diy calcium reactor help

[tommyp]

Time to make my calcium reactor. I am thinking of building a version of the DJ88 reactor. http://www.melevsreef.com/dj88.html

It is square split down the middle so it is both updraft and downdraft. this is my first calcium reactor but i understand how they work i just need a little help ironing out the mods i am making.

I am going to modify his reactor so that the bottom is not up on stilts and the fittings will come out the bottom side of the reactor and not the bottom.

I also want to mount the pump on the side of the reactor. Instead of horizontal on the ground. Just to have a tidier unit. I look at the koralins and they are mounted on the top which I think is really cool. would like to make a squat kalk reactor that way.

here are some design pics. just to show the pump mounting. That is what I am most concerned about. I don't think plumbing it through the side will cause any issues but I could be wrong.

 

[big t]

The DJ88 reactor works very well. I used one for quite some time. Here is my advice if you decide to go with this design. Instead of using a $7 JG vavle for metering the effluent, use a .50c 1/4" irrigation valve from home depot. They work one hell of a lot better and are cheap. Instead of using 2 vavles to try to adjust the metering and pressurizing the reactor, just use 1 on the input, and let the output drain freely. What goes in will come out, and if you try to pressurize it, it will leak. Don't bother w/ his crazy venturi thing, just put the recirc line and input on the intake side of the pump, it will have plenty of suck to do the job. Your plumbing on the side will work just fine as long as the pump is not higher then the top of the reactor, but you may or may not run into priming problems. Also make sure that your effluent goes out the top as in the design, I did mine in the side @ the bottom and that caused some problems w/ keeping it running. I also would say that I wouldn't bother w/ the way he ran a tube down to the lower part to pick up effluent, as long as your recirc is up higher then the output it will work good.

 

[tommyp]

Perfect! You da man!

I can put a capped tee on the output of the pump to make sure that the pump is full of water so that it can be primed and not have any air collect there.

I'll have to track down that irrigation valve.

I remember liking the top of the jetstream reactor. Will look at that again. I was figuring I would run a JG bulkhead for the effluent return. Then just connect a piece of hard tubing and run that the way he ran his down to the bottom of the reactor or just put a little piece of tubing down into the reactor ether way no biggie.

Should be fun putting this together. I bought some acrylic today. have some 3/8" left over from the skimmer. Will post production pics when I start.

 

[tommyp]

So I started cutting today, I am going to have a 8 3/4" square base and lid. Just cause that is what I had left over of 3/8" stuff. I cut the pieces for that but didn't start on the body cause I had some running around to do. I am going to make it a little bit shorter and alittle bit smaller than the dj88. I think he went 6 3/4 wide on his. I was thinking of 6.5 od on mine. So it would be slightly smaller. Mine would also only be 16.5" tall because I have a left over piece that will work perfect for the divider and but it is only 15" tall. His divider left 1 1/4" from the lid. I imagine I could bump that gap up a bit but I am not really sacrificing that much making it 3/4" smaller. I am scavenging parts from my kalk reactor to make this so will pull the uniseals off that and probably the quietone 1200 pump for now. I bought some threaded to speed fit adapters today at home depot. That should take care of the recirc line.I think I forgot one for the feed though. I bought all of the 1/4 threaded x1/4" so I figure they will restock them in about two weeks. Lowes better hurry up and get their store built cause I am pretty done with the depot here. So if I get back into the shop tonight I will post some cutting pictures.

 

[tommyp]

I ended up cutting the body of the reactor. After I cut it I realized how bad the blade is on my table saw. yikes. But I am not after any awards for beautiful acrylic construction here. As long as it holds water I am fine with it. I taped up my first joint and grabbed the bottle of solvent cement. Empty. So project on hold till I can get some. Probably tomorrow.

 

[bc_slc]

I made a DJ88-style reactor last year. What Big-t said is entirely correct. I also upsized mine a bit, and offset the upflow/downdraft side since the first chamber gets used up first. From a volume standpoint my chambers were split about 2/3 upflow 1/3 downdraft. I would also plan on a bigger lid with more holes drilled in it. After all was said and done, I upsized the lid and still had some leakage requiring some additional clamps on the top.

Mat

 

[tommyp]

So upsize the upflow. Will do. I am using 3/8" for the lid so it is pretty sturdy. Not sure what I am using for bolts but will probably use 1/2"ers I think I still have enough kicking around from the skimmer. if not will have to order some. 1/4" acrylic and 1/4" nylon bolts are hard to get a seal out of for sure.

Tom

 

[bc_slc]

when i say upsize the lid, i mean in footprint. Even with the gasket material and 12 drilled holes about 1.5" apart, I still had leak. I expanded the footprint of the lid and it helped some.

 

[plack]

ok I am just trying to understand as I may try to build one.So forgive my ignorance if this sounds stupid but big t said not to pressurize it or it will leak in reference to a venturi thing but wont the co2 canister pressurize it ? Again I know only the basic parts and what happens barely I am currently reading and researching myself and plan on about 3-400 for expences for a 150 gallon and hope to make one with controller and everything I may need more I don;t know and am not even sure what type of media arm or ? yet Paul

 

[tommyp]

Co2 doesn't pressurize the reactor it just dribbles in co2 a bubble at a time. Thats what the reg is for it restricts the pressure of the co2 so that it doesn't all come out at once.

He was talking about restricting the output of the reactor. So say if you put a mag 12 dolphin or whatever (insert rediculously large pump here for effect) to feed the reactor and you have the output of the reactor valved down to a pin sized hole you are going to put pressure inside the reactor. If you control the amount of water flowing in and let the water flow freely back to the tank then the reactor wouldn't be subjected to undo pressure. Just basically what flows in will flow out. It still might still leak if it is not sealed properly but you don't have any extra force pushing water against the seams and seals of the reactor.

Tom

 

[plack]

ok thanks I understand that now still gotta read more and understand how they work better than I do now.

 

[tommyp]

Some build pics.

gluing the sides together. This is after they are glued and are curing.

Gluing the bottom. I set it in place then glue then add some weight after a short time.

This is the divider/baffle. I drilled one bigger hole in it to feed a 1/4"hard tube in for the effluent return. the black is 1/8" acrylic I had kicking around. where the media is going to sit is 1/4".

then I glued the top on. will router it flush tomorrow. Still haven't found a 1/4 pipe tap. will have to go searching again tomorrow.

so need to find some gasket material. need to find a tap. need to drill holes in the side for the uniseals for the circlation pump. Have to fasion a bracket to mount the pump. then have to tap the lid.

fun fun

 

[tommyp]

Last night. Took out the router and flush trimmed the top flange. Came out okay. Then I drilled the unit for the uniseals. After that I glued in the divider and let it set.

In the spirit of using scavenged parts for this reactor I searched my bins of leftovers and found that I have six 1/2" dia nylon bolts and some 3/8" ones. so I will have two sizes of bolts on the lid but it should be fine. Now I have to find some gasket material. not sure what I want to use. I can get rubber local but don't know about neoprene? Is there a place that would have that or do i need to order it? I also found a 1/4 tap.

here is a pic with uniseals installed and flange routered but pre divider.

 

[big t]

Well that is looking good Tommy. I don't know anywhere local to you but I got my neoprene from mcmaster.com. They sell it in various sheets, and it is not too pricy. You will pay as much for shipping as you do for the gasket, so best to get out the yellowpages and let your fingers to the walking.

 

[tommyp]

Its alive! Well its mechanically complete. I don't have it up on the tank yet. I bought the gen-x reg bigt it is comming tomorrow.

here are some pics of it filled up

 

[big t]

Looks cool, only change I would make is either add a tube for that yellow effluent tube to slide thru, or just take it out and draw from the top. Won't it be a PITA to deal with that line when it is full of media? Also if you draw from the top it will blow off excess co2 if you pump in more then it can handle instead of filling up with air and possably burning up your pump.

 

[tommyp]

i think it will be a pain. should I tap the side of the reactor for an effluent out? or put a fitting low in the input line to the pump?

won't the recirc take care of the extra co2?

 

[DonW]

i think it will be a pain. should I tap the side of the reactor for an effluent out? or put a fitting low in the input line to the pump?

won't the recirc take care of the extra co2?

I'd leave it in the top. This will just push the excess out with the effluent.

Don

 

[big t]

Well there is a certain point no matter the fact that you have a recirc, that the reactor will not be able to handle any more air. This will cause it to fill up with air and make the pump cavitate badly and eventually be pretty much running dry. Now mind you this dosn't really happen that often, but in getting it tuned, or if for some reason your co2 goes crazy it could happen, and that is why I like to have it at the top.

 

[tommyp]

Cool,

it has been up adnd running and workin okay. until yesterday when i broke my bubble counter. I am going to have to figure something out. can i just make an acrylic square and put the co2 in the bottom and then a fitting on the top of it to draw the co2 to the tank? or do need a tube setup that comes from the top like I have? I think i am just going to throw something together and try to get it to work. i pulled the yellow tube and I am just running it with the effluent out the top. I am not sure that my quiet one is up to the task of running the reactor but so far it has been doing real good. I am not sure what pump I would upgrade to. would like one of the small panworld externals but they are too much $$$ for this application.