Denitrification Brick

[mling]

Has anyone tried using a Denitrification Brick to control nitrates ?

see -> Brightwell Aquatics - HemiXSpheres

 

Available at BRS ->  Xport-NO3 Biological Filtration Dimpled Brick - Brightwell Aquatics - Bulk Reef Supply

 

Any possibility to negative effects on life stock ?

[wildcrazyjoker81]

I have the brick and plate and while they don't specifically remove nitrate it does increase bacteria load that will help consume nitrate. So it's really a win win in my book.

[DaJMasta]

+1  I've been using Marinepure branded ones, but it's the same stuff, an inert substrate for bacterial growth and not a lot more.  The pore size has been optimized and the flow through the brick is pretty good, so a brick is going to be worth 10x its size or more worth of live rock in terms of bacterial capacity, but unless you have it in a particularly low flow area, I doubt there will be much actual conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas, as that will require anaerobic zones and these blocks may actually be too easy for water to pass through.

 

I would consider it like adding live rock to a system more than for denitrification, but you are effectively increasing the capacity of the tank to break down ammonia and nitrite when they're fully colonized.  As for safe to add - when I added mine there was a little bit of ceramic dust that was in the water for a couple hours, no adverse effects.  Like live rock, it will take a few months before its fully colonized and operating at peak effectiveness.

[mling]

I have read in other forums that some found that these block may dissolve to sand after 6 months or so..   Have any of you experienced that ?  

 

Could it be that these folks put them in a high flow area ?

[DaJMasta]

Since they're made of aerated ceramic, I don't think that can be the case, but at least in the case of the marinepure ones, maybe if you had a bunch rattling around next to each other they would eventually grind themselves down - the physical structure isn't as strong as live rock and weighs a lot less.

[wildcrazyjoker81]

11 hours ago, mling said:

I have read in other forums that some found that these block may dissolve to sand after 6 months or so..   Have any of you experienced that ?  

 

Could it be that these folks put them in a high flow area ?

They definitely do start to disintegrate if handled a lot. I s have both of mine in a low flow area with my fuge, so not sure how well they would fare in a high flow area.