DIY Phosphate or Carbon Reactor

[JustOneMoreTank]

Hello everyone!
My DI resin was exhausted the other day and so I replaced it with a larger unit from The Filter Guys ( www.thefilterguys.biz ). I was playing around with the old unit trying to figure out what I could do/make with it...

How about a 2 Little Fishes style Phosphate Reactor ??? You can just as easily run Carbon or any other media/chemical in the reactor that you want as long as the media is large enough to not go thru the mesh screen.

Anyway here we go with the pictures:

First picture just shows the couple pieces that you will need:
The DI housing, scissors, some kind of mesh material, and the media that you are going to run. Sorry the picture is a little dark.



Second and Third pictures show me carefully pulling the fine micron mesh off of the included internal discs. You do not want to run the reactor with the mesh so fine as it will quickly clog and the unit will not flow the tank water thru it like you need.

[JustOneMoreTank]

Here is what you should have now:


Ok now one at a time, wrap the two "internal/insert discs" in enough of the mesh material to prevent any of the media from escaping thru but try not to use too much material or else the disc will not fit back into the housing.


Once you think that you have it wrapped enough then you can insert it into the housing like so. I let it come a little undone and had to take it out and rewrap and replace.

[JustOneMoreTank]

Another picture of the same:


This is the media that I added to the DIY Housing Reactor
SeaChem PhosGuard


I rotated this image so I hope that it posts in the correct direction.

[JustOneMoreTank]

I placed a bit more mesh on this disc than my first attempt that was pictured up at the beginning. Then I pressed it down into the DIY Housing Reactor after the media was in place

[JustOneMoreTank]

This is my final product





OK.... Sorry that is all I have! You all have to now help me get this running! LOL

Here is the easy was that I can see: Use a small to medium power head like a MaxiJet and press the output hose from the powerhead into RODI tubing port/connection at either end of the housing.

I want to see where RC can take this little DIY Project.
Post your ideas and what you make!

[JustOneMoreTank]

You could also T a line off of your return pump with the correct fittings, slow down the flow with a little John Guest Valve, and then return the water from the reactor into the sump. This should be a completely leak free unit if Teflon tape is used on the fittings.
You can get the housing for pretty cheap from TheFilterGuys.biz
http://www.thefilterguys.biz/housings.htm