My latest projects: Reactor / Canopy struts

[ringram]

Here are the latest projects I've done for my 20g.
1)Co2 reactor: Here I borrowed the Hoftiezer design, only I ommitted the Test Tee piece as I'll be hooking it to the outflow of the filter and hopefully that will help prevent it from getting gunked up. I just finished putting it together tonight --- how long would you expect before its "safe" for the fish and plants? It still smells like that primer and cement I used on it. For anyone who lives in Sacramento, try Emigh's Ace Hardware ---> I found ALL the parts there except the elbow joint part.

2)Canopy struts: I've read about people doing this, but more recently saw something like this on someone's tank and decided that its so simple and gives much better "spread" that I had no reason not to make one for my tank. The light should be a bit more evenly distributed, plus I won't expect it to get as hot and the plants not directly under the lights should grow more vertically, rather than bending towards the light.

Take a look at the pics and tell me what you think! My wife thinks the reactor is an eyesore! LOL...and I told her I'd slap some stain on the bare plywood struts to make it match the enclosure better.
Cheers,
-Ryan

[ringram]

The completed reactor...
It measures around 15" long in full and I was able to put five 1-1/2" bio balls inside for added turbulence.

[ringram]

The struts/legs I put on the light enclosure to raise it up about 3 inches...

[jart]

Good work. I agree, the stain would improve the look a lot.

I let my reactor sit for at least a few days, I thought the smell would never disappear.

[Wasserpest]

Lol... I built pretty much the same reactor a year or two ago... only diff is I didn't find the plastic barb things, and used regular 1/2 PVC pipe, which connects well to the 5/8 vinyl hoses from my filter.

Why eyesore? Can't it be hidden in a cabinet?

I'd let it "dry" a day or two and then immerse it in a bucket of water another day, finally give it a good flushing.

[ringram]

I guess I got lucky on the plastic barbs. I had to get a brass barb for the Co2 tubing as the place didn't have plastic barbs that were small enough.
So, since I finished making the reactor last night, I'll let it sit 'till at least tomorrow night, then I'll put it in a bucket of water for a day or two....then, it should be fine
Cabinet? nah, its just an open "skeleton" metal stand. That may be a future project! ;P

[Clone]

ringram:

Cabinet? nah, its just an open "skeleton" metal stand. That may be a future project!

You could scuff the reactor with seal wool then spray paint it. There are a number of spray paints for plastics, Krylon make the best known.

[ringram]

That's an idea and I may actually do that. I know I have a can or two of black Rustoleum. Not sure if that would work. I'll have to look at the bottle.
-Ryan

[jhoetzl]

Originally Posted by Clone

ringram:
You could scuff the reactor with seal wool then spray paint it. There are a number of spray paints for plastics, Krylon make the best known.

I thought it was illegal to kill seals...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

On another note, what is the rather large knife used for?
FWIW, I use a similar reactor...works very well. Been on the same CO2 5lb bottle since February, and still at over 800 on the regulator. Dropping my pH by .4 or so...in two tanks.

[Wasserpest]

Originally Posted by jhoetzl

I thought it was illegal to kill seals...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

On another note, what is the rather large knife used for?

Obviously to kill the seal and shear the wool!

[Clone]

jhoetzl:

I thought it was illegal to kill seals...

Only the cute baby ones. There is no bag limit on the ugly adult ones

Wasserpest:

Obviously to kill the seal and shear the wool!

...I hear they taste like chicken

[ringram]

LOL.
Actually, I hooked it up last night and found that there was a little trickle from one of the seals, so I disconnected it and I'll be putting more cement in the cracks. Also, between the cannister filter(Eheim #2222) and that big 'ol reactor, I barely have room in my little 20g stand (even thought its an open/skeleton metal stand). That will take some thought as well. Those brackets people have been talking about may be the way to go, so I can mount it to one of the legs of the stand...