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DIY co2 reactor



I had mentioned in a previous post that building a Dupla type reactor was 
easy.  I think it is.  I simply copied the design.  Having no available 
source for a reactor tube I used a gravel siphon (16").  As with the 
Dupla unit the co2 (standard air line tubing) is run into a brass fitting 
that screws into a pipe fitting "T".  A larger diameter fitting is 
screwed into the pipe fitting T for  the water in-flow.  The bottom of 
the pipe fitting T has a fitting that will accept the siphon hose 
diameter tube which then goes down to the gravel vacuum.  

Fill the gravel vacuum with bioballs or the equivalent.  Hold them in 
with a piece of nylon hose that is secured to the vacuum with rubber 
bands or a clamp.  In my case the water comes from an under gravel filter 
with the power head (maxijet) plumbed with siphon hose to the fitting on 
the pipe fitting "T".

Biggest problem was mounting it in the tank.  Since this is in the 
basement I used a piece of small line and secured it around the pipe 
fitting T.  This was suspended from the ceiling.  This system requires 
the reactor to be  IN the tank.  Pardon the crude asci art but  put in 
other terms:                
		     C02 in  (via fitting screwed into pipe "T")
		       	  |
         	         ____					
                	|    |					
		        |    |    Note this thing on the left							
		   ____	|    |    is the pipe fitting T with					
     water in	             |    female threads that accept other					
		   ____	     |    fittings that fit dia from UGF,				
			|    |	  to top of gravel vacuum and from 
			|    |	  CO2 line (air line size fitting).						
			|____|						
										
	   water and co2 into top of gravel vacuum									

Earle Hamilton