DIY GAC Reactor
While there’s no reason to think this device is any better than a commercial GAC reactor, it was super cheap for me as the only thing I bought were cheap mesh bags from
Amazon.
I already had a take off point on my return line that I installed for running the sump train and not the display, but have not used that aspect after the initial setup.
Taking that water source, it enters through the upper side of an old salt bucket, makes a 90 degree turn downward using some old pvc parts I had, and back into some silicone tubing to go down to the GAC.
The GAC (about 2 cups) sits in a mesh back inside a large yogurt container that fills it about 2/3 full. The container has several drilled holes in the bottom for draining.
The tubing enters the opening of the mesh bag and is held in place with a plastic hose clamp.
The yogurt container sits inside the salt bucket on top of egg crate at the bottom. The salt bucket has a bulkhead that drains straight down through a hole in the Brute can sump lid, and into the sump.
A lid is placed on top of the salt bucket to reduce evaporation.
Pictures will be easier to understand.
Yogurt container bottom
Mesh bag with ROX 0.8 GAC going into yogurt container:
Salt bucket with bulkhead in middle of bottom and egg crate above it. The side hole for the water entry is at the upper right.
Inside view of it hooked up. If the hose clamp holding the tubing to the pvc seem to be wet after running a while, I might replace it with a plastic one or none at all.
Water running into the refugium through the Brute lid during operation. This first refugium section mostly grows hair algae. Macroalgae doesn’t do well there.
