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Anyone want a DIY Reactor?

Ed Seeley

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Joined
3 Jul 2007
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3,258
Location
Nottingham
Rather than pollute and sidetrack Behjold's thread any more I have decided to start up a new thread here.

Further to Simon's suggestion I've been looking at buying clear PVC pipe to make up a reactor and pricing things up a little further and I reckon I can do a reactor as the drawing below for about £25!
CO2Reactor-Layout1.jpg


That would include a half metre length of clear PVC, Grey PVC socket and bend at either end (they don't do the clear fittings in metric measurements!), 2 threaded reducers (to bring the 1.5" threaded sockets to 1/2" threaded) and 16mm or 12mm hosetails that fit into the 1/2" reducers, and a 16 or 12mm reducing tee with a 4mm connection for the CO2 line. I am quite happy to assemble them if people would like them but to get them at that price we'd have to have 10 people! Otherwise it will cost more per section. If people want a longer reactor then they could have that for a bit more. I could also change the design in any way people want to fit in with their ideas or send you the bits for you to make it up yourself. As I'm not going to charge for any labour though that won't make it cheaper!!!!

This won't include postage so that may up the price a bit, but I can't imagine a hollow plastic reactor will cost much to send! I could also get some plastic Bioballs if people want them in the reactor, though I don't think I'll bother as I don't think they helped in my last reactor at all.

Let me know on this thread guys if anyone would be interested. Once I know whether there's demand or not then I can look at whether it'll be viable.
 
This could be a side line Ed.....!!! although its the only way to cover the clear pipe costs....
 
Behold said:
This could be a side line Ed.....!!! although its the only way to cover the clear pipe costs....

That's all I'm planning, to cover the cost of the clear pipe! If people just want to share the clear pipe then let me know that too, I'm quite happy just to split that up instead as I'll never get through 5m of the stuff on my own!!!
 
JAmesM said:
I'm a diy freak, but if you can show one working and results are good, I'd be interested :)

The problem is I'll only really be able to buy the stuff if a few people show interest. It is exactly the same design really as my previous reactor (viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1331) so I know this design will work well. I prefer to inject the CO2 in the filter tubing first as it then starts to mix with the water before entering the reactor at a high velocity to mix up.

It will need a bleed valve but I'm not 100% sure where to put it for the best result. It would be easy to fit one to the top of the reactor so I can do that for anyone too with a metal airline valve.
 
Is no one interested in some clear 50mm PVC pipe then without the fittings?

Half a metre will cost £5 plus postage, a metre will cost £10 plus postage.
 
Ed Seeley said:
Is no one interested in some clear 50mm PVC pipe then without the fittings?

Half a metre will cost £5 plus postage, a metre will cost £10 plus postage.

im kinda interested in the whole thing. but ive yet to get my larger fluval 405 filter and work out what/how to replace the ribbed fluval hosing to do more diy stuff with it.

to be honest buying a complete one from you will save me alot of effort and trial and error. :D
 
I'd prefer clear tubing so I can see what's going on in there! It's easy to spot if there's any dirt in there, or just watch the CO2 swirl around and dissolve! It's also easy to see if there's any gas build up.

I may have found a source where I can buy 10' lengths but including postage it won't work out much cheaper than the 5m option! I'm going to try ringing a couple of suppliers to see if I can get shorter lengths.
 
Ed,

Sorry i was referring to hijac about the flexiable hose, as he/she wants to replace the fluval ribbed hose.

Sorry for any confusion.

Cheers Gordon.
 
BINKSY1973 said:
Ed,

Sorry i was referring to hijac about the flexiable hose, as he/she wants to replace the fluval ribbed hose.

Sorry for any confusion.

Cheers Gordon.

Sorry mate, I understand now!
 
Well Ed, not too many people snapping your arm off!

I'm still up for it and would have some off you if you find this a viable option. I could even come and collect as I'm only half an hour away (if your the right side of Nottingham) and enjoy driving.

Just read your profile and very pleased that your into F1 and drinking, me too, usually at the same time! I find it difficult to justify the drink whilst watching the Australian & far eastern GPs (Singapore night-time an exception). Not so into genetics but as for teaching..... I'm still learning and even married a teacher so I can continue my education!

I can't use the reactor yet as I've only got a small set-up (24x12x18") but intend to upgrade some time this year, so don't mind investing for the future now. I would take the raw ingredients off you and adapt them accordingly when I get my new tank/cabinet.

Count me in!
 
Hi Ed

I'm quite interested in your reactor ! I'm starting a new tank in the next couple of weeks and want an inline reactor in the cabinet, so this could be ideal.

Out of curiosity if the tube was 300mm long instead of 500mm would it make a lot of difference to the CO2 absorbtion, or would you risk a build of CO2 in the filter ? I ask as I want to do as much as possible to shorten the distance the filter has to pump the water. I'll be running an Eheim 2128, and a Fluval 305 but will have a Hydor heater inline, a UV steriliser inline and the CO2 reactor (260l tank).

Thanks

Tony
 
Cheers Simon. I'm definitely going to build one, even if I have to buy the pipe and just sell bits off as I people want it! I might always be able to sell some lengths to koi guys I know for their filters!
We can definitely sort out meeting up to save postage and with the number of us there are in and around Nottingham we really need to sort out a meet, probably on the East side of Nottingham so none of us have too far to drive! Maybe not too far from my school in West Bridgford or something? Glad to hear there are more F1 nuts in UKAPS! (New Ferrari unveiled soon -12th January - so we'll be able to see the car that'll be following Lewis around this season!!!!)

Tony you could probably shorten it without problems but the shorter the length the less room there is for the CO2 to dissolve and so you might find some tiny bubbles coming out of the filter outlet. As your reactor should go on the outlet side of your filter it won't go into the filter and forms bubbles so no worries there. Also, especially if the reactor is empty, a long reactor should actually reduce the head on the pump! This is because head the pump works against is a function of two things, vertical or static head. This is the distance from the open water's surface to the height of the outlet or highest open point (so effectively zero) and the frictional head which is caused by the water bouncing against the walls of the pipework. Large diameter pipe has much lower frictional head and reducing the number of bends or making sure the bends are shallow swept bends rather than knuckle ones all reduce the head dramatically. I can make it whatever size will fit into your cabinet the best no problems at all!

I'll assume that I can makes 5 for people and cost it up accordingly and get to you all with prices. I'll just charge you for the pipe I use for each reactor, I'll pay for the spare and hoepfully sell it on later. I'll post up detailed costs later tonight.
 
Right I've got what I think will be a really good reactor and the price breakdown works out as follows;

0.5m by 50mm diameter Clear PVC pipe - £4.65
2, 50mm Black pipe clips - £2.14
1, 50mm to 1.5" thread 90 degree bend - £4.19
1, 50mm to 1.5" thread straight connector - £2.81
2, 1.5" to 1/2" threaded reducing bush - £1.78
2, 1/2" to 16mm barbed hose connectors - £0.62
1, 16mm reducing Tee with 4mm spur - £1.95
1, 4mm metal airline valve to bleed reactor - £0.95
1/5th share of delivery of parts - £5.59

This makes a total of £24.62 for all the parts. Once you've added in glue then I'll say £25 dead on. This will mean the solvent fittings will be sealed with PVC Solvent Cement that will never leak (I've plumbed loads of ponds with this stuff for myself, for friends and as part of my former business) and then some threaded fittings. These can drip when first assembled with PTFE tape so if anyone wants I'll seal the threaded joints with aquarium suitable silicone that will come apart if you need access. That might cost a bit more, but probably less than a quid.

As I said initially this is only to cover the costs and I'm not charging a penny for assembling them at all. I don't want to make money here, juts be able to have the reactor I want!!! The minimum order on the site with the clear pipe is £75 so I will need to make at least 5 reactors to get to that total from the parts I'd buy from them.

So I'm having one reactor, that leaves a minimum of 4 more!!!! (I can always make more than 5 up to a total of 10) I know some of you guys are definitely interested, how does that all sound to you? The only extra cost to the above is getting the finished reactor to you and that will be completely cost on what it actually costs to send the very well wrapped package, unless we can meet up to pass it over.

(By the way I can use different barbed fittings and tees to suit anywhere from 12mm pipe to 20mm or even higher by ordering slightly different parts so whatever you want let me know. If you've got different ideas and want a tee or something I can work out the price and let you know.)

I can also provide links to all the above parts if you want to have a look at them directly to see what they look like!!! Just ask here.
 
Sounds good to me Ed,

I'll put my name down for one straight away. As I mentioned earlier it's for a future tank and I don't know what external filter I'll have so I don't know the dimensions of the pipework. Probably an Eheim as I've read great reviews on them, Do they have standard size lines?

Many thanks
 
simondoherty1 said:
Sounds good to me Ed,

I'll put my name down for one straight away. As I mentioned earlier it's for a future tank and I don't know what external filter I'll have so I don't know the dimensions of the pipework. Probably an Eheim as I've read great reviews on them, Do they have standard size lines?

Many thanks

Fantastic Simon! That's two reactors then! Three, at least, to go!

Ehiem tubes are 12mm, 16mm and then I think the huge ones are maybe larger than that. I can get you an extra set of hosetails in 12mm for the grand total of 62p for both and a 12mm reducing tee costs £1.95 so it'd be an extra £2.57 so it could fit either 12mm or 16mm tubing. I'll check if they work in larger sizes and look at the cost of those fittings too. The other option would simply be 12mm to 16mm reducers before the reactor as going up in size won't slow the flow at all.

BTW I could get you barbed 12mm to 16mm reducers for 31p each too!
 
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