Reef Discussion

Azfish

Member
Sep 23, 2011
599
222
Sydney
Recirculating Biopellet Reactor Idea
This may be hard to put into writing, the idea kind of makes sense in my noggin but im not sure if it'll work the same way as the other DIY recirculating biopellet reactor that rely on the outlet going back into the pump itself.

I was thinking of getting a standard pellet reactor, one with an inlet and outlet ... what Im playing around with in my head is making the outlet go back into the inlet (use a t piece irragation fitting) and then drill and tap an airline hole (into the t piece) and have a control valve on this line that goes to my skimmer inlet? I can then control via this line the amount of flow out of the reactor?

Why? I dont want to use another pump to tumble the pellets, i'd rather use my return pump to run all future reactors in addition to the pump return to DT. Wishful thinking?
 

Azfish

Member
Sep 23, 2011
599
222
Sydney
Nope, that has the pump under the reactor; I want to use my sump pump to tumble the pellets and have the outlet go back into the inlet at the top of the reactor and then a smaller outlet with valve to control outflow .. I think I need to draw this on paper :)
 

MagicJ

Moderator
Jul 11, 2011
9,650
3,761
Hobart, Tasmania
I can't see it working.

1 - you are going to get pressure somewhere - either back pressure on the pump which is potentially going to cause a problem at some stage, or pressure inside the reactor which will split a seam or something.
2 - the pressure on the inlet and outlet on the reactor will be largely the same as they are both connected to the same pump - the water will not move from the inlet to the outlet and thus the pellets will not tumble.
3 - the only water that would move within the reactor would be equivalent to the amount of water leaving via the line to the skimmer - this would not be enough to move the pellets.

I think my thoughts are coherent :rolleyes
 

riley

Member
Apr 25, 2013
371
112
GYMEA BAY
it would work if the outlet of the reactor went to the inlet of the pump. and u have 2 t value to control what comes out of the loop.
 
Last edited:

Andrew Tan

Member
Apr 28, 2014
13
6
Interested to see how you go with this as I am in the same position.

I feed the reactor from a manifold and the main return pump and want a recirculating reactor without adding another pump.

I was thinking about check valves on the output hose to get it started but I don't think that would work.
 

MagicJ

Moderator
Jul 11, 2011
9,650
3,761
Hobart, Tasmania
it would work if the outlet of the reactor went to the inlet of the pump. and u have 2 t value to control what comes out of the loop.
But that would put some of the effluent from the reactor back into the main return pipe, and thus bypass the skimmer which is what @Azfish is trying to prevent.
 

Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
whilst I am a big fan of DIY, from what I have observed with bio pellets - you don't want to skimp on the reactor. Seems like the good ones are good and the cheap ones are not-so-much.

Not saying you couldn't make a good one yourself, but I probably would at least have a dedicated pump on it so you can regulate the flow/tumble a bit easier