CO2 REACTORS are nonsense!! direct to filter intake tube

[rytis]

best way to keep discus i found is in a well planted large tank with good filtration, shadows, bright lights and co2...

full CO2 systems always come with this reactor thing and a good reactor costs about $100!! anyway, today i found out that these reactors are absolutely useless if you have a canister type filter (which of course you do if you have planted discus tank)

i drilled a hole and put the co2 directly in the intake of the filter, i figured what a better way for that stuff to shake up then to have to go thru all filtrations, and i was right, its so much more efficient!! :)

[goldenpigeon]

while this works you have to be careful because if you are leaking too much co2 into your filter you may have problems with your good bacteria dying. the bubbles in the canister can also make noise when getting munched up. thats why we have reactors :D

[Noddy65]

The 'newest' theory is that it is better to shower the plants with fine CO2 bubbles rather than try and dissolve the CO2 completely in the water. Runing the CO2 into the canister filter prevents this of course. There is also the problem with air in the cannister and the increased CO2 can, in theory, accelerate the corrosion or hardening of rubber/plastic seals etc in the filter.

However it is a great way to dissolve CO2.

Mike

[Bad Inferno]

I have never really seen the need for reactors, when using pressurised system. I just use a good quality airstone at the bottom of my tank. You can see the CO2 bubbles leave the airstone quite large then are very very tiny when they reach the surface. So maybe my airstone is only 80-90% efficent however its simple and I can certainly see the pH go down when the solenoid turns on.
My CO2 cyclinder has run for 12 months +

rob

[Merrilyn]

Is it possible you could run a CO2 line directly into the venturi of a power head, to achieve the fine bubbles?

I'm thinking along the lines of say, a DIY CO2 bottle with a T junction feeding the CO2 into the airline going into the venturi?

Would that work?

Appreciate comments please.

[Bad Inferno]

I would of thought its the amount of time the CO2 bubble is exposed to the water...so blowing CO2 into the tank may not mean it has more exposure to the water.

[Phlipper]

Is it possible you could run a CO2 line directly into the venturi of a power head, to achieve the fine bubbles?

I'm thinking along the lines of say, a DIY CO2 bottle with a T junction feeding the CO2 into the airline going into the venturi?

Would that work?

Appreciate comments please.

Hi Merrilyn, not so sure how well that would work, most powerheads are located towards the water surface so any Co2 pushed out into the water would go straight to the surface and be lost to the atmosphere with very little being diffused into the water.

I've never liked the idea of tapping the Co2 directly into the canister filter either as it may cause the impellor within the unit to cavitate and damage seals etc.

Much literature has dealt with attempting to diffuse Co2 directly through an airstone, and from everthing I've read or been advised on this method does not diffuse much Co2 into the water at all, most just bubbles up and away into oblivian.

I use my own design reactor and generatyor system for 4 of my tanks now, and I think it would be very close to 100% Co2 diffusion into the water, my plants are nothing short of stunning these days because of this.

I can post pix and info on my system in for your perusal, but not today, my internet has just gone into slow mode......i'll post tomorrow if interested, by that time I think all will back to normal speed 8-)

[rsoares]

That would be great. I used in the past a home made solution of Co2, but would like to see other ideas.

[Phlipper]

OK, I'll try and post info tomorrow, my system is not much different than most DIY Co2 systems, but works great and cheap to establish 8-)

[Phlipper]

Well this is how I use a DIY Co2 system, and it works exceptionally well.

The main difference in my system and other similar ones is the leakproof spray unit generator, and the reactor has a small 200 lph pump mounted on top of the reactor tubing to assist in diffusing the Co2. The small pump cost only $10 from Bunnings, mounts easily on top of the reactor and is in turn plugged into my lighting timer.
This is advantageous in as much as it turns off with the lights, and the Co2 bubbles off into oblivian during the night when the plants rest and do not need it, so no huge PH crashes.

The bottom of the reactor unit is located in a position slightly below the filter intake pipe, this way "some" of the Co2 infused water seeps out of the reactor bottom, pushed by the small pump and gets sucked into the main fliter with no bubbles, and as such the Co2 gets doubly infused into the tank water. this means no cavatation of the pump impellor so no noise and no damage to the canister filter.

This style of system diffuses 100% of the Co2 into the water[ not that I can measure that ?} and works amazingly well on my two 150 litre tanks, I use a cheap {$10} garden spray unit for the yeast generator, it has the advantage of strength, ease of connection, built in gas release valve and renewable "O" rings etc available in any hardware store. The only thing you need to do is remove the spray wand, as well as remove the internal pipe that is located under the screw cap where the tubing is connected, this is important as with it still in place fluid would be sucked into the tank.

I still use a small soda bottle between the generator and the reactor unit to catch any stray fluids, with an in tube and an out tube naturally.

The reactor can be made of anything tubular, such as an aquarium gravel syphon similar, I've used an old pellet food container, a cheap $2 rain guage cylinder...there are many options.

The one 80 litre as well as my 500 litre tank. The larger 500 litre is not quite as effective, but nevertheless very efficient judging by the lush plant growth.

This is a rough line drawing of the set up, more pix to follow.

[Phlipper]

The garden spray unit, I like to use a 5 litre or 3 litre one.

I use two different yeast mixes, for the large tank I use .........5 cups of brown cane sugar to 3/4 teaspoon of bakers yeast to 1/2 teaspoon of bi-carb soda and 5 cups of luke warm water.

For the smaller tanks of 150 litres or less I use 2 cups sugar, 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 1/4 teaspoon of bi-carb and 3 cups warm water.

If required first thing in the morning one half pump of the spray unit plunger handle will clear lines and send copious amounts of gas into the reactor without actually disturbing the mixture.

Whole cost of setting up this type of system is less than $30 and about 1/2 hour of my time every fortnight. 8-)

[Phlipper]

The 6mm tubing to the diffuser simple slides into the end of the tubing attatched to the spray unit generator, just by chance it's a very snug, leakproof fit......very simple 8-)

Oh yeah, I use the soft and pliable and cheap black 6mm irrigation tubing for my Co2 lines, they dont seen to go brittle, and it still accomodates all the standard connectors.

[Phlipper]

One of my reactors, a simple cheap rainguage from a bargain store, but anything tubular is suitable. This one simply has a hole drilled into the top so the small 200 lph pump can mount on top. The Co2 is tapped into the side of the reactor at a point near the bottom, and as the gas is released into the reactor assembly the small pump trickles water into the tube and mixes the Co2 gas.....simple 8-)

[Phlipper]

Another possible type of reactor, this one is an old pellet food container. I drill a small hole in one side and push a spare suction cup into it, this is how I attatch the reactor to the tank glass, fits neatly and easily removable. Another hole in the top to fit the small pump, and another to push the Co2 line in the bottom and that's it.

[Phlipper]

One more drawing of reactor, pump and filter intake positions

[Phlipper]

And results in a few weeks

[fw05racer]

Great work Phlipper! Am I seeing that right, your tank has a double curved front?

[samir]

maybe you just had one beer too many :wink: hehehe lol

[Phlipper]

Great work Phlipper! Am I seeing that right, your tank has a double curved front?

That particular tank a double curve yes, two of my other tanks are curved glass as well, I'm rather fond of the effect of curved glass with no visible seams. The picture is a couple of months old now and the plants have grown now into a veritable jungle, I pruned a bucketfull of trimmings off just the other day, so the DIY Co2 works a treat. Even the plants I had difficulty with before DIY Co2 are flourishing now......very pleasing :P

[rytis]

wow so many responces, didnt know people would read it... anyway, update on my 125g tank with CO2 directly into the filter.....



plants are doing AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
as for LR, yes i think powerjet should not be bad, but i think filter definetely disolves them....

[rytis]

Phlipper, as for your lastscan diagram... i had EXACTLY same set up when i said to myself "why dont i just go dirrect"...

and tell me how do you avoid any more bubblesin the filter this way????????

[Phlipper]

Sorry late reply I know..............no bubbles at all get into my filter, the only thing that exits the bottom of my reactor is water, Co2 infused water but no bubbles. If by chance the reactor builds up an excess of gas it seeps back past the small pump impellor and away to waste.

[DiscusMad]

my diy co2 doesen't work at night because it too cold what a bonus