For the experiment I placed poly mesh bags of sulfur in high flow areas to alow bacteria to grow on the sulfur, and oxidize it into sulfates. The experiment was to see what the effects would be with elevated levels of sulfur in the reef tank. I did not have a sulfur test kit, and did not test the actual levels.
I have done the experiment in different systems at different times and lenth of times, and have recently started it in two other systems.
As the sulfur levels increased there was an increase in corline algae growth, and sponge growth. Rope sponge growing in two systems under 400wMH light were red and growing slowly, but whith the sulfur they grew faster, and turned bright yellow.
As the suflur levels get extremely high. The corals become at risk of getting infections because of the extreem high levels of sulfur in the water. With extreme high levels of sulfur in the water, it does not take much for hydrogen sulfide to develope. I once left an algae magnet in the tank after cleaning the glass (something I normaly don't do). After a couple days I could see white hydrogensulfide oxidizing bacteria growing around the algae magnet, so I knew that the algae magnet was producing hydrogen sulfide from the algae rotting under the magnet. I pulled the magnet off and the hydrogen sulfide that came up from the magnet was increadibly strong. Under normal sercomstances it would not have been so increadilbly strong. That one algae magnet stunk up the whole room.
On the sulfur bags, even though they are in a high flow area, still were producing some hydrogen sulfide, because thick growths of white hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria would start growing on some of the outer part of the bag. Using a thinner layer of sulfur could prevent that. I aslo have considered the idea of melting the sulfur into a stick, and using that. The stick method would not pruduce any hyrdrogen sulide like the bag of granular sufur can.
So increasing the sulfur content in the systems has proven beneficial, but extreme high levels will cause hydrogen sulfide to be produced much easyer. This can happen in coral skeleton causing the coral to become infected.
With this in mind, I would recomend that anyone building a sulfur denitrifyer to make the container out of clear material, covered with black plastic, so that one can see if hydrogen sulfide oxydizing bacteria are growing, instead of having to test output water for hydrogen sulfide. It would be a much easyer way to wach for hydrogen sulide production that way.
In the experiment I was hoping to see a posible increased breakdown of toxic chemical warfare in the water. I may have seen that but since I've only seen it in one system, I don't want to be too quick to jump to conclusions.
Wayne Sallee
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