Virtually Maintenance Free Reactor

[chippwalters]

Since folks are asking, I'm now selling these as kits for $20 + $5 shipping (USA). They include a rubber o-ring and suction cups. I'll also pre-build a Gatorade bottle for and ship it for another $10-- but it's easy to do yourself with a Dremel tool. Just cut a hole in the top for the nozzle, then cut an opening in the bottom large enough to put whatever bag(s) of media you want in there. Send me a PM and/or PayPal to [email protected] if you want one.

Why do we need yet another New Reactor?

So, the question is 'why a new reactor?'

Well, sadly there are few small reactors available. I've been looking at them for some time, hoping someone will solve the myriad of UX (User Experience) issues when trying to use them. For those who don't know, a reactor is simply a chamber where water is forced through media. For many, it's 'good enough' to just lay a bag of activated carbon and/or GFO near the return pump. And having owned this Two Little Fishies Reactor, I've found there is value in actually forcing water through a media substrate-- even for my little tank.


But there are huge problems with this little reactor. The user workflow for changing out and cleaning this reactor is horrendous! First off, IMHO, a couple of the original design premises were INCORRECT. For instance...

• Design the reactor so it could work out of the water and hang outside the sump. This reactor is set up to work both inside and outside the sump. Well, I don't think that's such a great idea-- and from what I've read everyone says NOT to do this as you're just adding one more spill element and eventually it will fail and then you have a flood to clean up. And by the look of the rubber connectors, I have to agree. So, I always kept mine in the sump. I think this feature ended up dooming this particular device from the get go.
  
  This attention to making this reactor work OUTSIDE the sump has serious consequences for the design. One of the biggest is it forces both inlet and outlet out the top, and creates a not so great workflow for changing media. More on that later. Also, in my reactor, the media tended to 'clump' no matter what pressure settings I used. I tried it with both Phosguard and Purigen, and neither could 'bubble' more than a day or two before clumping. I did not try GFO, but I would assume a similar result. If you use this reactor for activated carbon, then you DON'T want lots of movement in the carbon as it will rub carbon dust off and place it in the water column, which many say can be an irritant to corals and fish.
  
  FWIW, I know there are larger reactors which do work outside sumps-- and they are designed specifically for outside of the sump mounting and operation and seem to work just fine.
  
• Design the reactor for loose media. In fact every reactor I know of is designed for loose media, but I think that's problematic for small systems and this reactor. Here's why.
  
  First off, I've yet to see anyone successfully use Purigen loose in a reactor. Invariably the stuff ends up getting around a filter and spilling out into the sump and display tank, and once that happens you can forget about ever cleaning it up.
  
  Next, trying to pour media into this reactor is a major headache. You have to be careful not to pour it down the center tube and if you do, you need to pull it apart and start all over. Also, if the media gets 'below' the filter, then you have a major headache as it might just sit there and clump up and limit flow to only one side or the other.
  
  And cleaning this darn thing is pretty much impossible. Sometimes algae and slime gets down low in the chamber, and because the bottom doesn't come off, you need extra long cleaning brushes, yet you still cannot get any pressure on the inside of the cylinder at the lower levels.
  
  Not to mention– what a MESS! Whatever substrate you have, goes everywhere as soon as you open it up as the water is right at the top of cylinder. Not an easy way to drain it because if you turn it over all the media flows out with the water. A huge dadgum mess indeed! And don't even think about trying to capture the media for 'recharging' (as in the case of Purigen). The mess is even compounded further as you try and filter out the gunk and the small beads of Purigen. Ewww.
  
  So, for me, the easier thing is to purchase a Seachem The Bag media filter bag and use it inside my Reactor design.
  
  
  
  This bag is great and can hold any type of media, incuding activated carbon, GFO, Phosban, Phosguard, etc.. I also now purchase Purigen in bag format and regenerate it for use over and over.

So here's the old workflow for the Two Little Fishies reactor:

• Turn off the pump going to the Little Fishies reactor.
• Pull two rubber elbows off of lid while trying NOT to spill or break anything. Those darn elbows are HARD to remove and when you finally pull them off, stuff flies everywhere!
• Pull the entire reactor OUT of the sump and quickly transfer to a waiting bucket as it's full of water. If you have an ATO, now your sump will start filling up with fresh water and you'll rush over to turn it off while holding the reactor in your hand spilling everything.
• Try to empty the water out a bit in the bucket so you can handle the wretched thing.
• For some reason, more often than not for me, the lid is FUZED onto the reactor and cannot be unscrewed. Often I had to take it to the workshop and literally use a vise and wrenches to carefully 'unlock' it. Ugh.
• Empty out all the contents into the bucket, knowing you're not going to save anything. Now you have a bucket full of water and used media...not sure what to do with that. I usually dump the whole mess around the back of my garage.
• Hose it down while outside because washing in a sink makes even more of a mess and I don't want all that media going into my septic system.
• And now the hard part. Separate all the parts and start cleaning. You need different cleaning tools for different parts. A long flexible brush can go down the center straw tube and.. if it's long enough just might clean stuff in the middle (it's open at both ends). All the many different parts can be cleaned with a toothbrush except for the acrylic cylinder itself. The best you can do is spray inside it and shake it around. I've tried stuffing a towel into it, but it doesn't do much better. Unfortunately, it's impossible to remove the bottom of the reactor to be able to clean it from both ends.
• If you can remember which goes with which, assemble it back together.
• Carefully, CAREFULLY! poor new media into it making sure NONE OF IT goes into the center tube. If it does, pull it all out, clean it again, and start over. Ugh.
• Now, pray to God you can align the lid with the center tube which is now leaning to one side. Tilt it one way, then the other. If after 15 minutes it's not working, then remove all the media and 're-seat' the center tube. Then put the media back in and try again.
• If successful, put it back in the tank, plug in both rubber elbow joint thingys, turn on the pump and get busy trying to figure out how out of whack your salinity is with all the water removed.

Ouch.



Here's the expected new workflow with my new reactor:

• Turn off the pump.
• Unscrew the top from the bottle, leaving the hose and pump in the sump.
• Unclip the bottle and lift up. All the water will run out the bottom into the sump.
• Take to the sink, pop off the bottom and pull out the used bag.
• Clean the plastic container. It's open on the bottom and the top so it's super easy.
• Add a new 'bag-o-media' and snap the bottom back on.
• Place back in sump, screw on top and turn on pump.

Ta da! Sure, it's probably not the best solution ever, but for smaller tanks which want the advantages media reactors provide, it seems a heck of lot simpler and easier. I've since added a flow restrictor plate in the bottom so you can adjust flow rate.

MORE PICS:

FWIW, I've (and others) have been using this reactor for over a month now and it's working great! The first Purigen bag I put in it 'browned' in about 2 weeks, and so I've recharged it with chlorine and some Prime and put it back in and it's doing a great job of keeping my water clear and algae free. Here's the final design. Should get some more orange filament in soon, but for now I've got this blue version.

[bige]

Also, turn it upside down, fill with soda lime, attach to skimmer air intake, co2 scrubber. It's perfect. I think that's your niche. But your way sounds good too.

[sifuentes31]

The one i got from the last meeting has been working great. Turning the purigen brown already. Also that clip for the hose was a great idea to hold the hose. No more holding both ends of the tube. Thanks Chip......

[chippwalters]

Great! Thanks a bunch. I've currently got 2 left from my last batch. Kim P just got one and I'm interested to see how it works out for her, too.

[chippwalters]

Here's Kim's. going out tomorrow!

[+KimP]

Here's Kim's. going out tomorrow!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1375760574.665179.jpg

Yay! I'm excited to try it. I'm glad you had blue instead of orange, I like it better!

[chippwalters]

Stephanie,

Just finished yours. It's in the mail tomorrow! Same color scheme as Kim's.

[lenver]

I have a question, looking at my skimmer, why couldn't I just place the media inside of it?

Of course besides the factor of not controlling the water flow.

[Nwehrman]

Do you have anymore made up? I think I would like to try one - tapatalk giving me issues and I can't start new PM's again.

[victoly]

I have a question, looking at my skimmer, why couldn't I just place the media inside of it?

Of course besides the factor of not controlling the water flow.

because it would seriously impede the ability of your skimmer to function by blocking bubble formation.

[chippwalters]

Do you have anymore made up? I think I would like to try one - tapatalk giving me issues and I can't start new PM's again.

Sure, I have another blue one and a lime green one. You can PayPal me at chippATchipp.com (replace AT with @) for which ever version you like. Don't forget to put your address in the notes, or PM me with it.

I have a question, looking at my skimmer, why couldn't I just place the media inside of it?

Of course besides the factor of not controlling the water flow.

because it would seriously impede the ability of your skimmer to function by blocking bubble formation.

Yup...beat me to it.

[Nwehrman]

Done Chipp - whichever color is fine.

Nicole

[chippwalters]

Hi Nicole,

You don't need a Gatorade bottle, correct? You're planning on drilling your own?

[Nwehrman]

Yes - I can drill my own - thanks!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[chippwalters]

OK. Goes out first thing tomorrow morning.

[Robb in Austin]

Water flows from top to bottom? Any reason one couldn't attach the output from a canister filter to the top?

The reason I'm asking is I need a GFO reactor for one of my FW tanks. No sump.

[chippwalters]

Sure. The output from the canister should provide enough flow for this reactor.