DIY Calcium Reactor.

[Phang]

Hi All,

I was going thru the web sites in search of DIY ed Calcium Reactors...

And was thinking of using my eheim canister filter for it...

Since the canister has a inbuilt pump, solves the problem of purchasing one...

What do you think, guys????

[Achilles Tang]

Interesting idea.

Not effective IMO. Input and output too close to each other.... you are inputting CO2 and it won't have any chance to dissolve the media and will be shunted out into the tank too fast, causing a massive drop in PH and algae blooms as CO2 is a fertilizer to them.

Flow will be too high. Hard to control.

Any others care to comment?

[Tanzy]

Take a look at this.

[robe]

Phang,

You can buy a 4" clear PVC pipe at Hai Cheong Plastics. Get around 20 to 24 inches long and then sela the other end with a 4" PVC pipe cap and the other end glue on a 4" straight PVC coupling. The top end uses a 4" threaded pipe cap so that you can put the calcium carbonate inside.

Put a raised plastic platform at the bottom using those plastic aircon grilles. On the bottom part drill a hole around 1" from the base so that you can fit a 16 mm or 13 mm pvc pipe and glue it in. You can also use a 1/2 inch pipe tap and thread it if you prefer a threaded connection. do the same on the upper portion of the 4" pipe around 2 inches below the top.

Buy a Eheim 1046 or 1048 pump for the recirculation. Use the upflow approach by connecting the pump outlet to the bottom portion and the upper portion to the return. See the attach pic of my DIY reactor.

You need to inject the CO2 near the pump intake. You also need to purchase small valves 1/8 -1/4 "(Gardena from garden supplies)

[Morgan]

Robe

Nice looking Cal reactor. Your pump look like on a balancing act.

[Tanzy]

Nice view!

[ECBM]

Robe

you had a Nice looking Cal reactor.

[Phang]

Hi Tanzy,

I was actually thinking of using the eheim 2213 as it is without a external pump... dunno whether it works.....

Robe,

All the materials are from Hai Cheong Plastics???? do they do drillings for you too....

BTW, Very nice looking Cal reactor you have there....veri nice

[Phang]

Interesting idea.

Not effective IMO. Input and output too close to each other.... you are inputting CO2 and it won't have any chance to dissolve the media and will be shunted out into the tank too fast, causing a massive drop in PH and algae blooms as CO2 is a fertilizer to them.

Flow will be too high. Hard to control.

Any others care to comment?

I'm actually refering to the older series model 2213... where the intake is at the bottom and the output is at the top.... since it has its own internal pump, was thinking of placing a input for CO2 at the intake....

Could use T shape connectors attached at the input and output with a control valve at the output to control the effluent flow rate back to the sump.....

flow thru the 2213 is at 440 l/hr....

Anyone to advise on this????

[robe]

You need to inject the CO2 right near the pump's suction so that it can be broken down into microbubbles and dissolved in the water. Is the pump in the cover? If yes you need to modify it to enable the CO2 suction directly otherwise it won't be effective. Alternatively you can install another pump for recirculation.

[bawater]

robe, how much did the clear pvc cost?

& where is Hai cheong?

[Phang]

Hi Guys...

I was thinking of modelling this approach using the Eheim 2213 canister..

Will get a external pump (those with air let in the pump input) and fix ti to a Tee joint.... the output would proceed to the input (base) of the cansister, allowing the water flow upwards and out of the cansister output..there would be a Tee joint here with one end as the effluent to the sump... a control valve would be located here to control the amt of effluent into the sump... the remaininf end would then be connected back to the forst Tee joint.....

Anybody keen to comment???

[Phang]

You need to inject the CO2 right near the pump's suction so that it can be broken down into microbubbles and dissolved in the water. Is the pump in the cover? If yes you need to modify it to enable the CO2 suction directly otherwise it won't be effective. Alternatively you can install another pump for recirculation.

Hi Robe...

Need your help as i have been to Hai Cheong....

After seeing all the PVC parts they possessed... felt that it is better to DIY the Calcium Reactor... most probably going down this Sat morning to get the materials....

BTW, one question, do i need a pump to push water into the Calcium Reactor from the sump or would the pump running the reactor be enough to pull water into the reactor???

And ....

I assume that if the pump running the reactor is pulling water into it, then the amount of water entering the reactor from sump would actually be restricted by the outflow from the reactor thru a gate valve..???

Then would it be possible if let's say that I control the amount of flow out by installing the gate valve at the water entry point from sump so as to avoid calcium deposition at the valve........???

[robe]

I use another pump to push the water into the reactor but you can modify it in such a way that you use gravity to do that. You can hook a hose up into the tank and let the water flow into the reactor and out into the sum. T

Use a bigger diameter hose for the input and a plastic air valve on the output to contol the drip rate.

[Phang]

Robe,

If I'm gonna pump water into the reactor thru a pump, would there be a requirement toplace a tee joint before the input... was thinking that the amount of water flowing into the reactor is actually determined by the output drip rate .. right??

Again a valve at the input , could it be used to control the amount of water in so that secondly will also determine the drip rate of the effluent.....out into the tank....

[robe]

You will need to control the input as excessive pressure will cause waater to back up in the bubble counter.

[Phang]

Huh????

Wouldn't there be a check valve installed after the bubble counter to prevent water back flow????

So.... water can be controlled via input...and would indirectly determine the effluent into sump???? therefore no need for valve at the output???

[alvy]

Hi phang,

according to what I read from the operations of some branded States Calcium reactor, the reactor would be more efficient if it is pressurised, ie, controlling the output at the outlet instead of at the inlet. This will affect the efficiency of CO2 dissolution into the water.

this is wat i read from the Korallin calcium reactor feature explanation:

The internal recirculation flow rate of the C-1502 is around 80 g/h. Since that this is a pressurized calciumreactor, the dissolution of the media by the carbonized water is enhanced. The effluent rate is only about 0.25 g/h at 40 drops / min. Thus explaining the efficient CO2 & media use. CO2 is being introduced into the Eheim powerhead direct - this is the most efficient Aspirating-Venturi method.

[url:]http://www.marine-monsters.com/front/products/kalkreaktor.html

wat u should do is to use a good check valve for CO2 injection.

hope this helps!

[Phang]

Thanks for your reply...

BTW, my DIYed Skimmer should be ready any time soon....

Another thing, would be glad if there is a demonstration of how your Korallin DIYed Calcium Reactor works...

[robe]

Theoritically increasing pressure would cause the CO2 gas to dissolve int he water and the pressure would keep it in dissolution much like carbonated drinks.

The pressure required to do that would be much higher than any small pump can deliver unless you use an Iwaki and throttle the output into your reactor. But then it would require your gas injection pressure to be high as well.

In carbonated drinks they do that in pressure vessels and cooling the liquid at the same time to dissolve the gas. They then inject the liquid into your typical plastic bottles or cans. What keeps the CO2 from bubbling out of the water is the small amount of gas that has been liberated inside the container. The vapor pressure exerted by the gas is enough to keep the CO2 in the water but once that pressure is released you can see the co2 bubbling out of your carbonated drink.

[Phang]

Great!!!

Robe and Alvy,

Will definitely come back and look for you guys once I proceed with my Calcium Reactor DIY.....

Thanks.

[schnauzer]

hi robe,

i saw the reactor you've made, very well done.

btw wat did you use for the media?

aregonate sand?

and how much have you spend for all the plastic & pump?

thank you

[robe]

I'm now using a mix of aquamedic calcium carbonate and coral chips. The aquamedic is too expensive. Pump is an Eheim 1048 costing around $60. The calc reactor body is probably around $50.

[schnauzer]

thanks robe

[yazid]

It would be great if someone could post the schematics and the hardware requirements required to built it. And where they could get all the parts from. And the cost involve.