• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

DIY Project High flow DIY reactor - now with video

Right, I have ordered everything I need to make 2 of these bad boys.

One thig is concerning me however. I'm concerned that the entry of the co2 pipe to the filter housing will be a weak point and may leak water at some point. I remember using a similar method on my DIY CO2 bottles, and it was very difficult to stop leaks.

Any ideas at some kind if adaptor that I could use to attach the CO2 pipe to, that I could fix permanently unplaced to the top of the filter housing?
 
Depends of the filters design as some of the canisters have a threaded bleed valve than can be used or you can drill a hole & tap it with a thread yourself or you could feed the gas into the pump inlet or you can feed the gas into the entry pipe & avoid the hole completely or you can just do as recomended as I have never had one fail.
In other word the 6mm co2 pipe does not even have to go into the canister, I found my method to be the most effient but other methods work too.
 
Can I ask what working pressure is required to run these reactors? As i'm currently still using the UP inline atmoizer which my JBL reg runs at 2.5 bar ish... will I still need this pressure to force the co2 through the ceramic stone used?
The ceramic stone, is this just an airstone or a diffuser/atomizer?
Lastly, sorry for the questions, you use airline hosing? not co2 tubing, i'm not going to say you're wrong as it obviously works, can I use co2 tubing or is it best to use the airline? Just getting myself confused with what i've been told to do with my current set up.
I now have my 1st new JBL e1501 running alongside my existing Fluval 305, my plan is to get another JBL shortly and run two of these reactors from the one FE, one from each filter, my tank is a 260 litre bow front and currently not happy with flow etc hence new filters being planned and new co2 delivery.
My hosing woud be 16/22mm so need to sort out the connections/barbs etc for this standard piping, i'm useless at this though...
again apologies for more questions
Clive
 
I use silicone air line & change it every year or so, I am not sure about C02 line as I have never even seen any!
However If it is supple I would think it would be ok.
The design is adaptable & will even work without the low pressure ceramic stone so you don't need high pressure at all.
I have tried injecting the gas into the main feed pipe using a barbed T connector, this worked with lower flow rates but started to allow bubbles to escape at higher flows around 2000lph.
 
I'll order them then 🙂 I will photograph my setup every step I the way incase it helps someone. Not quite up to video evidence!

The filter housings turned up today, with the hose tail threaded connectors. Getting excited now to get it all together.

Wish I had got elbow connectors now however, I'm thinking it would have made placement of the unit in my cupboard easier 🙁
 
I hate that I over think things.

I'm now thinking that once that bulkhead is screwed onto the unit, the bottom bit will stick into the pipe so much that it may impede flow a bit? It's a bit if a narrow gap as it is (3/4" ports) and if half of the pipe is obscured by re bulkhead?

The only reason I want the pipe really going into the water filter housing is so I can attach an air stone of something to increase surface area of the gas for diffusion into the water, am I over thinking or should I just go for it and see what happens?
 
I have figured it out!!! I'm going to create my own thread I think to stop clogging up yours now. I'll explain it all in there. Thanks for all of your help 🙂 really appreciated!
 
foxfish said:
I use silicone air line & change it every year or so, I am not sure about C02 line as I have never even seen any!
However If it is supple I would think it would be ok.
The design is adaptable & will even work without the low pressure ceramic stone so you don't need high pressure at all.
I have tried injecting the gas into the main feed pipe using a barbed T connector, this worked with lower flow rates but started to allow bubbles to escape at higher flows around 2000lph.
Click to expand...

Thanks foxfish, yes co2 tubing is much stiffer and less supple than airline tubing so probably wouldn't seal too well on it's own as airline does, it may work through one of the push fit connectors though.😉 it's just that I have enough length of co2 tubing already on my set up to use rather than strip it down and replace, it's fairly new too.
Waste not want not and all that.
Can you confirm again re the ceramic stone you use, these are not the high pressure diffusers then? just an air stone?
Looking at several DIY reactors, I'm certainly doing yours, not that the others are wrong etc, yours seems to have the right size for my cupboard and has been proven and there's a tad less DIY to do etc, looks fantastic.
Great inspiration foxfish, thanks for giving me a push to do this rather than go and spend similar cash on a branded model which may not be upto the task.

Would you say that one 10" model would be sufficient to run in my Vicenza 260 litre bowfront running from JBL e1501 filters without a separate pump as you use? or should I continue with my planned pair running through spray bars the full length of the 4 foot tank?
 
OK that's good to know, i'll look for a pair of 12" to be safe then, and thanks for the link to the atomiser🙂

can you check my calculations are right so not to reduce flow using my 16/22mm JBL filter hose, the filter housing will have 3/4 " (19mm OD) female ports? Using barbed elbows with 3/4" male thread and a 16mm barb as per these?

Polyethylene Pipe & Fittings - Metric barb fittings - Mega 3/4" x 16mm Elbow barb x male thread (0121205) - Irrigation UK > Garden, Commercial & Agricultural Irrigation, Dust Suppression & Watering Systems, Drip Irrigation, Swimming Pool Pumps & Filters

cheers
Clive
 
Yes those fittings look good, dont forget to buy some PTFE tape for the threads.
I dont know if 12" vessels are readily available anymore, they used to be the norm but seem to have been replaced by the 10" models.
If you could fit a 20" one under your tank that would deal with a huge amount of gas!
I am pretty sure a single 10" one will be fine it just depends on the individual tank, lighting etc...
The shape of the bottle neck can effect the dissolving rate, I found a long tapering neck better for low flows & a more round one better for high flows - its great fun messing around with bottle necks LOL... The beauty of the design revolve around being able to actually see what is happening & being able to easily get inside to adjust things...
 
ptfe, oh yes good shout...
i've been searching this morning on ebay and all for the 12" housings and your're spot on, I can't find any, is the actual height of your housing 12" from top to bottom or is it, I only ask as I get the impression that although the newer versions are labled as 10" housings, it's due to the fact they can hold a 10" filter and the overall height is actually 12"to 14"?

Just surmising, but i'll have to measure the height of my cabinet when I get home later for the 20" version, unsure if a 1400 lp/h filter full of media will be man enough to pump through this without losing any flow etc..hopefully the 10" are the 12" if that makes sense lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top