Is My CO2 Reactor Working Properly?

Jamie

Jamie

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My 150 is up and running. I built a DIY CO2 reactor for my pressurized set up. The reactor is along the lines of this one:

http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

I have a 30 gal sump with and external pump. The pump is connected to the CO2 reactor via 1" flex PVC. After the reactor the 1" hose T's into two 3/4" flex PVC lines that supply the "fresh" water to my tank. The CO2 bubles are quite noticable coming out of my supply hoses into the tank. In fact tons of tiny little bubbles are blown all around into the tank - a lot of which float to the top. Is this normal? Should I place an aftermarket CO2 reactor within the sump to get better dissolution? Today I will be increasing my KH to around 4 or 5. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the pH down.
 
Your success with saturation depends largely on your result. Depending on your kH, you look at the number of bubbles per minute and the resulting pH. If you are getting the target pH while injecting, let's say 70 - 100 bpm(again this depends on your kH) you are getting relatively good saturation. IMO, if you need 180 bpm(3 bubbles a sec) you can improve your delivery system.
This is how I judge my efficiency with regard to my CO2 injection.
If you are getting a fine mist dispersed into the tank, my guess is that you are getting good saturation.
HOWEVER......the degree of disturbance in your water's surface will play a role in how long the CO2 STAYS in the water column. A lot of movement.....a lot of gas off.

Len
 
the top of my tank actually looks as if were a carbonated beverage with all of the rising Co2. That is when its on - I have a pH controller.
 
I raised my hardness to 3 deg KH. My pH is at 6.8 and won't go any lower. I want my harness to be 4 or 5 with pH @ 6.8. My problem seems to be with my in line reactor....the majority of my precious CO2 is bubbling right to the top of the tank and gassing off. Like I said, my tank looks like a can of sprite freshly opened, with all of the little bubbles jumping out - you know, the ones that tickle your nose.....anyway......no lemon lime here, I think I need to invest in a better way to efficiently dissolve my CO2. I'm thinking of using the Power reactor from aquabotanica, otherwise known as the Reactor 200 from FL Driftwood. I know 80g Joe uses this and seems to be happy - joe or anyone else, do you see bubbles escape to the top of the tank and gas off or do they stay in the reactor and dissolve well? Right now I'm stuck with around 15 ppm co2 with my Press CO2 wide open. I hope to do better than this...I do have a wet/dry system but I am not blaming this for gassing off. I have about 1/4 inch of fall into my overflow boxes, my sump is sealed well, and I have very minimal surface agitation - if any at all.
 
Originally posted by Jamie
..... ..... the Reactor 200 from FL Driftwood. I know 80g Joe uses this and seems to be happy - joe or anyone else, do you see bubbles escape to the top of the tank and gas off or do they stay in the reactor and dissolve well? ......
Click to expand...
The reactor I have will do wonders for your CO2 dispersion! The Rio pump totally disolves the CO2 gas within the tube and it flows out through a sponge at the bottom of the tube. There are no tiny CO2 bubbles escaping to the top! None! The only tiny bubbles rising to the top of the tank is oxygen bubbling off the plants. Quite a nice site! :) I've looked at other methods, and glad I found this Power Reactor.
Some may complain about having the reactor 'in' the aquarium and that it takes up space... The benefits outweigh the small space it uses. You can't even see it, unless you search for it behind the plants.

Oh, I did crank it up to test CO2 levels and it will reach dangerous levels. At this level there was still no CO2 off-gassing, or tiny bubbles leaving the tube and floating away to the top to be wasted. It is a well designed device. You can copy it and save a couple dollars. I just bought it as I didn't want a DIY project.... :)
 
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There are no tiny CO2 bubbles escaping to the top! None!
Click to expand...
Ok Joe, let me get this right...you see nothing coming out the bottom of the reactor??
I have a rio pump pushing water into a 16 oz coke bottom with the bottom cut off. The tube from the CO2 comes in through a hole in the side with an airstone connected to the end (holes from the pump line and from the CO2 line are sealed). I have a "scrubbie" in the bottom of the bottle to help break up the bubbles, but I see teeny-tiny bubbles coming out the bottom of the bottle and rising to the top. Would you say I can get more efficient dissolution (is that even a word??) if I used, say a sponge, rather than the scrubbie which is basically stiff netting all scrunched into a ball. I was just worried about blocking up the reactor too much so that CO2 couldn't escape fast enough...is that possible?
BTW, I'm using DIY CO2...not pressurized.

Melanie
 
Originally posted by Jamie
My 150 is up and running. I built a DIY CO2 reactor for my pressurized set up. The reactor is along the lines of this one:

http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

I have a 30 gal sump with and external pump. The pump is connected to the CO2 reactor via 1" flex PVC. After the reactor the 1" hose T's into two 3/4" flex PVC lines that supply the "fresh" water to my tank. The CO2 bubles are quite noticable coming out of my supply hoses into the tank. In fact tons of tiny little bubbles are blown all around into the tank - a lot of which float to the top. Is this normal? Should I place an aftermarket CO2 reactor within the sump to get better dissolution? Today I will be increasing my KH to around 4 or 5. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the pH down.
Click to expand...

The reactor design will only work when:
1) reactor is aligned vertically
2) water comes in from the top and exits the bottom

The idea is the the CO2 bubbles will try and go to the
top of the reactor, and the water coming in from the top
will push them back down - churn and dissolve them.
 
Originally posted by fishfrenze

Ok Joe, let me get this right...you see nothing coming out the bottom of the reactor?? ....BTW, I'm using DIY CO2...not pressurized. Melanie
Click to expand...
That's it! No escaping CO2..

I'm guessing the sponge is better. I'm not sure what kind it is, but it's heavier than a regular 'dish type' sponge. It might be used on pre-filters. I think the pump is a #50 Rio. It's a small Rio...

I think your Scrubbie is letting the CO2 get by.. And, the Coke bottle may be too small for dissolving the gas.
 
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I use a small siphon tube with an Aqua Clear 150 sponge tuffed into it. You can see the CO2 accumulating within the sponge. Very little gets out the bottom as bubbles or even mist. Occasionally a bubble will come out but that's the exception rather than the rule. Gotta be close to 95% absorption.
Without the sponge I used a bubble rate of approx. 2.5 bps. With the sponge approx. 1 - 1.25 bps. This is a big difference IMO.

Len
 
I just ordered the reactor 200 from FL Driftwood as I am not satisfied with the way my co2 is rising to the top of my tank. It should be here in 2-3 days. It is the same as the power reactor from aquabotanica. I ended up ordering from FL Driftwood because they throw in CO2 tubing. Robert at AB had the same thing for the same price but included silicon tubing, coke bottle adapter, and 1 yr supply of yeast. I'm running press. co2 so I didn't need all of that stuff. Hopefully now I'll be able to raise my hardness to 4 deg and keep the pH around 6.8. Right now I'm struggling with 2 deg hardness with the bubble counter off the charts.
 
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