water treatment experiment

[grouper therapy]

I have thought about setting up an experimental tank that I pump old saltwater from a water change into and perform a regenerating or purification process on it. I was thinking of passing the water through a denitrator, a tank full of live rock and a carbon and phosphate reactor for the very obvious removal of nitrates and organics. The calcium ,mag and alk levels should be fine since it was removed from my system where those parameters are fairly stable. My biggest concern is the reintroduction of trace elements. Quite honestly I know nothing to very little about them and was looking for input from you guys about the importance of these and a possible additive to replenish with. Oh yea any other thoughts you may have on the concept as a whole. Think tank here is what I'm after. After this treatment of course reintroduction into the system.

 

[ricksconnected]

you will probably have to add trace elements since they do get used up.
thats one of the positives about water changes.
maybe you could set up a drip system or something for that.


(check your PM's)

 

[acroholic]

Maybe have a skimmer on there as well?

Is the cost of operation a factor in this, Dave. I wonder what the cost of setting up the system and operating it would be compared to the cost of just water changes with new RODI and salt? Or how long until the setup costs are recouped and the reclamation system starts saving money, if you see what I mean?

 

[weaglereefer]

Acroholic;456949 wrote: Maybe have a skimmer on there as well?

Is the cost of operation a factor in this, Dave. I wonder what the cost of setting up the system and operating it would be compared to the cost of just water changes with new RODI and salt? Or how long until the setup costs are recouped and the reclamation system starts saving money, if you see what I mean?

Then you get to factor in stuff like membrane and filter replacement on the RO/DI, waste (if not used in another way), etc.

 

[acroholic]

Probably best to see if it would work first before entering into cost analysis!

OK here's another point.......if you are already running GFO, a denitrator and a good skimmer and have live rock in the system, why do you need to reclaim the water? Couldn't you just extend your water change interval?

Wait'll Dave sees all this.

 

[schwaggs]

Why not do those things to the water while it is still in your main system? Why do you need to take it out to clean it?

There are additives that claim to contain the neccesary trace elements (not sure how they know which are needed)

 

[grouper therapy]

I was thinking green more than anything.

 

[grouper therapy]

I could process the same amount of water that I now do (300gallons) with the equipment I have ,minus the skimmer and keep the display isolated with clean water much more frequently.

 

[dakota9]

How would you add, AND THEN TEST FOR, every possible trace element that you would need? You shouldn't add any chemical to your tank that you can't test it's levels. I think it can be done, but the cost out weigh any greening up of the process, atleast on my budget...

 

[grouper therapy]

Acroholic;456949 wrote: Maybe have a skimmer on there as well?

Is the cost of operation a factor in this, Dave. I wonder what the cost of setting up the system and operating it would be compared to the cost of just water changes with new RODI and salt? Or how long until the setup costs are recouped and the reclamation system starts saving money, if you see what I mean?

au01st;456963 wrote: Then you get to factor in stuff like membrane and filter replacement on the RO/DI, waste (if not used in another way), etc.

Acroholic;456966 wrote: Probably best to see if it would work first before entering into cost analysis!

OK here's another point.......if you are already running GFO, a denitrator and a good skimmer and have live rock in the system, why do you need to reclaim the water? Couldn't you just extend your water change interval?

Wait'll Dave sees all this.

Schwaggs;457041 wrote: Why not do those things to the water while it is still in your main system? Why do you need to take it out to clean it?

There are additives that claim to contain the neccesary trace elements (not sure how they know which are needed)

Good points . My thinking was that it would be easier to clean the water without the continuous addition of nutrients into the system like is taking place in the main system.

 

[lilrobb]

How about somehow catching the evaporated water (which should be fairly clean (comparable to RO) and re-use that?

Robb

 

[grouper therapy]

After pondering on this I realized that the nutrient addition is still taking place in the main system which would have to be processed anyway. So in reality all I would have accomplished is increasing the size of my system. Nothing gained Sorry guys for time wasted. Well on to something else!

 

[grouper therapy]

Dakota9;457100 wrote: How would you add, AND THEN TEST FOR, every possible trace element that you would need? You shouldn't add any chemical to your tank that you can't test it's levels. I think it can be done, but the cost out weigh any greening up of the process, atleast on my budget...

Another good point!

 

[grouper therapy]

Ok some feedback from you guys on these questions. If someone does have a low nutrient system and it maintains that status, why would they perform water changes ? Does 10-25% water changes really replenish the trace elements anyway? How do we know that they are depleted at that rate?

 

[weaglereefer]

I would hope that salt manufacturers keep the trace elements at levels above what is needed, then as they are used up, you perform water changes and the addition of water with high levels helps balance out what has been used. Just a thought?

 

[grouper therapy]

au01st;457142 wrote: I would hope that salt manufacturers keep the trace elements at levels above what is needed, then as they are used up, you perform water changes and the addition of water with high levels helps balance out what has been used. Just a thought?

That raise another question . How much of what is needed?