DIY Duel Chamber Calcium Reactor

[mojoreef]

So while I am waiting for the balance of my rock to show up so I can start rockscaping I decided to rip up my single chamber fluidized reactor and build a Duel chamber conventional one. So here we go, no take in mind this was just done with stuff I had around the shop and some stuff from the local hardware store so its not as pretty as it could have been if I wasnt so cheap, lol

So my original 8 inch tube was 4 feet high so we cut it in half and then glued both halves to a piece of 3/8ths acrylic, (so for the lack of pictures on the early stages, my phone didnt keep all the ones we took)

Then we made some flanges, I didnt take any pics of the making of them as DonW has a much better DIY on these.

and then glued those to the tubes (notice our unique glueing press!!) we also glued in a piece of black acrylic between the two tubes for some stability

Ok so while that was glueing we decided to run off some stainer plates for inside the reactor. We did this by just running the acrylic squares over the table saw at just over half the thickness of the acrylic on both sides.

and then turn them into circles on a band saw

On one tube their was an existing rim of acrylic so a strainer will just fall on to it and on the other tube we had to put some legs on it. The other two strainer plates are to put on top of the media once the unit is filled.

 

[mojoreef]

Ok so after the blank flange was setup on the one tube I had to cut it out with a router, sorry about the poor pics.

and then after

Ok so I wanted to have a kind of CO2 diffuser built into this unit so I went to the hardware store and found some 3 inch acrylic tubing. and but off about a 10 inch piece. Their will be three hole in this tube, one on bottom for the co2 to come in (with a diffuser) then one in the middle for water to enter the unit and then for the co2 mixed water to go to the main pump of the calcium reactor. The concept here is to diffuse the co2 so that it absorbs into the water prior to entering the pump.

So here is one end being glued on KEY note here drill and tap these holes prior to the rest as the one into the acrylic tube can be a bit of a bear, I broke the tube once doing it.

and then the other

 

[mojoreef]

Ok so after that dried I took it to the router and cut off the excess, left a little lip on it because I glued it with weldon 16.

Then with the holes drilled and tapped, and yes I did break the first one, lol

Ok for the hole where the co2 enter I got a Penn Plax hi pore diffuser

and then attached it to the opposite side of a John Guest fitting with a little silicone

and then finished product

and then mounted it to the the black spacer between the two tubes

ok more to come in a bit


Mojo

 

[TylerHaworth]

I wish I was "crafty" like this, seems like it would be a lot of fun making my own equipment... Looks great!

 

[mojoreef]

Ok got some more done.

Drilled a hole in the flange of the first chamber and then used a 3/4 bulkhead that I did some cutting on.

On the bottom of the first chamber where the water comes into the first tube I put a cross with a bunch of holes drilled on the underside. I think this will diffuse the water flow.

mojo

 

[mojoreef]

Then time to drill and tap some holes for John guest fittings.

mojo

 

[mojoreef]

Anyway I am now waiting for some tubes and some media and then I can get this one wet.

 

[mojoreef]

Ok so this puppy is now in service

and this one is for Frankie you wanted to see the diffuser, so if you look closely you can the CO2 coming out as very very tiny bubbles, so if you couple this diffuser with a slightly small hole size on the water output (which creates a bit of pressure) in the tub all the CO2 dissolves prior to leaving this little tube and thus no CO2 pockets in the main tubes.

mojo

 

[tnwillia]

Nice build, congrats!