DIY Fluidised Bed Reactor

[ervine]

Hi guys,

After using lock & lock tupperware for my skimmer, I decided to have a go at making a small fluidised bed reactor out of it...

Here's what I got... total costs around $10-$15....

This is a pic of the first water test, as expected it leaked at the connections, so siliconed them up and they are now water tight...

I then used nylon stockings to cover the input and output holes to prevent any phosphate removing media from escaping the container... (not shown in pic)

Ran a successful test with 250ml of Seachem phosguard without much movement in the phosguard granules even when I was running a 900l/h pump... prob can even sqeeze in another 500ml...

But my sump isn't ready to test it (still lacking essential ball valves to prevent flooding)... also a little worried that it might spring a leak or something (murphy's law)... so as of now it's still sitting under my tank..

Just thought u guys out there with tight budgets like myself might want to have a go at it...

Hope this helps,

Ervine

[hermit]

simple but effective pcs of work..............

good.................

wan to do also.............

[weishun]

Ehhh what is this thing ah if i may ask? Whats the purpose of this item? And how does it works? Sorry ah me quite new and i dunno quite alot of things, so must ask ask. Kinda prefer DIYed items rather then buying commercialised products which are more expensive. So dun mind can someone explain to me what is this product which you made?

[five for fighting]

someone explain to me too........hehe...

[giantbicycle]

someone explain to me too........hehe...

It works as a FR...where you put GAC, carbon ,rowaphos/contraphos/biophos... ..search for Fluidised reactor in SRC and you can find the answer..But in short, this is what you put inside..For me , i am using a canister to do the job.. hope this helps even a bit..

rgds:edwan

[ryz]

fluidized reactor ensures maximum utilisation of GAC, Rowaphos and the likes. It ensures that the water passing thru it will pass thru these medias so that whatever pollutants that the media will remove is removed at maximum efficiency. Much higher flow than just dumping these medias in a corner of ur sump.

[weishun]

Ohh i see... very clever piece of equipment. But can this thing be used in a sump? Or is it for use only in a canister system?

[ervine]

Ohh i see... very clever piece of equipment. But can this thing be used in a sump? Or is it for use only in a canister system?

Used in a canister system? I don't understand... yes can put in your sump but that just takes up space lah...

[weishun]

Hmm... feel like constructing one for myself leh. Can anyone teach me how to go around making one? But what are the best possible mediums i should put inside it to maximise its usefulness?

[giantbicycle]

But what are the best possible mediums i should put inside it to maximise its usefulness?

medias are your choice..Any media passing through the FR is your choice..Is just that this FR makes gushing or passing through it so that your media will be effectively used and not just like when you put it in the sump and the water will not 100% go through / run throught it..and the effectiveness will not be there..So you can put anything like ROWA phos , GAC, Carbon Etc...

[giantbicycle]

Hi guys,

After using lock & lock tupperware for my skimmer, I decided to have a go at making a small fluidised bed reactor out of it...

Here's what I got... total costs around $10-$15....

This is a pic of the first water test, as expected it leaked at the connections, so siliconed them up and they are now water tight...

I then used nylon stockings to cover the input and output holes to prevent any phosphate removing media from escaping the container... (not shown in pic)

Ran a successful test with 250ml of Seachem phosguard without much movement in the phosguard granules even when I was running a 900l/h pump... prob can even sqeeze in another 500ml...

But my sump isn't ready to test it (still lacking essential ball valves to prevent flooding)... also a little worried that it might spring a leak or something (murphy's law)... so as of now it's still sitting under my tank..

Just thought u guys out there with tight budgets like myself might want to have a go at it...

Hope this helps,

Ervine

But , if i would like to ask, there is a pipe/PVC going through the FR itself and with that, how can iput my meida inside?? cut a hole in the netting bag?? or is there other alternaltives which you have designed..?? The PVC is the one in my pic i have drawed an arrow..Pls advice..THANX veri much.

[ryz]

place the filtartion medial around it so that it fills to above the output of the pump(the PVC pipe that extends to the bottom. so basically the water will flow to the bottom, flow thru the filtration media, and exit thru the PVC pipe at the top.

[ervine]

place the filtartion medial around it so that it fills to above the output of the pump(the PVC pipe that extends to the bottom. so basically the water will flow to the bottom, flow thru the filtration media, and exit thru the PVC pipe at the top.

Exactly....

In addition i used stockings cable tied to the opening to prevent any back siphonage of media particles...

[giantbicycle]

Exactly....

In addition i used stockings cable tied to the opening to prevent any back siphonage of media particles...

oic...understand liao..THANKS..

[Warsteiner]

COOL

[typrobin]

i thnk instead of leaving the medium on the bottom of the box, should try to suspend them with an extra plastic...

let the water flow thru from below and go thru every single strain of medium...

if the medium is left at the bottom, only the top layer will be active, but the bottom layer of medium will be left lying there and will be redundant...

blue arrow - water flow

red patches - medium

[ryz]

yep yep... glue and eggcrate at a level above the PVC output hole then put the media on tjhe eggcrate. maybe can DIY for us lazy ones? haha

[Achilles Tang]

You wouldn't believe it but I had the very same idea!

My wife thought I was mad when I spent like 15 mins staring hard at this tupperware at Tangs.

Gave the idea up coz I really liked the professional look of the Reef Maniac series...

[Eric]

You wouldn't believe it but I had the very same idea!

My wife thought I was mad when I spent like 15 mins staring hard at this tupperware at Tangs.

Gave the idea up coz I really liked the professional look of the Reef Maniac series...

Ya, so maybe we should have 2 separate folders - DIY for the RICH & DIY for the POOR.......hehe

Eric

[tineng]

waiting to see if anyone is going to DIY a tupperware CR....

[typrobin]

ervine always have a lot of DIY stuffs...

he is one of the really cheapo DIY gurus like me ( imean the cheapo part)...as long as it works, who cares bout how it look...hahahaha

think i will ask him make a lock lock FR for me...ervine how much huh??

[typrobin]

You wouldn't believe it but I had the very same idea!

My wife thought I was mad when I spent like 15 mins staring hard at this tupperware at Tangs.

Gave the idea up coz I really liked the professional look of the Reef Maniac series...

my mom would love it if i spend 15mins with her looking at tupperware....hehehehe

[auberon]

Hi. quite interesting what you guys can do with tupperware. What other cheapo DIY stuff can recommend? Tried my own kalkwasser doser with an inverted coke pet bottle but cap always leaking after first try. So after use a cheap tupperware from lelong shop, made hole at one end and poke in a plastic air valve then silicon it.

Placed it on the center bar of the tank and poor mixed kalkwasser into it and let it drip drip drip into the water. Can't afford those serious looking ones costing $50++

[auberon]

By the way, would there be any problems if you connected these DIY FR together n a series? Use only one pump for a few 'LOck & Lock' FR. One for Denitrators, one for PO4, One as a CR....

[ervine]

Glad the response is quite good.. hehe...

Tyrobin is right, should suspend the media slightly, which I intend to do with just filter foam (the more porous kind) maybe egg crate but I ran out liao...

and yup I'm super budget reefer.. sigh.. sad but no choice... so have to DIY almost everything...

So far my list of DIY stuff include:

1. Tank stand (Chengal Wood)

2. MH stand (PVC)

3. MH external ballast

4. Modded viclite MH hood (added fan)

5. Semi DIY Sump

6. Needlewheel skimmer (still need some money to get a better pump)

7. Auto-top up (air driven)

8. Kalkreactor

9. Fluidised reactor

AT: Aiyah, if I can afford the professional stuff I also go buy liao loh... haha...

Auberon: yup, I think can... I thought of that actually but din bother to do it lah... wanted to use one for carbon...

A word of caution though... tupperware is NOT meant to withstand internal hydrostatic pressure... it leaks very easily once pressure builds up in the container, even with the seals and all... even if it says it's 100% waterproof...

So take heed... the cheapo way is cheap, but it has it's risks...

Anyway a bit out of topic but here's a look at my tank now... not too bad for DIY lah...