Here is what Aquaripure had to say in the troubleshooting guide. I don't think I need to inject any more nutrient...
My Aquaripure was working great but I think something happened that killed off the bacteria. How do I get it working again?
Occasionally something can disrupt the bacteria in the Aquaripure such as the use of antibiotics in the tank or maybe switching to a different aquarium. If you feel the bacteria in the nitrate filter have been "killed off" or disrupted then don't worry. It will get back to normal but it might take another month or so. To speed up the process you can also inject nutrient every four days for a while. Once it is cycled you can just resume the feeding and adjustments as you normally would. You can also purchase additional bacterial culture in our Other Products page.
The flow rate of my nitrate filter fluctuates excessively and even completely stops at times.
This can actually be a good sign. It generally means that the Aquaripure is beginning to work. Some fluctuation is inevitable and normal. When the Aquaripure is fed it creates a bacterial bloom within the filter. The billions of bacteria create resistance to the water flow but this is also what cleans the water and removes nitrates.
If you are following the directions to adjust the denitrator correctly it should always be able to get a strong flow when the flow valve is wide open. It is important to open the flow valve completely and then immediately decrease the flow to the correct rate each time you adjust it (every 2-3 days.) The bacteria can produce a harmless mucous and it can build up in the narrow tubing. Adjusting the flow rate properly will clear out the tubing and valve of any bacterial build up. It will also let you accurately gauge the flow since when you check the flow rate the end of the outflow tube may be partially empty giving the appearance that the flow rate is less than it actually is. If the outflow has completely stopped even when the flow control valve is wide open then the outflow tubing and flow valve needs to be cleaned. Simply unscrew the outflow tubing and flow control valve and rinse it in hot water and blow on it until it is cleared. You can also take a pipe cleaner or similar instrument and stick it in the outflow elbow an inch or two to clean the outflow elbow.
If you still feel the Aquaripure is slowing excessively you can adjust the flow rate slightly faster when you adjust it but never more than 50%. If this is done you should be careful to monitor it to ensure the denitrator stays cycled and reduce the flow rate if it does not stay cycled.
Also note that the pump provided with the denitrator will not provide enough power to pump water from a sump tank, through the denitrator, and into the main tank. If the pump is placed in the sump then the outflow must be placed in the sump.
It also mentioned the cloudiness......and the smell
After I feed the filter there is a slight cloudiness in my tank.
Occasionally some of the bacteria from the nitrate filter can escape into the tank causing a slight cloudiness. It should disappear on its own in a day or two but if it is severe then a water change is recommended. Reduce the amount of nutrient injected by about 25% and slightly reduce the water flow as needed to eliminate this problem. Once the Aquaripure cycles and nitrates reach zero this effect will be minimized and you can try increasing the flow rate and nutrients. This usually only happens when the Aquaripure is slightly oversized for the aquarium.
The effluent of the filter smells.
This can also sometimes happen with an oversized nitrate filter. It can be normal for a denitrator to have a slight rotten egg smell occasionally but it should only be noticeable if you put your nose right up to the tube. Let me explain what has happened and then I will explain the solution.
When the anaerobic bacteria run out of nitrates they will begin to break down the sulfates in the water. Sulfates don't really harm anything at all so no one is concerned about them very much. When the bacteria break down sulfates it produces Hydrogen Sulfide gas. Hydrogen Sulfide gas is not very soluble in water and so does not build up in the water in an aquarium unless there is no water flow or aeration at all and it will escape into the atmosphere. The human nose is extremely sensitive to hydrogen sulfide which has that distinctive odor. A person can smell it at concentrations as low as 20 parts per billion.
Fortunately there is an easy solution. You should actually increase the flow rate by 25% or more (not decrease), reduce the amount of nutrient injected by 25% and trickle the outflow through carbon. This should eliminate any noticeable hydrogen sulfide smell. Running the effluent through a small bag of carbon will help remove any traces. Also make sure the outflow and the water in your aquarium is being sufficiently aerated.
My tank is 56g and the filter is sized for 15g to 60g...so my filter is not too large. I have two air lines running in the tank besides lots of water flow, and the top pf the tank is well agitated. The only thing I didn't do is filter it through carbon. I have my change water all set, but the SG was too high this morning to help the one struggling horse. Oh and no to the question of if the horses were at all stressed.....They were all happy and fine at lights out last night, nothing seemed wrong until this morning. The smell was there all day yesterday and the slight cloudiness was noticed this morning as well..it has since completely cleared on it's own, and there is no more bad smell.
