in quite awhile. Aleast no more than a faint pink haze to the test vial every once in a great while. Now if I could just get my phosphate and silicate to do the same. All I did was fill one tray with Matrix and one tray with DeNitrate in a Rena Filstar XP2 canister filter. It runs at 300 GPH through the Matrix then the Denitrate. The idea behind the coil is to have the water slowly pass through so you use up ALL the oxygen converting ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. For one to help the anaerobics thrive and two to break down as much waste as possible in one pass. I just used ALOT of both medias, and have had resounding success.

Pheeeew!!!! Hope that means something.

bhcaaron

It was all understood and your reply DOES mean a lot! Thanks... So now I think my next 'worry phase' is phospates! thanks lol

sgould

So, my XP2 and denitrate were delivered today. Gosh I love playing with new gadgets! As it turns out, my timing was perfect. I did my weekly water change yesterday, and when I was finished my old filter would not restart. I haven't taken much time to play around with it yet. The thing is only a few months old...really shouldn't have conked out yet.

Gozer_1

Good news. I love my XPs. They do come with a nice little tray of goodies. The sectional intake is their only weakness. I just lost a small Chromis last night because the intake tube came apart and sucked him in. I'm going to try to glue them together. You have to secure the tubing or it will pull on the intake and output. Only thing I've had trouble with.

bhcaaron

SGould, what did you have before, the one that broke after just a few months?

sgould

An aquaclear, and after I tinkered with it a bit last night I got it going again. Not sure what the problem was.