New Ca reactor design with pics and drawings

[New Reefer]

Berlin style sump ?

Berlin style sump ?

I'm in the process of building a new Berlin style sump which will incorporate all of these into the unit.

Could you please elaborate on this "Berlin Style" sump.

Thanks,
Hennie

 

[H20ENG]

Darren,
So, is it better to build a separate second chamber that only the effluent flows through, or recirc through the second chamber all the time.
Sorry if this is a dead horse....

 

[DJ88©]

I don't understand why the picture and the diagram for the venturi don't match.

'Cause I changed design midstream. That help? My ideas usually come to me as I am working and I tend to follow them as I can.

I can see the first barb coming from the reactor to the venturi but I don't see the second barb coming out of the venturi to the pump. In the picture it looks like a mpt schedule 80 pipe going into a union fitting.

Good eyes.

 

[DJ88©]

Darren,
So, is it better to build a separate second chamber that only the effluent flows through, or recirc through the second chamber all the time.
Sorry if this is a dead horse....

I like the recirc idea. You are ensuring that there is something more than just the flow of effluent moving the water around. In time I have found that with a passive second chamber what ends up happening is that the effluent finds the path of least resistance and always goes that way. Usually the path of least resistance equates to the smallest amount of surface area contacted. Recirculate with a pump and you are maximizing it all.

but that is how my head seems to wrap around it. Pretty much all designs work. I just found my "own" and went with it.

Why be normal right??

 

[H20ENG]

"Christopher Walken"
:lol: :lol:

I hear you, Thanks!

 

[DJ88©]

"Christopher Walken"
:lol: :lol:

I hear you, Thanks!

You are most welcome.

 

[kirei]

You could build a third tower simply for airating the effluent, and then also use that tower as an ozone reactor, but then you would loose some of the benefits of piping ozone into your skimmer, unless you feed the water from the third tower into your skimmer...

 

[RicoJ]

Does anyone know what step to take in order to tune in this reactor?

Rico.

 

[melev]

Because this thread was split from the original page, let me post up this summation page that was created from Darren's posts early on.

http://www.melevsreef.com/dj88.html

It doesn't answer everything, but it does cover a lot. I hope it helps some of you.

 

[RicoJ]

What should the acrylic thickness be?

 

[melev]

1/4" should be just fine.

 

[DaveBrader]

Building with Acrylic

Building with Acrylic

I am sure this sounds ridiculous, but I am sure someone here can answer this question. Is there any reason not to use Weldon #16 from the start to glue the acrylic together?

Thanks, Dave

 

[melev]

#16 is thicker and messier, but you can do it. I prefer #4 myself. And....

[welcome]

 

[TheGrog]

First of all, awesome thread!!! Spent a little more than 2 days reading all of it (including the previous 40-something pages)!!! Lots of ideas going through my head now!

Gonna be making one of my own in about 2 weeks. Can't wait.

OK, here is my idea. I am also adding an auto top-off unit to my tank (125 reef with 40 sump). It will be a float switch connected to a selenoid. The selenoid will be attached to a hose that runs directly from my RO/DI resevoir tank. This will provide a limitless supply so there are no tanks/jugs/buckets etc to keep filling with water (yes, there is going to be a safety cutoff switch so I don't flood my house).

Anyway, since continually adding unbuffered RO/DI water to my tank is not the greatest thought, I was wondering if I could add it to the reactor directly!

Would it be possible to add a third line to the venturi manifold (for lack of a better phrase) that adds the top-off water?

First of all, I am concerned about adding extra water volume to the reactor which could upset the in-out balance from the intake pump and outflow valve. Ideas on that?

I want to add it to the venturi part as the RO/DI line is not very high pressure and I don't want any backflow going into my unit....screwing it all up. Not that it would happen putting a check valve in place, but the potential is there. But if the pressure on the RO line was too high, it would not add any water making it useless.

Am I making sense yet?

Anyway, making plans for my reactor is well under way. Gotta put those engineering degrees to use somehow!!

Oh yea, one more thing. Gonna have an electronic pH controller along with the CO2 manifold. Where is the best place to put the pH probe? I am thinking of setting it in the tank itself but have heard of others using it to measure the effluent pH. It makes more sense to me to measure the tank's pH because that is what I want to control.

DJ88, Thanks a million for all the work you have put into posting everything you've done!

 

[melev]

I have the pH Controller probe sitting in a cup in my sump. The skimmer's effluent drips into that cup, and it is being constantly measured. As the need arises, the controller turns on the CO2 for a duration, then shuts it off again. I've been doing this for almost a year and it is really just that simple. I have the controller set to pH 6.6

 

[RicoJ]

melev is it better to measure the efluent coming out of the reactor or the actual ph inside the reactor. I would assume it is the same unless you probably go through a second chamber, then the efluent would be higher than the reactor.

 

[TheGrog]

I am planning to have the efluent feed directly into a protein skimmer so the cup option is out.

 

[melev]

Well, the pH in the reactor should be pretty much the same as the effluent, ime.

 

[vmichael]

I am planning to have the efluent feed directly into a protein skimmer so the cup option is out.

I use to do that! But then I needed the port for the efluent from the O3 generator and so I now have a test tube hanging in the sump with the probe and the hose with he effluent from the CA reactor dripping right where the protein skimmer pumps get its water.

Works great! I get to see the drip rate , I get to monitor the effluents pH and get it into my skimmer all in 1 step.

 

[scbasser5]

I haven't read this much in 10 years.

Thanks for all the info, everyone that has posted previously. I will add a couple of comments.

The proper drill sizes for tapping holes should be followed, using one even a 64th smaller will impact the quality of the threads. The tap puts a lot of preasure on the hole and if the hole is smaller it is easier to crack the acrylic (simple machine - the screw, but lots of mechanical advantage. At least that is what my grade school science teacher said) You can order any size individual bit for a reasonalbe price from WW Grainger. They now have an online store. Northern tool and Harbour Frieght both have sets that go from 1/16th to 1/2" by 64ths that is very reasonabaly priced. Worth it if you do lots of DIY projects or work around the home.

Lowe's and Home depot have the JG fittings, although not called JG, but same principal. You will find them with the plumbing supplies on the tubing isle. Both also have nylon screws and nuts in the hardware isle in the specialty drawers. I have not seen the thumb screw type though.

And whoa be it for me to correct someone's spelling cause I cant spell cta (cat) ha ha. but the fitting in the venturi is a coupling, not a cuplink.

I am building mine now. I have it all cut out and all the holes drilled and tapped. I guess just glueing is all I have left. This will be my first attempt at gluing but heck you only live once. I need it to warm up some and then I will give it a whirl.

Thanks again to DJ and all those that have suggested improvements. I can't wait to see this thing work on my 150 reef.