Chin_Lee
04-30-2008, 04:41 AM
So I finally got around to making a new reactor. I planned the design based on several other models sold in retail stores.
The unit`s pump is a sedra 5000 and its a downflow unit. I chose downflow because I didn`t like the air bubbles being trapped in the media as it did with my previous upflow model. In hindsight, currently bubbles are still trapped with the downflow so it didn`t really matter which way the flow goes.
One pet peeve of mine with my previous reactor is having to change the media. So I copied Spazz`s (on RC) idea and made a removable media chamber. Also included an inline drain valve on the upflow to drain the chamber when I need to change the media. The removable chamber is 22 inches high which allows two containers of ARM media to fit inside. As you can see I`ve put in an older ARM coarse on top and newer ARM coarse on the bottom hence the difference in media`s appearance. The total height of the reactor is about 27 inches high.
Other ideas I incorporated:
- I used a heat gun to create a dome on the top lid for the recircuation line and to prevent C02 pooling at the top.
- in-line probe holder to monitor the pH level inside the reactor
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2817.jpg Front Profile
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2816.jpg Side Profile
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2820.jpg Removable chamber bolted to the lower chamber
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2818.jpg Domed top to help with C02 recirculation line.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2819.jpg pH probe holder and in-line drain valve
The unit`s pump is a sedra 5000 and its a downflow unit. I chose downflow because I didn`t like the air bubbles being trapped in the media as it did with my previous upflow model. In hindsight, currently bubbles are still trapped with the downflow so it didn`t really matter which way the flow goes.
One pet peeve of mine with my previous reactor is having to change the media. So I copied Spazz`s (on RC) idea and made a removable media chamber. Also included an inline drain valve on the upflow to drain the chamber when I need to change the media. The removable chamber is 22 inches high which allows two containers of ARM media to fit inside. As you can see I`ve put in an older ARM coarse on top and newer ARM coarse on the bottom hence the difference in media`s appearance. The total height of the reactor is about 27 inches high.
Other ideas I incorporated:
- I used a heat gun to create a dome on the top lid for the recircuation line and to prevent C02 pooling at the top.
- in-line probe holder to monitor the pH level inside the reactor
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2817.jpg Front Profile
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2816.jpg Side Profile
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2820.jpg Removable chamber bolted to the lower chamber
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2818.jpg Domed top to help with C02 recirculation line.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o309/chin_lee/IMG_2819.jpg pH probe holder and in-line drain valve