Good luck on yours! I run the large sized media by the same manufacturer (CarribSea?) and suggest you do the same. I don't use the pH "controller" for running the set-up. Only for pH reading to see where things are at. I set a drip rate and effluent rate and the system balances itself out w/ minimal work and adjments from myself.
$200, my day off, and my new diy calcium reactor!
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Daemonfly
New member
Thanks, picked up most of the fittings today, did the whole "stand in the isle and grab some of this, a little of that...". Also gotta see if I can find my old Mag5 pump (and if it still works). Filter housings have 1/2" NPT threaded openings, so that makes it easy, but the internals don't fit any standard PVC size. Schd 80 3/4" is close, but a bit on the small side, but should work as the housing bits are tapered. Might just take a heat gun & soften it up so it fits completely.
putting it all together...final assembly
putting it all together...final assembly
The cannister inside (if you're using the same one made by Whirlpool I think?) fits standard PVC sch 40 type fittings. I'm not looking at it away from home but I use a 1 x 3/4 ss bushing which the 1" side slips into the opening underneath for a beautiful tapered and snug fit which is important. I'll get to this in a second.
A 3/4" piece of sch 40 or class 200 pvc goes into this and I used another ss bushing for the bottom. Nothing is glued! Drill many small holes in the lower bushing for the water to pump through going outwardly in all directions. I use a cut piece of black filter material for the outside of the drilled bushing to keep the media out while filling or during power outages. The filter material is the stuff I don't use when buying a new Mag pump for the intake part (which I never use).
Okay cutting the length of the 3/4" pvc piece is the last and most important to custom fit all the pieces slightly pushed toghether to hold in place, then line up the top bushing to the underside cannister's cap part, and then when it's screwed together while slightly lowering - it compresses the internal assembly perfectly making a nice and tight seal for everything. Therefore you get full flow and pressure down through the inernal piping/bushings and through your media.
ps - I set up the lower bushing and pvc piece onto a flat rubber washer on the bottom. I bought a 3/4 slip cap to set over the open piece of pipe pointing up while filling the cannister w/ media so that nothing goes down into the tube. When full, lift the cap off - set the upper bushing lightly and align the the cannister top to this, and then screw it down all together.
It's all really easy and fast to do future maintenance and/or filling which is what makes this DIY one of the best things I've done to date.
Good luck!
Joe
putting it all together...final assembly
The cannister inside (if you're using the same one made by Whirlpool I think?) fits standard PVC sch 40 type fittings. I'm not looking at it away from home but I use a 1 x 3/4 ss bushing which the 1" side slips into the opening underneath for a beautiful tapered and snug fit which is important. I'll get to this in a second.
A 3/4" piece of sch 40 or class 200 pvc goes into this and I used another ss bushing for the bottom. Nothing is glued! Drill many small holes in the lower bushing for the water to pump through going outwardly in all directions. I use a cut piece of black filter material for the outside of the drilled bushing to keep the media out while filling or during power outages. The filter material is the stuff I don't use when buying a new Mag pump for the intake part (which I never use).
Okay cutting the length of the 3/4" pvc piece is the last and most important to custom fit all the pieces slightly pushed toghether to hold in place, then line up the top bushing to the underside cannister's cap part, and then when it's screwed together while slightly lowering - it compresses the internal assembly perfectly making a nice and tight seal for everything. Therefore you get full flow and pressure down through the inernal piping/bushings and through your media.
ps - I set up the lower bushing and pvc piece onto a flat rubber washer on the bottom. I bought a 3/4 slip cap to set over the open piece of pipe pointing up while filling the cannister w/ media so that nothing goes down into the tube. When full, lift the cap off - set the upper bushing lightly and align the the cannister top to this, and then screw it down all together.
It's all really easy and fast to do future maintenance and/or filling which is what makes this DIY one of the best things I've done to date.
Good luck!
Joe
awais98
SPS
Heres my calc reactor
Here are the 2 filter housing I used:
Heres the calc reactor with the ph proble inlet pending
With the Ph probe connected and reactor in its permamnet spot. The CO2 tank is inside the stand ( this is my basement and this is the stand for the sump)
Holes drilled in the 1I inlet PVC
SHowing the tubing on the top of reactor for CO2 recirculation
Showing the water inlet and the 2 Co2 inlet.
Here are the 2 filter housing I used:
Heres the calc reactor with the ph proble inlet pending
With the Ph probe connected and reactor in its permamnet spot. The CO2 tank is inside the stand ( this is my basement and this is the stand for the sump)
Holes drilled in the 1I inlet PVC
SHowing the tubing on the top of reactor for CO2 recirculation
Showing the water inlet and the 2 Co2 inlet.
