Diy cheato reactor

[tcarter1936]

I'm about to diy a cheato reactor and figured I would document my progress and experience.
So far I just ordered a new two little fishies 550 phosban reactor. At 80 bucks I didn't feel making a water tight easy to service tube was logical.
The reactor is 15*4.5 "
And should arrive this week
Also ordered a 16' waterproof led hydroponics grow light tape strip from Amazon.
I'm doing this in effort to out compete the hair algae in my display and also because they look super cool when turned on lol.
The light arrives tommorow. Stay tuned.

 

[Stolireef]

Following. I'm considering the same thing but so far, my fuge grows chaeto so quickly, I'm not sure I need one.

 

[lambchops]

I'm about to diy a cheato reactor and figured I would document my progress and experience.
So far I just ordered a new two little fishies 550 phosban reactor. At 80 bucks I didn't feel making a water tight easy to service tube was logical.
The reactor is 15*4.5 "
And should arrive this week
Also ordered a 16' waterproof led hydroponics grow light tape strip from Amazon.
I'm doing this in effort to out compete the hair algae in my display and also because they look super cool when turned on lol.
The light arrives tommorow. Stay tuned.

Sweet, I recently set one up with the smaller 2lf reactor, just had it sitting around. Do you have a link to the light you're using?

Here's what I bought

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01I9VFH54/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[LEOreefer]

I have the same supplies at home and will be making one of these on my sca 5o gal once it's up and running. You can see my plan in my build thread below

 

[Xclusive Reef]

You going to have it connected to manifold or with a separate pump?

 

[tcarter1936]

Sweet, I recently set one up with the smaller 2lf reactor, just had it sitting around. Do you have a link to the light you're using?

Here's what I bought

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01I9VFH54/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAC7ZOC?ref_=pe_2640190_233158810_shiptrack_e_414_dt_1#

 

[tcarter1936]

You going to have it connected to manifold or with a separate pump?

Iikley to put it on a pump until I redo my manifold with more outlets

 

[LEOreefer]

You going to have it connected to manifold or with a separate pump?

I will be using a separate pump. Once I actually start plumbing that sum us the to change. But I'd say I'm 90% sure I'll use a separate sump

 

[lambchops]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAC7ZOC?ref_=pe_2640190_233158810_shiptrack_e_414_dt_1#

Are they covered in rubber?

 

[tcarter1936]

Are they covered in rubber?

We will see, they say waterproof I will post about it when I receive them

 

[3mm3]

I'm about to diy a cheato reactor and figured I would document my progress and experience.
So far I just ordered a new two little fishies 550 phosban reactor. At 80 bucks I didn't feel making a water tight easy to service tube was logical.
The reactor is 15*4.5 "
And should arrive this week
Also ordered a 16' waterproof led hydroponics grow light tape strip from Amazon.
I'm doing this in effort to out compete the hair algae in my display and also because they look super cool when turned on lol.
The light arrives tommorow. Stay tuned.

How big is your tank? I built one recently but I used
https://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMax...cal_Reactors-AquaMaxx-UJ5313-FIFRISCR-vi.html
For the LED I picked up Topled Light plant grow strip.
The system works amazingly well.

 

[Deniss]

You won't regret the chaeto reactor, i have put the phosban 550 on my nano tank and after 2 weeks it stripped my nitates and phosfates to 0.

I'm using a 6500 kelvin led strip, you can literally see the chaeto growing each day. It's a nice reactor to put chaeto in.

 

[tcarter1936]

How big is your tank? I built one recently but I used
https://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMax...cal_Reactors-AquaMaxx-UJ5313-FIFRISCR-vi.html
For the LED I picked up Topled Light plant grow strip.
The system works amazingly well.

180 gallon display
75 gallon sump at half capacity
About 190 total factoring in rock displacement

 

[Pongo]

Following.

Pics and details please.
I'm thinking of using an Avast spyglass reactor I've got laying around that's never been used and running it off my manifold.

 

[tcarter1936]

Following.

Pics and details please.
I'm thinking of using an Avast spyglass reactor I've got laying around that's never been used and running it off my manifold.

Just opened the lighting package...
Well packages.

The strip is completely sealed in a very flexible clear rubber. Impressed.

Sorry for the dirty nails but I work for a living and would never make it as a hand model lol.
Also the lights are on a spool all 16 ' worth and the end connections are good and heat shrink wrapped. Although I will be sealing with additional silicone

 

[tcarter1936]

Reactor will be in tomorrow or Saturday.

 

[lambchops]

Just opened the lighting package...
Well packages.

The strip is completely sealed in a very flexible clear rubber. Impressed.

Sorry for the dirty nails but I work for a living and would never make it as a hand model lol.
Also the lights are on a spool all 16 ' worth and the end connections are good and heat shrink wrapped. Although I will be sealing with additional silicone

Good to know. The pictures on Amazon were unclear.

 

[Pongo]

I see markings to cut and shorten that strip.

Does it remain "waterproof" after cutting?

 

[tcarter1936]

I see markings to cut and shorten that strip.

Does it remain "waterproof" after cutting?

I would shrink wrap after cutting.

 

[tcarter1936]

Well today the reactor came in.

I started wrapping without any spacing. And quickly realized that on a 4.5 diameter tube 16 feet tightly wrapped 1/2"wide tape only covered 6". Lol. So finally figured out that 3/8"-1/2" gap was nessesary and also means you can see the cheato growth inside[emoji2]

This thing is crazy bright