my diy reactor...

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1SiCk Mk3

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 1, 2008
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orlando fl
well finally made my reactor for my 55...very similar to alot of the diy reactors just changed the design a bit to maybe have it work a lil better...instead of just drilling a hole on the side and silicone the line i made something out of fitting i found at my lowes today....the reason i wanted the co2 input right in the middle and a lil higher then the return is to make sure i have good diffusion...its filled with a couple bioballs and ran by a power head...when i get my canister ill just change the fittings if i have too...the bubbles are barely visible when injected...only thing i see is even if i turn off the co2 i get some small bubbles...i figured its just the bio balls and water churning...any input??...other then that its working great...well here are some pics...ohh and a question...ive been doing about a bubble or 2 per second...seen no ph changes and my fish seem fine...reading it with my bubble counter...how much do u guys think i should inject??...its a 55...thanks guys...

reactor001.jpg


reactor002.jpg


reactor003.jpg
 
Odd design. Are you using the brass or the plastic barb as the input? Do you have a good one way valve on that tubing? Are you going to be getting co2 tubing soon? Your tubing will not last long. Show a pic of it installed and running.
 
the plastic barb is the input...it works like any other diy reactor...only thing i really changed is how the co2 enters and the fittings i chose to use...water input goes in the plastic barb...co2 in from the bottom like any other reactor and goes up to meet the rushing water and get diffused with the water pressure and bio balls...then goes out trough the bottom brass barb...only reason i did my input for the co2 like that is because i wanted to be sure that the co2 is entering the reactor dead center, and also its a lil bit above the return so i know its going to get diffused well and have more time in the reactor...some diy reactor i have seen have the co2 input so close to the return of the reactot that im sure some big bubble just get pushed staight into the return and dont really have a chace to bounce around in there...ill post running pics in a lil bit when i get home
 
That is what I thought, but hoped you weren't doing it this way. This is a good way to destroy your co2 reg setup. When your solenoid cuts off, the pump will be forcing water down the tubing, and will back up to your co2. Again, your co2 will destroy that vinyl tubing. You need to get co2 tubing.
 
well i have a check valve right under the fitting...about 2 inches from the fitting...so i shouldnt get any water going back to my setup...i guess i just got 2 keep a eye on it...if the design ever fails though which is why i used a tee...all i have to do is remove the tee add another barb and just run my input like u guys trough the side....will see how it goes...so far so good...when i turn it off i get water to my check valve and thats it...
 
Just to verify, you are running co2 in the bottom, and the water flows from the top down right?
 
also, the concerns i have with this setup is that the bubbles might not have enough time to get diffused properly. i could see the bubbles exiting entering the reactor only to get pushed out immediately through the exit barb. by putting the co2 line up in the middle or towards the top, the bubbles have more contact time with the incoming water.

i could be wrong though, its just a thought...
 
jcardona1;1996551;1996551 said:
also, the concerns i have with this setup is that the bubbles might not have enough time to get diffused properly. i could see the bubbles exiting entering the reactor only to get pushed out immediately through the exit barb. by putting the co2 line up in the middle or towards the top, the bubbles have more contact time with the incoming water.

i could be wrong though, its just a thought...
Click to expand...
That is a very common problem with a design such as this one. That is why he still is seeing the bubbles in his tank.
 
1SiCk Mk3;1994242;1994242 said:
well i have a check valve right under the fitting...about 2 inches from the fitting...so i shouldnt get any water going back to my setup...i guess i just got 2 keep a eye on it...if the design ever fails though which is why i used a tee...all i have to do is remove the tee add another barb and just run my input like u guys trough the side....will see how it goes...so far so good...when i turn it off i get water to my check valve and thats it...
Click to expand...
By check valve, I hope you don't mean a one way valve from an air line kit, those won't hold up to the co2, nor the water pressure cause by a downward pushing current.
 
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