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Pics of Our DIY CA Reactor **91k PIC

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Lyscer View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 03 2007 at 1:24am
A few months ago Corwando and I got talking about CA Reactors and he came up with the idea and plans on how to build one. After a bumpy first run, we finally got the second run working and it has been running in my tank for almost a month now. Seems to do a great job keeping my levels where they should be but I have to blow-off excess C02 every other day Ouch. Anyways Here are the pics.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Savage Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 03 2007 at 8:17am
Looks great!


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Shane H View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shane H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 03 2007 at 9:30am
Can you slow the flow of CO2 and effluent? This may eliminate the need to evacuate the excess gas.
 
Looks great, BTW.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sivert55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 3:24pm
If by "blow-off" you mean releasing CO2 bubbles trapped under the cap of the reactor, I remember seeing a brand-name reactor that had an automatic venting valve built-in.  Somehow, it would let gas bubble escape through the cap on top of the chamber, but not water.  I'll look for it and post it if I find it.
Sold it all. Building a 285 with dedicated fishroom.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyscer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 3:26pm
was it a schuran reactor?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fj40fax Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 3:43pm
That is almost identical to my phosphate reactors.  Mike, you may want to convert one of your huge one's.  The flow in the pictures doesn't seem to make sense to me, it looks like the co2 is going in the short tube.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sivert55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 3:47pm
Here it is . 
I can't see the auto-vent mechanism in great detail, but this is the only example I've ever seen of an automatic solution to your problem.
If I misunderstood "blow-off" and you really meant aerating the water to give the saturated CO2 gas a chance to escape, you can just run the effluent through your skimmer to achieve that.
I also noticed by your diagram that the water is pushed through the white pipe towards the bottom of the chamber and then it looks like it's forced to filterback up through the rocks and exit out the top of the chamber.  That counters the way I thought most CRs ran; pushing water from the top of the chamber through the media to the bottom, then out to the recirc pump, with the overage being forced out the top of the chamber to an add-on chamber (where it goes from bottom to top like a fluidized bed) or directly to the sump.
The MTC Procal, the MRC CR-5 and 6, and the Knop-C reactors are what I'm basing my observations on. 
Or have you drilled holes in that white pipe to use it as a spraybar style setup (like the MRC CCR-645)?
BTW: nice job on the acrylic work.  I wish my assemblies looked that clean!  I like the way you sunk the nylon screw heads into the top plate.
Sold it all. Building a 285 with dedicated fishroom.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyscer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 4:05pm
It is based loosely off of the Korallin reactors. I use to have a Knop-c and it pushed the water through the media (From top to bottom), where as our reactor is pulling the water through the media (outputs water below media and sucks the water through it, like you mentioned). I take no credit for the top of the unit, that was all Corwando, and he did an excellent job.

By blow-off, I am referring to excess C02 getting trapped at the top of the reactor so I open up the blow-off valve to allow the air to be pushed out by incoming water.

The holes that are drilled in the smaller pipe where originally to help with flow because I had a bridal veil material over it, but it annoyed me so I took it off.


Fax - If you look at the red arrow I drew in the reactor, I was trying to show that water is sucked up through the short pipe and is then drawn into the pump. When the C02 goes into the bubble counter it is sucked into the pump by the direction of the flow. It is then output at the bottom of the media.


Edited by Lyscer - April 05 2007 at 4:11pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Corey Price Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2007 at 6:28pm

The reverse flow calcium reactor isn't anything new, and neither is this reactor Dale and I built.  Deltec calcium reactors are similar to this DIY reactor as well.  Reverse flow reactors claim to prevent channeling and clogging of fines within the media by the nature of the flow. 

We will work on a better build description, together with more pics.  The hardest part of the project was cutting and gluing the acrylic, but configuring the plumbing and coordinating holes in the PVC top was up there as well. The project was definitely worth it to me, and really fun.  The design criteria said no pumps off the side, no side-inlets in the acrylic tube, etc.  Now I just need to finish the identical twin to this reactor.
 
Did we save money versus buying a similar Korralin unit?  I'd say most definitely.  Is it comparable?  Probably.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jfinch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2007 at 9:10am
Very nice reactor guys!
 
It's easy to keep a reactor free from CO2 build up at the top of the reactor.  Just tee the outlet from your "blow-off" valve over to the suction of the pump and keep the blow-off valve just barely cracked all the time.  As soon as a single bubble of CO2 is formed it is sucked back into the pump and dissolves.  You only want the valve cracked open because any flow through this line is bypassing the media bed.  This is how I have my reactor set up and I never get CO2 built up, unless the blow-off valve gets shut or clogged.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jfinch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2007 at 9:14am
Oh and I don't personally think it makes a bit of difference whether the circulation is upflow or downflow.   Although if your curculation is high enough to slightly "fluidize" the media bed, then upflow would be better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jhamb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 19 2007 at 11:15pm
Lycer did you ever find a solution to this problem??

Jon what happens if your calcium reactor builds up with pressure?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyscer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 20 2007 at 9:16am
Yes I did find a solution for this. It was an issue with how I had the hoses configured. Once I swapped them around I haven't had any kind of excess CO2 build-up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shane H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 20 2007 at 9:48am

Jon what happens if your calcium reactor builds up with pressure?

I can tell you: CRACK.  My regulator failed and I dumped CO2 directly from my tank into the reactor. The pressure swelled the reactor and cracked the acrylic. Fortunately, Eric was able to fix it for me.


 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyscer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2007 at 9:05am
Here is a picture of the new configuraion. I added the numbers to the lines so if you have any questions it will be easier to refer to the numbers than describing where the line is.

1- CO2 input line
2- Effluent Line
3- Water inlet
4- Makes it easier to prime the system and get all of the air out when filling the reactor back up with water.




Edited by Lyscer - August 25 2007 at 9:06am
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