New DIY Ca reactor
- Thread starter greeneyedblackcat
- Start date
greeneyedblackcat
Premium Member
Macaco, go with the mag 2 mounted external. I have two of these pumps running on two separate reactors 24/7 for 2 years now without ANY cleaning or service!
reef-newbie-11305
Member
What do you guys think about using a maxi-jet 1200 instead of the mag 2? Its rated at about 295 gph and it can be use external as well.
whitesquall
Member
I'm using a mag5 no problem's externally... If you spring a leak around impellar cover, just open it up and use a little Aquarium silicone around the gasket.
Hth's
Hth's
Macaco2512
New member
Thanks Greeneyedblackcat I'll just get a mag 2!
You guys make my choices a lot easier... Thank you very much!
You guys make my choices a lot easier... Thank you very much!
Vincerama2
Active member
You don't need to pull the CO2, since it's under pressure, it'll just enter the system at the pump (according to your picture) and will get mixed up with the fast flowing water.
V
V
Vincerama2
Active member
THe "CO2 recirculation loop" is used to take the CO2 that did not dissolve and is now collecting at the top of the reactor back down to the pump output where it is mixed. The pump water will pull it along (trust me, it does). I think the connection acts as a venturi whether you design it to or not. The connection I think is just a PVC tube with the lines connected to it via John Guest quick connectors, isn't it?
I have a DIY reactor (different design, but same principles).
The CO2 in the top of the reactor is not restricted from flowing around the recirculation loop so it will freely zip along over and over again. The line from the CO2 TANK is regulated by your (surprise!) regulator...you can't pull CO2 from the regulator via a venturi or anything, the regulator will provide you with CO2 at the pressure you have set (based on the bubble count, if not the actual pressure setting!).
The "From Tank" line in your picture, I'm guessing is TANK WATER from the tank. Which you can use a gravity/siphon feed, or a small pump.
Basically, you are just mixing up the tank water and the fresh CO2 with the water and CO2 that are already in the reactor. The reason you need to also draw CO2 from the top of the reactor is that the bubbles of CO2 won't fully dissolve and will form a large bubble at the top of the reactor.
Some reactors are reversed, meaning the pumps water from top to bottom, instead of bottom to top.
V
I have a DIY reactor (different design, but same principles).
The CO2 in the top of the reactor is not restricted from flowing around the recirculation loop so it will freely zip along over and over again. The line from the CO2 TANK is regulated by your (surprise!) regulator...you can't pull CO2 from the regulator via a venturi or anything, the regulator will provide you with CO2 at the pressure you have set (based on the bubble count, if not the actual pressure setting!).
The "From Tank" line in your picture, I'm guessing is TANK WATER from the tank. Which you can use a gravity/siphon feed, or a small pump.
Basically, you are just mixing up the tank water and the fresh CO2 with the water and CO2 that are already in the reactor. The reason you need to also draw CO2 from the top of the reactor is that the bubbles of CO2 won't fully dissolve and will form a large bubble at the top of the reactor.
Some reactors are reversed, meaning the pumps water from top to bottom, instead of bottom to top.
V
Vincerama2
Active member
I'm not sure, but I think you have something backwards! You should put water FROM the tank into the chamber with the pump, so it gets niced and mixed up. I believe the purpose of the second chamber is to give the acidic (ie; CO2 saturated) water that was mixing around, a second chance to dissolve some extra calcium media.
In your diagram above, swisth the "Back to tank" and "In From Tank" lines, then draw the brown arrow the other way around.
Otherwise...what would be the point of the second (in your diagram "first") chamber? Passing tank water through media without CO2 enriching it is not really doing anything...but passing CO2 enriched water back OUT through a media filled second chamber will help reduce the CO2 in the effluent and you get one last pass at calcium media to dissolve.
V
In your diagram above, swisth the "Back to tank" and "In From Tank" lines, then draw the brown arrow the other way around.
Otherwise...what would be the point of the second (in your diagram "first") chamber? Passing tank water through media without CO2 enriching it is not really doing anything...but passing CO2 enriched water back OUT through a media filled second chamber will help reduce the CO2 in the effluent and you get one last pass at calcium media to dissolve.
V
Deuce67
New member
Lonnie, the hand tite plugs dont come with holes. I used a 1/4 npt tap to create the hole. The water coming in from the tank must enter the chamber with the pump. The design that GBEC has here is a reverse flow reactor. The pump should have the intake towards the top and output at the bottom of the chamber. Also, when you tap the hole for the pump (the top part), make sure its lower than the output to the second chamber. You will create an air lock on the pump if you dont. I made that mistake.
