DIY phos reactors
- Thread starter salty3
- Start date
GOLDMAROON
New member
Salty,
If your talking about a phosban reactor, I started playing with a design a few days ago and am in the process of testing it. Its pretty simple really.
I just connected a 2 in 45 to a reducer with a drain grate in at the ends and hooked it up to the intake of my sump. This forces all water coming into the sump to run through carbon and/ or phosban media.
Ill post some pic if you like. Form what I researched the only thing that a phosban reactor does is force water of carbon or phosphate removing material. So I think your right there pretty simple.
The total cost for the reactor so far is about $6.00
If your talking about a phosban reactor, I started playing with a design a few days ago and am in the process of testing it. Its pretty simple really.
I just connected a 2 in 45 to a reducer with a drain grate in at the ends and hooked it up to the intake of my sump. This forces all water coming into the sump to run through carbon and/ or phosban media.
Ill post some pic if you like. Form what I researched the only thing that a phosban reactor does is force water of carbon or phosphate removing material. So I think your right there pretty simple.
The total cost for the reactor so far is about $6.00
GOLDMAROON
New member
Where you going to run phosban or carbon or both?
What size plumbing are you trying to attach it too ?
What size tank and the flow rate of you sump?
May help me with some ideas I have floating around in my head.
What size plumbing are you trying to attach it too ?
What size tank and the flow rate of you sump?
May help me with some ideas I have floating around in my head.
Not sure yet, just in the thinking stage now. lol But I'm going to try and make it the exact same as the one in my lfs, and the pump will probably be a old reagent layin around though I think I will have to go smaller on the pump for less flow, the tank will be 30 gal and I will run phosban because all my ro water has 1.0 ppm phos.
GOLDMAROON
New member
@ things I was considering when i was toying with mine.
1. The whole fluidization buy pumping water into the bottom of the filter and then pulling form the top is a gimmic.
I can't find any scientific data to support the claims for "gently fluidizing the media and force and even distrubtion and water through it".
2. The whole premis is to run water over the phosban or carbon which is essentially one half of a cannister filter.
***so with that being said get a section of 3 inch PVC put a cap on bother ends, make sure one screws on (so you can change the media out) Drill 2 3/8" holes in the top connect 3/8 viniyl tubing to a barb run the tubing to the bottom of the pipe put a pieace of foam in and in the second hole add a 3/8 barb then connect to your tank. dont foget to cut a few pieces of foam to put in there.
OR instead of 3/8" use 1/2" pvc and connect the whole damn thing to your return line to your tank.
Who in there right mind uses 3/8" tubing and barbs anyway.
Ill build another one and take some pics for you.
1. The whole fluidization buy pumping water into the bottom of the filter and then pulling form the top is a gimmic.
I can't find any scientific data to support the claims for "gently fluidizing the media and force and even distrubtion and water through it".
2. The whole premis is to run water over the phosban or carbon which is essentially one half of a cannister filter.
***so with that being said get a section of 3 inch PVC put a cap on bother ends, make sure one screws on (so you can change the media out) Drill 2 3/8" holes in the top connect 3/8 viniyl tubing to a barb run the tubing to the bottom of the pipe put a pieace of foam in and in the second hole add a 3/8 barb then connect to your tank. dont foget to cut a few pieces of foam to put in there.
OR instead of 3/8" use 1/2" pvc and connect the whole damn thing to your return line to your tank.
Who in there right mind uses 3/8" tubing and barbs anyway.
Ill build another one and take some pics for you.
GOLDMAROON
New member
you know the more I think about it I think pumping water to the bottom of the chamber is just a gimic. The claim is that buy doing this it prevents channeling and gives even distrubution.
The problem I have with this is that all water channels no matter how fast or slow the water is moving.
What Im getting at here is that it might be as simple as runing an inline filter. Run 2inc or 3 inch pvc pipe fill it with media cap it with a 1/2 or 3/4 in reducer and plumb inlin with your return and you should get the smae results. If your worried about flow then tee off of the return and you can control the flow with a ball valve.
I think either way you will get the same results.
The problem I have with this is that all water channels no matter how fast or slow the water is moving.
What Im getting at here is that it might be as simple as runing an inline filter. Run 2inc or 3 inch pvc pipe fill it with media cap it with a 1/2 or 3/4 in reducer and plumb inlin with your return and you should get the smae results. If your worried about flow then tee off of the return and you can control the flow with a ball valve.
I think either way you will get the same results.
Driftwood
New member
This is a quick and easy DIY Reactor that I threw together mostly with spare parts. I only had to go to the hardware store and spend $2. If you do not already have these parts then it might cost you a couple dollars more. I put this together in minutes and since it is over my sump, I didn't bother to glue the PVC. If this is going to sit outside of your sump you will want to use PVC cement to glue everything together and probably a gasket or o-ring for the end caps.
Tools:
Drill with 1/2" & 1/8" bits
Glue
Dremel or hole saw
Materials:
1 - 2 foot piece of 2 inch PVC or whatever size you want...
2 - 2 inch PVC couplers
2 - 2 inch PVC end caps
2 - plastic maple syrup taps or appropriate hose connectors
1 - Hose from gravel vac
1 - Maxi-jet 900 or similar pump
Acrylic scrap or about 2 inch by 4 inch piece to make discs.
Directions:
1. Drill a 1/2 inch hole in the square part of each end cap. This is for the maple syrup taps to enter the reactor. The size of this hole will be different if you something else to connect your hose to the reactor.
2. Cut down the maple syrup taps as shown in the picture below.
3. Glue each maple syrup tap into the hole drilled in the end cap.
4. Unscrew each end cap and measure the diameter of the hole the end cap screws into. This is going to be the same diameter of your acrylic discs.
5. Use a dremel tool or hole saw to cut discs out of your scrap acrylic to fit into the end cap.
6. Use the 1/8" drill bit to drill many holes in the two acrylic discs, this will allow water to flow through the reactor while keeping the media inside.
7. Drop the discs into each end cap and screw back together
8. Put a 2 inch coupler on each of the end caps.
9. Put couplers with end caps on the 2 foot section of PVC.
10. Attach your hose to each maple syrup tap.
11. Attach the output of your pump to one hose.
To fill:
Unscrew one end cap and remove acrylic disc. Fill the reactor with desired media(Phosphate remover, Nitrate remover, carbon, etc.) and replace acrylic disc and end cap.
To use:
I place the pump and output hose in the return chamber of my sump. That way the chaeto gets as much of the nutrients as possible before they get to the reactor.
Here is what it looks like on my sump:
Hope this is helpful!
Dave
Tools:
Drill with 1/2" & 1/8" bits
Glue
Dremel or hole saw
Materials:
1 - 2 foot piece of 2 inch PVC or whatever size you want...
2 - 2 inch PVC couplers
2 - 2 inch PVC end caps
2 - plastic maple syrup taps or appropriate hose connectors
1 - Hose from gravel vac
1 - Maxi-jet 900 or similar pump
Acrylic scrap or about 2 inch by 4 inch piece to make discs.
Directions:
1. Drill a 1/2 inch hole in the square part of each end cap. This is for the maple syrup taps to enter the reactor. The size of this hole will be different if you something else to connect your hose to the reactor.
2. Cut down the maple syrup taps as shown in the picture below.
3. Glue each maple syrup tap into the hole drilled in the end cap.
4. Unscrew each end cap and measure the diameter of the hole the end cap screws into. This is going to be the same diameter of your acrylic discs.
5. Use a dremel tool or hole saw to cut discs out of your scrap acrylic to fit into the end cap.
6. Use the 1/8" drill bit to drill many holes in the two acrylic discs, this will allow water to flow through the reactor while keeping the media inside.
7. Drop the discs into each end cap and screw back together
8. Put a 2 inch coupler on each of the end caps.
9. Put couplers with end caps on the 2 foot section of PVC.
10. Attach your hose to each maple syrup tap.
11. Attach the output of your pump to one hose.
To fill:
Unscrew one end cap and remove acrylic disc. Fill the reactor with desired media(Phosphate remover, Nitrate remover, carbon, etc.) and replace acrylic disc and end cap.
To use:
I place the pump and output hose in the return chamber of my sump. That way the chaeto gets as much of the nutrients as possible before they get to the reactor.
Here is what it looks like on my sump:
Hope this is helpful!
Dave
GOLDMAROON
New member
Thats pretty much what I was doing with my design.
Didn't think ablut the maple taps.
HEy Drift IS there any reason why you wouldn't want to run this inline with your return. So instead of using the taps you could just plumb it to run with the return line elimnating the need for an additional pump.
Didn't think ablut the maple taps.
HEy Drift IS there any reason why you wouldn't want to run this inline with your return. So instead of using the taps you could just plumb it to run with the return line elimnating the need for an additional pump.
30mini
New member
I think he did this b/c his return may be running way to fast for a phosban reactor. Look up flow rates for a normal phosban reactor. You don't want water rushing through it at 1200 gph! This will just push media through, and cause cloudy water. You really only need about 150 to 200 gph to fluidize the media. HTH
