I'm planning to build a calcium reactor fairly soon, and thought I'd share my plans and get some feedback before actually starting to build it. I have looked at the ready made units and most won't fit where I want to put it. That, and the cost of the ready made ones, made me decide to just build one.
It is going to be basically a smaller version of
this one. I have calculated that it should hold approximately 10 lbs of media. I am trying to decide on a pump yet, I have three choices in mind. First is the Eheim 1048, second is a Mag2 and the third choice is the QuitOne 3000 that I all ready have. The QuietOne is probably a little overkill in the amount of flow, but I'm not sure if this is a bad thing or not. The Ehiem would be my preferred choice as it seems to be the best pump of the desired size. I understand they are very quiet running which is a concern with the Mag2. Naturally it is the most expensive option of the three, thus the dilema. Does anyone have any experience with the Ehiem pumps. One possible drawback of the Ehiem is that it appears to have hose barb fittings. I would rather have threaded connections if possible. This would not be a deal breaker though.
I plan to use this
regulator from J&L which has a built in bubble counter, saving me the need to build one. Eventually I would like to add a Neptune controller to my tank and utilize it to controll the PH in the reactor, but that is a few months (or more) away from becoming a reality.
I will also need to get a CO2 tank. I would like to find a local supplier for the tank and gas. Does anyone in Calgary have any suggestions for that?
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