De-nitrate is an economical, natural, porous material that promotes both aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification. De-nitrate works similarly to live rock, fostering anaerobic bacterial activity at the core of the media. Thanks to the amount of water that can be directed through the media, nitrate can be processed much more efficiently compared to the more passive flow through live rock.

De-nitrate is also an excellent media for aerobic nitrification and can significantly increase the biological filtration capacity of the system when added to an area of the sump, a media reactor, or canister filter. At high flow rates (greater than 100 US gallons per hour), it will function solely as an aerobic filter. At slow flow rates (less than 50 US gallons per hour), it will function as both an aerobic filter and an anaerobic denitrifying filter.

Features

• High porosity biological media
• Removes nitrates, nitrites, ammonia
• Assists in breakdown and removal of organics
• Pore size well suited for anaerobic bacteria
• No danger of hydrogen sulfide production

Directions

• It is best to rinse off dust before use.
• Each 500 mL of De-nitrate treats about 100–200 L (25–50 US gallons), depending on initial nitrate concentration and the current biological load. Enough should be used to remove nitrate at a rate at least as fast as the rate of formation.
• For best results, De-nitrate should be placed to assure the flow of water through it, such as in a media reactor or canister filter, chemical filtration module, or box filter. Flow rate should not exceed 200 L (50 US gallons) per hour if nitrate reduction is desired.
• Once De-nitrate has been in use for several days, nitrate concentrations should start to fall and level off gradually at a concentration of about 4–5 mg/L as nitrate. As long as nitrate concentrations remain under control, the product is not exhausted.

Note: If very high nitrates are initially present, they should first be brought down to less than 20 mg/L with water changes.