DIY Ca Reactor

[IBJJ]

How well do these work compared to the ones you can purchase? I know its a great $ savings DIY but is everyone happy with the performace or would you purchase one if you were to do it over again?

 

[redneck]

Ahh...Someone hade that link. I have a mod of the Joshi design too. Added a simple second chamber, and use 3" unions at the top of each stage for filling. Sanjay's design works great. Barely breaks a sweat keeping my 180 tank and 68g sump at 440Ca/13dKh.

I highly recommend it. It keeps my PH between 8.45 and 8.10 too. (The second stage helped)

 

[gbtower]

IMO, DIY is just as good or better than the ones you can buy.

For one, you can save a lot if you keep it simple. Just use a single pass gravity-fed reactor. You save on the pump (and replacements), on the extra plumbing fittings, on the needle valve (or whatever you use to reduce the output co2 pressure), on the electricity to run the pump, and on co2 since it will be used more efficiently. Just use a glass diffuser (e.g. Eheim) to introduce the co2 into a cylinder in which the input water flows from top to bottom. Then direct the co2 laden water into the bottom of another cylinder containing your calc media. Taller chambers increase the efficiency of the reactor.

 

[AFH]

Well I have a diy cal reactor. I owned an aquamedic one before that. I decided to build one because the aquamedic constantly leaked. they all function on the same principal co2 dissolves the media. The difference is looks and ease in replacing the media. I use a drip emit to control the drip rate into my tank. In my diy reactor I have a hole that I attach a ph monitor I use my controller to control the efficient in the chamber my Dkh is 12.5 and my Calcuim is about 460. I also added a second chamber
Sanjay diy reactor

 

[Anonymous]

Here are some more DIY Calcium Reactor Links

 

[IBJJ]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'll give it a try and see what I can do. Anyone else have anymore input?

 

[odenwell]

Here's my DIY:

 

[IBJJ]

That looks great Odenwell. You did a really good job on it.