DIY $50 Chaeto Reactor - Refugium conversion to a chaeto reactor DIY Style!

[@InappropriateReefer]

Very cool! I do like how yours is mounted sideway, it doubles as a nice work light in the sump area.

[@ReefDudes]

+Inappropriate Reefer so true! Thanks inappropriate!

[@JoesCoralReef]

Nice project, really cool you 3D printed the brackets. Great work!

[@ReefDudes]

Joe's Coral Reef thanks Joe! I love finding excuses to 3d print different items for the reef :)

[@jimjh2671]

I used 2 Phosban 550;s inline on my 180 works like a charm! 1.5 weeks seems to be my prunign time. I let it go 2 weeks and there was a 1/4 of a 5g bucket of chaeto

[@ReefDudes]

Sounds like a good setup Jim! How much do you feed your tank? I have let mine go for two weeks and i'm way overdue for pruning,.. 1.5 weeks maybe that sweet spot!

[@jimjh2671]

I am more than average on feeding :)

[@ReefDudes]

me too! What does it keep your phosphate level at?

[@jimjh2671]

I havent checked this time.. l;astr time was low.. water is crystal clear

[@ThaBiznessReefTank]

i did the same thing with a brs reactor recently. i was surprised at the growth. i want to get a bigger reactor body to see if i get a bigger harvest.

[@ReefDudes]

Keep an eye out for a use Vertex one.. its 21" tall and a beast :)

[@ReefDudes]

Did you use the RO canister to make yours?

[@ThaBiznessReefTank]

ReefDudes used a carbon/gfo reactor (yes)

[@ReefDudes]

Tha Bizness Reef Tank Thanks! I actually saw it in your video today. Looks like it's working real well for you!

[@hafizfelix2000]

Hi I'm deciding which led to buy. Is it the warm white or the cool white?

[@ReefDudes]

I believe it was warm white.. I tried both cool and white and they seemed to perform similarly

[@ReefingByDesign]

Love it Dev ! I'm really interested in giving this a go and you've definitely got me inspired 👍

[@ReefDudes]

+Eazy Reefer I love to inspire! I'm going to clean it this weekend... it looks thick.. I'm expecting a log of Chaeto! Haha

[@laminar_flow]

nice little project, I am thinking this may be a better path than a full refugium

[@ReefDudes]

I just love how space efficient it is!

[@laminar_flow]

ReefDudes space is something I have, but the ease of implementation is the lure... of course I don't have an old reactor lying around, but do have an old tank, so cost may push me back the other way

[@ReefDudes]

True. If you have an old tank get a high powered les grow light. Otherwise keep an eye out for a used reactor if you want to try this route. I'm going to empty it today. I'm really curious to see the chaeto when I pull it out! Let me know if you end up building one/ how you like it! One other bonus of having it contained is less ocean scent :)

[@EDKsurly]

looks cool too

[@pelphrey]

Great video! Had to get that Vertex to stay with the red scheme! haha

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Pelphrey! That hat was most certainly a consideration! haha

[@GazzasReef]

Would you still recommend this or what algae reactor would you advise ? I need to do something as I have Gha for 10 months now. Just double dosed flux rx for 3rd time but I just know it will come back ? Or should I try something else ?

[@maddawgzzzz]

What a well rounded heartthrob... wifey is lucky!!! Do you still use this reactor? I have a kessel pointing down on some cheato in a bucket, its been working VERY well on my 210gal, do you recommend this after all this time?

[@ReefDudes]

This is good if your tight on space or don’t have a chamber for a fuge. Since you already have a bucket figure your good to go. I gave it to a buddy as I’m currently testing out an ATS

[@rogersauvageau3476]

What kind of flow does it have??

[@reefjunkies6197]

Ok sounds good I'll keep checking

[@wazza9089]

Any experience with these long term? Wondering what the maintenance is like in terms of cleaning the inside. Surely coraline would grow in these as well.

[@ReefDudes]

No long term experiences yet.. but ask me in a few months! i don't think the strip leds could grow coraline..however with a powerful enough light it could happen. On that note i just picked up a XR15 to use beside it in the sump for frags.. lll have to see if i can mount it so the light misses the reactor :)

[@theoriginalgiz]

Hi, this is really cool, can you share the 3D bracket file parts?

[@ReefDudes]

I’ll have to see if I still have the stl

[@hwalk51]

Hey reefdudes, I want to know which of the two you believe would have better nutrient uptake for nutrient export, ats or the reactor? Once again, you put out some very informative videos. Thanks

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Hwalk51! I believe an ATS would likely export more nutrients for its size due to the fact that hair alage grows faster than chaeto. In theory I believe to export the same amount of nutriets but the chaeto reactor would need to be larger where as you could get away with a smaller ATS.. I may build one eventually to give it a true test.. For now I appreciate how the chaeto reactor i self contained and less maintenance than an ATS!

[@hwalk51]

Cool. I will be on the look out for that ats vs reactor video. I think you will be the best candidate for this topic due to the great content you put out. Thanks

[@syedammarrizvi4516]

After trying it out, would you recommend warm white or the grow lights (4:1 red blue)?

[@ReefDudes]

Honestly they both work.. i "felt" like i got a bit better growth with the warm white..but hard to say

[@lebon40]

quick question about your manifold. You said you run a separate pump. Where does the outflow of the manifold go, back to the sump or to the dt? thanks Deven. S

[@ReefDudes]

Manifold has its own jebao DC pump. The carbon / gfo (currently turned off) have a tube that outputs to the next chamber over. The chaeto reactor outputs to the same chamber. May change that one day but it's working well for now :). So all output to the sump!

[@lebon40]

sweet, thanks for the reply!

[@lebon40]

sweet, thanks for the reply!

[@reefjunkies6197]

I was running gfo but I pulled it out you think it could be the led I got from home depot

[@00Mass00]

Hey man, I'm building a reactor as well but I do not have an overflow. is that really a problem? I do have a valve to shutdown and control the input water. Also how do you empty it without spilling? the tubing also has water in it so it will always spill out right? Cool build thanks. Personally I use growleds 3reds 1 blue.

[@alikh157]

Very nice, what's reactor are you using? I like it

[@ReefDudes]

I used an older Vertex Reactor, i believe it a UF-20

[@wildeyes12765]

oooh i wanna try one of these!

[@ReefDudes]

hayley f super easy build! Do it on the new tank! :). Ps Happy Birthday!!

[@wildeyes12765]

Certainly going to give one a go! and thank you :) xx

[@ramonrivera8993]

Can you update on nitrate and phosphate levels I have a 120 and if this works well then would be sooo awesome cuz of how small it is

[@ReefDudes]

I havent tested nitrates in ages but i last tested phosphates on Oct 10th and they were at 0.04 so not to shabby! Ill try in sneak in a nitrate test soon :)

[@ramonrivera8993]

ReefDudes that's awesome and pretty low.. What is your total Walter volume? And are you still keeping the lights on 16 hrs?

[@ReefDudes]

Im guessing 130-140g total water volume, As for lighting schedule i did a video on it a week or two ago so check it out! i also posted my schedule on www.reefdudes.com

[@ramonrivera8993]

ReefDudes I will defiantly check those out thanks!

[@kohmelvin1343]

If we can't get or find cheoto algae what other algae can we use

[@karchlin]

Do you have a pretty good population of pods living in your chaeto reactor? If so, do you do anything to retain them when you clean out the chamber?

[@mozby76]

Any issues with the reactor cracking from direct contact with the LED lights? I keep hearing about that issue and it makes me afraid to run one.

[@ReefDudes]

Matt Yeow used a vertex reactor and didn’t have any issues. I have heard of it happening to a few people. One precaution may be to not do too many wraps and have the lights to Dense or add a dimmer like this amzn.to/2qWPFJ4 and run them at a lower power so they don’t heat up too much.

[@robertlugo8702]

Any updates on this projects performance? Lots of people have had problems using lights from Amazon. Mostly with the lights ceasing to work properly and with the heat of the lights damaging the housing of the reactor (hazing/microcracks/etc..)

[@ReefDudes]

Interesting, so far so good on mine. No noticeable change in the acrylic. Which reactor did you use? I wonder if it has to do on the type of acrylic its made out o (Cast vs extruded?)

[@robertlugo8702]

ReefDudes I purchased a Phosban 550 for my 40B, but I have not purchased the lights yet do to seeing the mixed reviews.

[@ReefDudes]

My guess is it depends on the type of plastic or acrylic used to make the reactor. Mine is using an old vertext reactor. I have tried the warm white amazon lights for a few months.. now im trying the cool whites to see if there is a difference (red/blue will be next!) but so far so good for the reactor.. crystal clear as before (minus the alage)

[@robertlugo8702]

ReefDudes A member of R2R gave me this idea which I might try just as a precaution why don't people use something like corrugated drain pipe to make a sleeve around their reactor? Mount the lights to the sleeve, and drop your reactor into it. That will leave some room for the lights to breath if heat is an issue, while also preventing light from escaping (you may be able to find white for reflection, or spray paint it white inside). You could also put a fan under it to blow the hot air out of the top if its an issue. I think wrapping the LED's in vinyl is causing the issue of both the reactor being damaged, and the lights burning out.

[@ReefDudes]

If it was out in the open i could see warping it.. but you are right.. that would trap in heat and may explain those issues you heard about. Mine is suspended above my sump and breathable 360 degrees which likely helps. also the leds are only warm to touch.. if yours feel to hot then consider adding a dimmer and toning it down a bit

[@UnfilteredJustice]

Do you notice any micro algae growth in the sump below because of light bleed?

[@ReefDudes]

Nope, so far so good!

[@IronDruids]

How would you even begin to empty out the chaeto? Seems like a real chore if you have to remove the reactor from your manifold every 2 weeks and then put it back on after emptying.

[@ReefDudes]

Just have to u screw one union and it pops off

[@nelsonaviles344]

Don't you worry about the lights making the tube to hot over time and will eventually crack

[@ReefDudes]

They lights only ever get warm.. so far i havent noticed them get "hot"

[@neilappeal20]

I tried this and I found that even though the LEDs didn't seem to get hot, the reactor still cracked causing very minor leaks. The salt then attacked the rubber on the LED membrane and caused the circuit to rust and of course I then developed an electrical fault.

[@ReefDudes]

Which reactor did you use? I wonder if it's how they made it or if they are using cast vs extruded acrylic? Mine has run from 16-24h a day for months with out any issues. Did you cover the reactor is is the reactor and lights able to breath?

[@sharonvaizer]

hi what about the hit? i=can it burn ?

[@KevinENHVlogs]

Nice job .. i am always impressed with the things people can build and these chaeto reactors have been hot lately. Nice to see it working out for you. Good deal. Are you running this off a manifold or a separate pump?

[@ReefDudes]

Its running off the Manifold. The manifold does have its own pump so it wont affect the flow of my return pump (need to keep that overflow dead silent!)

[@dannybski9620]

how much of a pain is it to do maintenance and empty out the chaeto?

[@ReefDudes]

not bad at all. every few weeks i turn off the flow, unscrew the union then the lid screws right off, pull out a bunch and hook it back up.. the only annoyance is a bit of algae on the walls of the reactor to wipe off but aside form that it works well..and less work than an ATS!

[@outrun17]

Hello I’m look to making something like this but I’m. It sure what I need. I have a 90 gallon tank what would you recommend on lights and a reactor.

[@ReefDudes]

I’ll see if I can find you a link to the ones I used tonight. Pretty sure I replied to it somwhwre in the comments

[@outrun17]

ReefDudes great thank you

[@ReefDudes]

This looks pretty much identical to the one i used amzn.to/2FWo00Y

[@outrun17]

ReefDudes what realtor what work for a 90 gallon tank? What realtor are you using? and are you having any issues with the realtor cracking?

[@ReefDudes]

I’m using an old Vertex Reactor. No issue or cracks in mine.i have heard of it happening and I suspect the UV or best form some lights affected certain types of acrylic (not sure if it’s cast or extruded ) but one of the two. I’ll see if I can do an update on mine for next weeks video

[@syedammarrizvi4516]

Is this reactor still running? Still sideways?

[@ReefDudes]

IT was up until a few weeks ago. I'm not testing out an algae turf scrubber.. the Reactor worked great and no issues running it sideways - great for space saving! :)

[@maddawgzzzz]

Is this your only channel btw? Me and a few friends would like to know. Also what state are you located in?

[@lucasrios7355]

Hey dev! So how much flow does a cheato reactor need? Anyways another great vid! Happy reefing!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks! I'n not to sure on the flow.. its a decent flow but nothing crazy.. I have the pump going through my manifold so its hard to say how much is actually going through the chaeto reacetor.

[@lucasrios7355]

ReefDudes ok so will it be fine if I put it in line with my carbon reactor? I'll have to figure it out and I'll ask around!

[@TheBrummieReefer]

How long do u have the light on for. Over night or all the time?

[@ReefDudes]

Hey Gary. I leave mine on for about 16hours. They turn of when my display tanks lights turn off :). I have heard of some leaving them on 24/7

[@joeyramirez787]

How many hours do you keep the lights on?

[@ReefDudes]

Was 16. Then tried 24. Now trying 12. Experimenting

[@reefjunkies6197]

I set up one of these 2 time and both time my cheato stared turning brown why is that

[@ReefDudes]

The only time i have seen the Chaeto turn brown or white... is because of GFO or lack of nutrients to feed the chaeto.

[@miguelpires5856]

don't you feel more exited just because now you can feed your fish and corals more than you used to ? Mine grows faster in the reactor, how about yours? defenetly the results are much better with the reactor in my case. nice video .

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Miguel! I already feed pretty heavily so i'ts probably a good thing i'm upping my export! i'm kind of excited to clean out that giant log of chaeto in the next day or two :P

[@miguelpires5856]

you gonna starting giving it away or selling, i already have so much , my sump is full , my reator runs 24/7. thanks for sharing

[@ReefDudes]

I have been running mine for 16hours.. do you find any difference on running it 24 hours vs giving the chaeto a break?

[@miguelpires5856]

never tried it , i know it sounds crazy, but besides the reactor running 24h, i also have a light that goes on wend main tank goes off , the diference i see now from 2 month ago is it grows slower now, but i clean the reactor last week, as it was getting algae inside and it seams its getting back on the grow speed, this is something amazing, i don't use any other thing in my reef, no even carbon, this is so good that some company´s are starting to produce cheats reactors. one question, my reactor gets the water from the sump in the first compartment, even before it gets to the skimmer... wheres your´s? would you say it makes a diference?

[@ReefDudes]

From my understanding chaeto (and all plants really) need a bit of a break from light.. 24/7 light "may" inhibit growth.. ill dig into this further! I do also use carbon and change it every 4-6 weeks.. more to eliminate any tiny bit of ocean smell. My Reactor feed pump/output are both in my skimmer chamber. Ideally it would output downstream of the intake pump however i haven bothered changing it yet as it seems to be working well.

[@vinnyol]

Have you had problems with the acrylic cracking due to the lights?

[@ReefDudes]

None at all lol but I have heard a few people mention that. Why Reactor are you using? I'm starting to develop a theory that it may depends on A if you wrap the reactor and it holds in heat or B possibly the type of acrylic used to make it

[@vinnyol]

Im using the two lttle fishies 550 reactor. I good growth once after that it just got real nasty. I cut my lights in half meaning i went from 12 ft to 6 ft in length. I had running 8 hrs and now I am leaving the lights for 24 hrs but am afraid of acrylic cracking when i am not home.

[@ReefDudes]

Have you seen any little lines or stress lines in your reactor? I am using an old vertex reactor and have not had any issues with mine.. but that being said there are likely many different grades of acrylic out there

[@vinnyol]

Yes lines and looks like cracks

[@ReefDudes]

vince olivas sounds a bit sketchy. I would be careful with that one

[@EDKsurly]

Hey buddy, would you recommend this for my Nano 20g?

[@ReefDudes]

Sure would, It does a great job of lowering phosphates and nitrates!

[@StickyDiceOfficial]

I do not understand what i could possibly be doing wrong. My algae reactor always goes great for the first week and then it starts turning white and dying no matter how much i thin it out.

[@ReefDudes]

Are you using GFO, Chemipure blue or anything else in your system that may be out competing the algae for phosphate?

[@StickyDiceOfficial]

ReefDudes no i am not. Struggle with high nutrients. Do you do 24/7 light?

[@ReefDudes]

Previously I was doing. 16h. As of a week ago I'm trying 24/7

[@IronDruids]

Was the algae going sexual?

[@joeyramirez787]

Why is my chaeto turning brown?

[@ReefDudes]

Maybe it’s not getting enough light. Or your tank doesn’t have enough nutrients to feed it. Or our using gfo and outcompeting it

[@tomashton3345]

How large is your display Tank? And how densely stocked? Was wondering because I built one earlier this week, (Tanglover11 Instagram) but not sure about whether it should be larger to compensate for my Aquarium having a lot of fish and coral.

[@ReefDudes]

Display is a little over a 100g. Lots of fish. May do a video on then today I have a chance :)

[@bizsidehustles]

Iove how this is titled build a chaeto reactor for $50 all u need is a $50 used reactor, pump, plumbing, $18 light string, chaeto ($10?), and a $1,500 3d printer that everyone has to make a bracket...

[@ReefDudes]

I have made reactors using $3 pasta jars from the dollar store, you just have to be creative :) I also see little phosban style reactors for sale for $20 all the time. On a side note you do not need a 3d printer and it does not need to be horizontal. I didnt have space to put it verticles so i got creative in my mounting options :) That and you just have to use what you have laying around and for me it was that old reactor.

[@reefjunkies6197]

And I think I have a lot of nutrient I have 8 fish I seed every day

[@ReefDudes]

GFO would do it but if you pulled it then I'm not sure 🤔

[@bobbafett1971]

Definitely not for $50. Vertex reactor. 3D printed.....not all of us have that.

[@ReefDudes]

Check the description, I posted a link to a $44 Reactor, that and a cheap light strip and your set! Brackets are only since had to mount it horizontally.. most normal people do it vertically :) Or if you want to do it even cheaper build a DIY reactor > kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4rSn4qfprmZoac

[@GTS_Fanatic]

Title is misleading

[@tjb1449]

Not really a diy... Its dependant on getting the same good deal as you did

[@ReefDudes]

Sure it is, you are repurposing something to create something new. Why not just buy one of these reactors for $44 then it's even cheaper to build! amzn.to/2tuTB4j If you want 100% DIY check out my DIY media reactor video and make one out of that for 100% diy :). kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4rSn4qfprmZoac