DIY Aauarium

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DIY Aquarium

By Blane Perun

Dual Chamber Calcium Reactor

by geo
Acrylic required:


two - 4 1/2'OD x 4 1/4' IDcast or extruded tube x 18' long (reactor body)
one - 1 1/4' OD x 1' ID extruded tube x 4' long (bubble counter)
two - 1 1/4' diameter acrylic disc x 1/8' thick (bubble counter)
one - 5' x 10' x 1/4' thick black acrylic sheet (reactor base plate)
two - 5' x 5'x 1/4' thick black acrylic sheet (reactor cap plates)


PVC required:


two - 2' threaded caps Savko part # 150020
two - 2' clean out adapter Savko part # 151020
three - 1/2' female thread fitting adapter Savko part # 478005
one - 1/2' tee sxsxs Savko part # 401005
one - 1/2' street 90 elbow Savko part # 409005
one - 1/2' MPT adapter Savko part # 436005
one - 1/2' union sxs Savko part # 457005
Three - 1/2' DIA. pipe x 1 1/2' long
two - 1 1/4' socket coupling sxs Savko part # 429012


Hose fittings required:


one - 1/2' mpt x 1/2' hose barb 90 elbow / US Plastic # 64309, Savko #0710005
one - 1/2' fpt x 1/2' hose barb adapter / Savko part #1435005
two - 1/2' mpt x 1/4' hose barb 90 elbow / US Plastic # 64307, Savko #0710072
one - 1/8' mpt x 1/4' hose barb 90 elbow / US Plastic # 64299, Savko #0710031
two - 1/8' mpt x 1/8' hose barb adapter / US Plastic # 64756,Savko #0736001


Misc. required:


two - eggcrate, 4' square. cut to fit inside of tube
two - Fluval 203 round foam (comes two in a box, 1 box required)
two - airline tube connectors (bubble counter)
one - 3/16' rigid air line tube x 3 58' long (bubble counter)
one - 1/2' ID x 5/8' OD vinyl hose x 12' long
one 1/4' ID x 3/8' OD vinyl hose x 48' long
one - 1/8' ID x 3/16' OD vinyl hose x 48' long
one - 3/16' ramp clamp (us plastics part # 16004)
one - airline check valve
This is the complete reactor with the hoses and pump in place. Notice that the 2' lids are drilled and tapped to accept the 1/8' MPT fittings for the hose connections.The bubble counter is also mounted between the cylinders to support the two tubes.
this is the 1/4' black sheet for the cap plates and base plate. The caps are 5' square, I use a circle cutter in a drill press to cut a 2 3/8' hole in each cap. this is for the clean out fitting. The base plate is a sheet 1/4' x 5' x 10'.
The 4 1/2' OD acrylic tube is cut using a 12' power miter saw with a 80 tooth carbide tip saw blade. I have used a miter box type hand saw in the past, but its not an easy thing to do. Try to buy your tube cut to length if you do not have access to this kind of equipment. I use a 7/8' hole saw to drill the tube for the insert fittings. I do use a drill press but have used a hand drill without problem.
Figure the pump intake center line and subtract 1/4' for your base plate to determine the location of the hole. A mag drive #2 has a 2' center line so the hole is drilled 1 3/4' off the bottom of the tube.
I drill the top of the tube for the pump return, 90 degrees from the center line of the intake hole, 1' below the top of the tube.
1 1/4' PVC socket couplings are used for the eggcrate stand off. These are attached with weld on #16 cement. A small hole is drilled towards the bottom of the coupling to allow some flow.
The cut edge of the acrylic tube is scraped with a thin steel strap. The back of a hacksaw blade would work. After the cut edge is smooth I use 600 wet sand parer on a sanding block to finish the cut edge. The cut must be smooth and straight to have the cement work properly. The tube is the glued to the cap plate using weld on # 3 with the applicator shown. If your cut is less than perfect the weld on # 40 would be the choice solvent.
After the # 3 cement cures the cap plate is trimmed using a router with a flush trim bit. This cuts the cap smooth and even with the tube. Masking tape around the tube will keep the bearing on the router bit from marking up the tube. If you would choose to skip this step take care to place your caps square with your tube (center line of your intake holes) otherwise when you install the tubes to your base plate the caps will be crooked.
After the caps are in place and trimmed flush, and with the eggcrate in place (it will not fit through the hole in your lid) locate the tubes on the base plate and cement with the weld on # 3. I allow the cement to flow under the tube the add some weight to the top while it cures. The egg crate is support for the Fluval 203 foam, and this keeps media out of your pump.
This picture shows how the PVC fittings are modified before installation. The spigot side of each fitting is cut to about 1/4' in length. This step could be skipped, but it does give the reactor a more 'finished' appearance.
I use weld on #40 or devcon plastic welder to attach the fittings to the tube. Masking tape will hold everything in place while the cement cures.
This is the pump intake plumbing. I attach this to the tube using either weld on # 40 or devcon plastic welder. I do this with the pump in place so everything lines up when the reactor is complete. The 1/8' hose barb is added to the 1/2' MPT adapter on the right for the CO2 input. The union allows for removal of the pump. After this fitting is installed the reactor is pretty close to being complete. The next step is to install all the hose barb fittings and hose so that the leak test can be performed. Hopefully this will go well and the reactor can be filled with media and put into use.