Co2 Reactor

Why don't you make the 10$ model that works better than anything you've shown thus far?
PVC pipe place in between the intake and the canister filter.

Buy two 1/2" to 2" adapters and a 112-16 inch length of 2" pipe. Fill with bio balls. Attach to filter tubing, connect the adater end caps reducers and bubble the CO2 into the intake or drill a 3/16" hole into the 2" chamber near the top for the gas input.

This reduces all the bubbles entering the canister filter while not effecting the flow rate significantly.

Doesn't clog either but should be cleaned with hot water every few months.

If you have a canister filter or a wet/dry, there's no reason to have any CO2 tubes in your tank.

Why waste money :-)?

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Excellent idea! I think I will do that. One question though...why do you add the Co2 to the top of the reactor? Why not the bottom so that it is forced through the bio-balls to help it dissolve into the water completely.
 
Originally posted by plantbrain
Buy two 1/2" to 2" adapters and a 112-16 inch length of 2" pipe. Fill with bio balls. Attach to filter tubing, connect the adater end caps reducers and bubble the CO2 into the intake or drill a 3/16" hole into the 2" chamber near the top for the gas input.
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Can you post a pic.? I'm a bit confused as to how your canister filter hose and the CO2 tubing connect to the adapters.
 
I assume he means that the reactor is spliced into the filter supply (out to tank) tube. You just need a reducer to go from the 2" PVC pipe to the 1/2" filter supply tube on both ends. The CO2 is fitted in by drilling a hole in one and and then glueing it in there. Co2 is then pumped into it. I am only confused about why you would put the CO2 tube into the top end of the reactor and not the bottom.
 
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I some cases, I have heard that 'injecting' Co2 in a canister filter may cause an 'air' pocket where the impellor is - causing cavitation and a malfunction of the filter. That's why I went with a 'power reactor'. Doesn't take up much space at all on larger tanks and is easily hidden with well placed driftwood and/or plants. :)
 
Avonlea...I was in the assumption that the reactor goes on the OUT side of the filter...so the co2 would never go into the filter in the first place to cause the air pocket...what i meant by bottom was that it went in the bottom of the reactor instead of the top after the filter.
 
Hey plantbrain...im gonna build a reactor with the specs you gave me...but one thing is...when you say clean it out about once a month...what do you use to keep the end you take off, on when its running? Is it threaded?
 
There is an argument for the incoming side and a different one for the outging side. Folks use one or the other and most seem very happy with their inline reactors.

I think cavitation happens when the co2 is fed straight into the intake without the intervention of a reactor. Actual large bubbles getting in there. This shouldn't be the case once the CO2 is dissolved in the reactor.

If you just split the line you won't get equal flowrates on each side. The pressure will equalize and since there will be greater resistance on the reactor side more water will go to the free side. This might work if you could control the flow rate on the free side, but then you'd be restricting the total flow again. Tom's design seems simpler and has endured field testing by some of the most expert aquarists around (like Tom).
 
Originally posted by carpguy
...... I think cavitation happens when the co2 is fed straight into the intake without the intervention of a reactor. Actual large bubbles getting in there. This shouldn't be the case once the CO2 is dissolved in the reactor. ......
Click to expand...
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Nice... That does prevent the cavitation I heard about. No bubbles - no cavitation.
 
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