my pvc pipe reactor plans.thoughts?

[ddc0715]

im thinking about making a very large bio pellet reactor out of a spare 6" dia piece of pipe i have. heres the concept drawing.

1. would you use pvc glue AKA (solvent weld) or silicone for the plexi top and bottom?

2. what do yall think about the 2 two inch wide strips of clear plexi installed on each side? concept is to be able to see inside the tube.i have a few 1' pieces laying around.

3. in and outlet water pipe size?

4 whats a good overall height for a 150g DT and or a 175 T.G. tank?

5. am i forgetting anything?

6. pros?, cons?

 

[Diamond1]

That's a big reactor it should work well for the size tank you want.
I like the idea for the clear sides would make it easier to make sure everything is tumbling.

I would also consider some type of recirculation for the output so that you can adjust the amount of outflow you have. Maybe a ball valve on the outlet with a T before it and a line that runs back to the bottom of the pellet chamber.

Use some type of plastic mesh or filter pad to cover the outlet hole so pellets don't get out of the chamber.

Pipe size would depend on what your using for a pump. I would imagine 1/2" in and out would be more than enough.

For a 6" wide chamber I would think that 12 to 16 inches tall would be enough, as long as you have enough room for the amount of media you need for your size tank and there's room for the media to tumble.

Weldon 16 should do good for building everything.

It doesn't show in your diagram but the inlet will need to go to the bottom of the reactor as well.

I'm no expert on bio pellet reactors but this seems like some of the points I would look at. I have only ever run a small CPR tumbler because my tank are on the smaller side. I stopped using them in favor of a refugium with cheato.