BioDenitrator pro's and con's????

[prow]

hi everyone. i dont really need it, no issue's with algea or bac, but am thinking of overstocking a bit with heavy feeders, maybe, and have been looking into a BioDenitrator. i have a koralline Ca+ reactor i dont like. i want a knob, but thats another story. i have a DIY kalk reactor that does not keep up with demand so still need to dose about 4tsp seachems reefbuilder and 3-4tsp turbo Ca+ weekly with just the kalk and no Ca+reactor. so, while looking into sulfer uses for nitrates i found that my koralline Ca+ reactor is the same as the koralline BioDenitrator. which can be used to add small amounts of Ca+/alk as a bounus to nitrate removal. this sounds like the perfect thing for me. anyone know anything about any issues or things to look out for? good/bad? do you think i would still need a skimmer? would the need for water changes be reduced to nothing more than replacement of minerals and stuff? what other risks might there be?

here is the unit Translated version of http://http/
also at marinedepot Korallin BioDenitrator S-1502 w/ Eheim 1048 Pump - Marine Depot - Marine and Reef Aquarium Super Store

[sasquatch]

is this a trick question? Steve

[DaveK]

I think using a skimmer is a better choice. Remember a skimmer removes waste products before the rest of the system need to deal with them.

No. Water changes should not be reduced. You are only replaceing a few elements not everything consumed.

If you get the Koralline reactor use it either as a denitrator or as a Ca reactor. Don't expect it to do double duty. While I would consider the Knop Ca reactor to be better, my question to you is, what makes you think that the Knop Ca reactor is going to be enoug of an improvement over the Koralline
Ca reactor to justify the price?

[prow]

not a trick question. just asked that way.

i am not thinking of not running the skimmer. maybe depends on how the macro does in the refugium. but i want to run both skimmer and denitrator with macros. i actually have enough LR to cover everything. but i might be gettting a few Anthias and other heavy feeding fish.

i am not planning on reducing my water changes, just thinking this would reduce water changes to only replacing things instead of an effort to remove/reduce NO3. i might if i go this way and all goes well, try to reduce changes and see what happens.

from my understanding it acts like a DSB or plenum, it uses bacteria to reduce nitrates, thus releasing traceminerals back into the system. so water changes should be less of an issue. the sulfer produced is the same end product of a DSB, its just way way more effecient then a DSB.

gettting another Ca+ reactor is for when i upgrade to bigger tank, hope by the end of this year. the koralline i have now i dont like as a Ca+reactor. right now its just taking up space in the closet. i would rather use my kalk reactor and dose weekly as i have been for the last few months then hook that reactor back up as a Ca+reactor.

i am hoping someone knows of someone that can tell me about what kind of results they have had. you know what changes in growth in the tank, what other equipment they used, how was it with or without this or that.

maybe i shoud reword this and post it in the gen sec.

[sasquatch]

Sounds like a pretty big break from what your tank is used to doing? I wonder how much shock value will be added to the system, have you tried different media's in the reactor?

[prow]

its different alright. i am really just playing with it thinking more of when i upgrade to a bigger tank. it should not shock anything. after hooking it up it takes about a month to grow the bacteria before it starts working. from reading on it, seems everyone using it has had nothing but good results.

on the reactor yeah i treid different media. the thing i dont like about it is the CO2 that collects. i have to open the second effluent to vent the CO2 once a week. its a PITA.

ok i am going to repost this in the general form.