Reactor Effluent Needle Valve Return Manifold for the Overly Organized

[acroholic]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I have recently been reorganizing the sump area of my 210/100 gallon setup. I have three different reactors returning effluent to the tank via ¼” OD tubing, an MRC Nilsen Stirrer, a GEO 618 calcium reactor, and a Midwest Aquatic sulfur denitrator. These reactors sit in what I call “reactor row” (pic1), which is a shelf on the left side of the sump.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I did have the effluent lines in a simple lexan /cable tie setup that held them in place to on an inner wall of my MRC sump, and they drip back into the refugium in the sump (pic2).</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">One of the things I have never liked about most commercial reactors is the low quality of their effluent return valves. These reactors require drops/second, and with what the manufacturers provide, only gross rates were possible. Replacement liquid metering valves can be very pricey, with ultra-accurate all-plastic ones costing in the $100 area, but I found an all plastic needle valve from US Plastics that is reasonably accurate, but at a price point of $11. These are available in a variety of configurations, from all John Guest inlet/outlet, to male and female NPT in a variety of tubing widths. The valves themselves are made to be rigidly mounted, so I decided to build an organized effluent return manifold using these valves and some scrap acrylic.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I ordered what I thought I would need: three John Guest (JG) ¼” OD needle valves, three JG elbows, and three JG bulkhead fittings, which I think are cool, even though I ended up not using them. These would be ideal for new sump construction to dose 2 part, or for effluent return like I am doing, or any one of a number of plumbing applications. These bulkheads are small (1/4” OD tubing), but will fit any material up to ½” in thickness, and they only cost about $3 each (pic 3).</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">First step was to make a hanging bracket for the manifold. I cut and glued three pieces of acrylic together (pic 4). This straddles the inner refugium wall in the sump (pic 5).</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Next step was to dremel out an opening in the bracket for the return lines to pass thru, and attach and dremel out a piece of acrylic to the hanging bracket with three holes to secure the top of the needle valves. Note that I really do not need a needle valve for the Nilsen effluent line, as this is just my ATO water inlet line, but this gives me the flexibility in case I need to use it with a needle valve, so I will just keep the valve wide open for the Nilsen return (pics 6, 7, 8).</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Next step is to attach the needle valves to the manifold. Each valve is designed with a nut on the valve stem, so I mounted the valves to the manifold, then used the three JG 90 degree elbows to direct the effluent down into the refugium (pic 9).</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Finally, the manifold in operation (pic 10). This has worked out very well. The effluent flow rate from the calcium and nitrate reactors can be adjusted much more accurately now, which is particularly important with the nitrate reactor.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Anyone not wanting to mess with building a manifold can also purchase these needle valves and simply install them inline as well. Below are links to the three JG parts I ordered from US Plastics.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Dave</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">JG Unions: </span></span>http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=26485&product%5Fid=26305"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #800080;">http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=26485&product%5Fid=26305</span></span></span></a>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">JG Elbows:</span></span>
[IMG]http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=26485&product%5Fid=26296"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #800080;">http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=26485&product%5Fid=26296</span></span></span></a>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">JG Needle Valves:</span></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">[IMG]http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=15615&product%5Fid=15616">http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=15615&product%5Fid=15616</a></span></span>
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[acroholic]

Pics 9 and 10
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[schwaggs]

Awesome setup! Thanks for sharing the source of those valves!

 

[weaglereefer]

Very nice! I like organization.

 

[grouper therapy]

As usual nothing but nice and neat! Good job Dave:up:

 

[sailfish]

Looking Good.

Joe

 

[roundman]

thanks for the info. I am getting ready to redo my sump and I will for sure use this. Oh and yours looks good.

 

[roundman]

A question about where and when. In your sump what section do you take the water out to the reactors and what section do you put the affluent back. I was thinking about taking out of the return and returning into the skimmer area.

 

[acroholic]

roundman;390384 wrote: A question about where and when. In your sump what section do you take the water out to the reactors and what section do you put the affluent back. I was thinking about taking out of the return and returning into the skimmer area.

I feed my calcium reactor and nitrate reactor from a manifold off the return pump, and I return to the refugium, but really I don't think it makes much of a difference, especially in a system with almost 300 gallons.

Popular thought it to return reactor lines to the skimmer area so they can be aerated to up the pH, since calcium reactors and nitrate reactor effluent is low pH.
Dave