DIY Calcium Reactor 2nd Chamber

NeverlosT · Mar 20, 2015

Hi All,

If you want to:

1. Increase the pH of your calcium reactor.
2. Make the effluent have a higher Alkalinity/Calcium content with the same pH level in the reactor (increase efficiency of reactor)
3. Reduce the amount of CO2 needed to maintain the effluent alkalinity level. (increase efficiency of reactor)

Then this is a way to do so for very little money.

Required:
1. 1' of 3" ABS pipe (actual outer diameter is like 3.5")
2. about 1/2 gallon of relatively fine CA reactor media (or course aragonite media)
3. 2x 3" PVC pipe caps
4. 2x 1/4" John Guest fittings with 1/2" thread on the end.
5. Some quilt badding
6. Some craft felt (cut into 3" circles)
7. JB Weld Hobby Epoxy
8. OPTIONAL: IF you have an extra WP-40 mount, it fits this thing PERFECTLY.

STEP 1. Drill a hole in each cap, I drilled one in the middle to be the top of the chamber, and one off center to be the bottom. The major diameter of 1/2" NPT thread (like the thread on your john guest fittings) is about 0.85", so try to use a bit slightly smaller than that.

Step 2. Insert the john guest fittings, make sure that it is a tight fit. Then use JB Weld on the inside to seal the chamber around the water inlet and outlet.

Step 3. Using quilt badding, stuff some around the inlet/outlet, this will prevent the media from plugging them. Then use some hobby felt cut into rounds over that to support the media.

NeverlosT · Mar 20, 2015

Step 4. Install one of the caps on the pipe with the filter material in it (badding and then felt) and pour in the media so it is a bit under the top of the 3"pipe.

Step 5. Pop the other cap on, hook that bad-boy up and raise the pH in your CA reactor otherwise the ALK in your system is going to rise due to more concentrated effluent. (With the same pH level in the CARX, my effluent rose over 2 dkH, so I had to increase the pH in the reactor to compensate).