Frankie's 120gal. glass experiment

[Frankie]

Thanks everyone! I am having fun building and designing these things. I have modified both the skimmer and the reactor just a bit from the models i have copied. I am hoping that building them will one day lead to my own design. This ca++ reactor has been my biggest challenge yet. Most reactors are down flow and covered with all kinds of junk making it hard to service. This one is an up flow on both chambers. I might need to have one tube coming out of the top of each for co2 build up release. That is one of the flaws i am seeing with the Barr design. I am getting most of my info from three other reactors and bringing them all into one unit. Fun fun!
Pictures again tomorrow. Tonight i made the bubble counter.

 

[Varga]

If you send me your skimmer and reactor, I volunteer to test them and post the result on RS at no charge to you!! :bouncer:

 

[JWarren]

Oh man! I was waiting for that!

 

[BarbMazz]

I hadda come post on this thread because then I will be counted as one of the Great Important People on RS.

Nice work on the reactor, Frankie... you know I think you're an artist! You think you're ever going to try to market some of your designs? I'm thinking not since you're posting them here, but I think you certainly could!

 

[kathywithbirds]

I hadda come post on this thread because then I will be counted as one of the Important People on RS.

hhmmm. OK, now I'm important too. I'm sending Mike over here to see how to build his own stuff, he wants to start on a DIY skimmer.

BTW, Frankie, I think you need a nano.

 

[sasquatch]

Yeah Frankie I wanted to feel GREAT today but after looking at your new reactor I will mumble a wow looks great! and stupidly ask HOW?? feel free to PM me a flamer lol, I can take it

 

[Frankie]

Thanks Barb. according to the patent office, if i have dated pictures of my creations (pictures here online) I will never have to worry about some one stealing my idea. A patent is for marketing. I have no desire to turn my hobby into work though.
Kathy i have one. It's in my attic

 

[Frankie]

How what O hairy one?

 

[Triggerjay]

hey frankie, you could tap the lids of the reactor, and put some 1/4" jayco valves on it, and just open them up once in a while when you get air buildup.. basically a purge valve..

Jason

 

[Frankie]

Or i could plump the lines down to the pump feed and recycle it continuously

 

[JWarren]

Line plumper!

 

[Frankie]

Woops! Plump is good sometimes..

 

[JWarren]

Lol! Yup!

 

[tbittner]

Woops! Plump is good sometimes..

Yeah, if you're cooking ballpark hot dogs....

 

[Triggerjay]

I think I see what you mean. Plumb (Plump! LOL) it into the suction side of the pump.. this way it will re-circulate the gas...But..won't the gas eventually need to get out somewhere though so it doesn't eventually fill the reactor with air/gas? My effluient line comes out of the top of the reactor, so all the excess gas also travels out with the effluient... I still get an air lock on the pump once in a while. have to knock it around a little to break loose the bubble. The reactor looks great though! Good Job! I am curious how you overcome the gas buildup issue. If your idea works, I may have to do something similiar to mine.. I dont like anything in my system needing human intervention (bumping the reactor) to keep it working consistantly..

Jason

 

[Frankie]

I am done. Here it is being leak tested. Leak free btw
I am dumping my 15 gallon of top off water through it and then going to hook it up.
I voted the recirculating valve out because after looking at it really hard i see no way it would be needed. All the water up flows and out the top of the reactor anyhow so it cannot get an air lock! I am a genius
here are the final two pictures. Not much to it. The two lines on top don't interfere at all with accessing the chambers. Can't wait to see what it does for the tank. I will be adding a ph probe to the main chamber later on when i get the compression fitting for it. This is the back side. From the front you see no lines except two from the top.

 

[BarbMazz]

Let the yucking up of the beautiful new equipment begin!

 

[sasquatch]

draw some arrows on it man, I got lost at the first turn

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Sweet lookin' so far Frankie!

 

[vdituri]

draw some arrows on it man, I got lost at the first turn

Lots of arrows please.