hey guys,
just wanted to show you how i made my version of Rex's DIY co2 reactor found here http://www.rexgrigg.com/diy-reactor.htm
The one thing I didnt like about the overall design was how the co2 line was simply drilled into the pipe and fished through. i like my setups to be essentially bullet proof, and this didnt seem like it would hold up well and i didnt want to have to deal with any leaks. the overall design is the same with the exception of where the co2 enters the reactor.
here's what i did. here you can see a pic of the fitting where the co2 line will be attached to
this makes for a clean design, but the problem is, as Rex stated, that by insterting the co2 at the edge of the pvc piping, the co2 bubbles will have a tendency to run along the side of the pipe, avoiding the incoming water and will not get dissolved proplerly. so, what i did was add another fitting on the inside of the pvc fitting. thing is, you cant thread a fitting in from the inside. SO, i filed down the threads from the inside and forced in the plastic fitting you see here (1/4" barbed fitting).
this fitting is fitted with a piece of rigid plastic tubing that stops about halfway into the tee. here you can see the reducer fitting with barb fitting placed into the tee connector. the co2 will exit in the middle of the reactor and meet the incoming water to get dissolved effectively.
to avoid any leaks, i sealed the whole inside of the reducer fitting with silicone
here's a pic of the tee connector with the reducer fitting and the barbed connectors
and here's the completed assembly, in the cabinet. let me know what you guys think and if you have any questions!!
and here's a teaser pic of my tank setup! buffed out the acrylic and painted the stand a nice java bean color and added some knobs on the cabinet doors.
BTW, thats the light setup that came with the tank, it wont be the one i use for the plants
just wanted to show you how i made my version of Rex's DIY co2 reactor found here http://www.rexgrigg.com/diy-reactor.htm
The one thing I didnt like about the overall design was how the co2 line was simply drilled into the pipe and fished through. i like my setups to be essentially bullet proof, and this didnt seem like it would hold up well and i didnt want to have to deal with any leaks. the overall design is the same with the exception of where the co2 enters the reactor.
here's what i did. here you can see a pic of the fitting where the co2 line will be attached to
this makes for a clean design, but the problem is, as Rex stated, that by insterting the co2 at the edge of the pvc piping, the co2 bubbles will have a tendency to run along the side of the pipe, avoiding the incoming water and will not get dissolved proplerly. so, what i did was add another fitting on the inside of the pvc fitting. thing is, you cant thread a fitting in from the inside. SO, i filed down the threads from the inside and forced in the plastic fitting you see here (1/4" barbed fitting).
this fitting is fitted with a piece of rigid plastic tubing that stops about halfway into the tee. here you can see the reducer fitting with barb fitting placed into the tee connector. the co2 will exit in the middle of the reactor and meet the incoming water to get dissolved effectively.
to avoid any leaks, i sealed the whole inside of the reducer fitting with silicone
here's a pic of the tee connector with the reducer fitting and the barbed connectors
and here's the completed assembly, in the cabinet. let me know what you guys think and if you have any questions!!
and here's a teaser pic of my tank setup! buffed out the acrylic and painted the stand a nice java bean color and added some knobs on the cabinet doors.
BTW, thats the light setup that came with the tank, it wont be the one i use for the plants
