# Help with inline reactor



## PinchHarmonic (Mar 30, 2007)

I'm going to be building the Rex inline reactor, but I noticed that my tank stand is very very short. This poses a problem because I want to build the larger reactor just in case. Moreover, I have a Hydor inline heater on the outline of my Xp2.

Since my stand is really short, I'm going to have to be doing zig zags on the outline to fit everything there. At the moment, the hydor inline heater is actually half of the entire length of the outline!! That's how short my stand is.

Just wondering if zigzagging the plumbing would have problems with the filter, because in normal operation, the output line goes straight up and into the tank, it never really has kinks.

Thanks!


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## ZooKeeper (Oct 16, 2007)

Zig-zag it lengthwise instead of heightwise.

ZK


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The longer the return line the less flow will be delivered from the filter. In all low pressure plumbing the goal is to keep all runs of piping as short as possible with as few bends as possible. I don't know how much the flow will be restricted if you add that reactor, but I do know that it will be restricted some. Canister filters and all similar impeller type pumps do not produce much output pressure, so you have a very limited amount of pressure to push the water back to the tank. 

You can use a powerhead in the tank, and some ingenuity to run the external reactor or the heater. Of course that adds one more thing in the tank.


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## PinchHarmonic (Mar 30, 2007)

appreciate the responses. I'd definitely prefer nothing else in the tank, that's actually why I got the hydor inline. I just wish I could install the hydor inline on the intake side, but it recommends against it.

I have a picture to better show the possible zigzag I may do, this is from the huge thread for the DIY reactor which I see hoppycalif replying in all the time =) so i'm sure you've seen it. I can easily setup my reactor and output exactly like this picture because this doesn't require much height. I know his is an Eheim filter, but do you think if I had this setup with a rena xp2 it would pose output pressure problems? Also, my hydor inline heater would remain upright at the top of the output line near the actual spraybar where it is working perfectly right now.

Thanks again all


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## PinchHarmonic (Mar 30, 2007)

Perhaps I can just add up all the lenghts (cannister -> reactor, length reactor, reactor output to spray bar) and make sure that lengh is < the max length specified by my filter.

Any thoughts?


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## ponyrandy (Jan 13, 2007)

If you plumb yours as the picture, you eliminate head pressure problems caused by the weight of the water. The filter simply pumps the water over to the reactor (about 12"), and then gravity takes it down to the bottom of the reactor. In my mind, you would measure the 12" over to the reactor, then the length from the bottom of the reactor up to the spraybar. I have never used an inline heater, but if it is just a hollow tube with no restriction and properly sized to the tubing, you shouldn't have any problems. In my case I built the reactor and switched over to a cannister filter at the same time, so I just bought the next biggest size filter so I wouldn't have to worry about pressure or volume problems.
Brian


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## PinchHarmonic (Mar 30, 2007)

Thanks PonyRandy,

I'll give that a shot. My cannister is a bit overrated for the tank size, so I'm sure a bit of flow restriction can be accomodated (I have an x02 rated up to 75 gallon for a 55 gallon tank)


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