• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Is an inline reactor really better than an inline diffuser?

Andrew Butler

Andrew Butler

Member
Joined
1 Feb 2016
Messages
1,740
Location
Banbury, Oxfordshire
As the title asks; is an inline reactor really better than an inline diffuser?

I'm sorting the plumbing out on my new tanks and want to cut down on the bubbles which I had using an inline diffuser; I know you can do things like Zeus and fit APS add on filters to work as add on reactors but the plumbing is a bit messy to fit in the space I have.

If I was to use a DIY reactor I could have the filter feed the top of it then the bottom could then feed the heater and up to my spraybar.

It would be a DIY one similar to the one Iain posted on the link below (no offence Foxfish your style just wouldn't fit)

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/co2-atomizer-vs-reactor.25226/
 
Last edited:
Inline reactor much better IMO. Just more plumbing. Nice thing about the APS is that it's pretty wide so slows the speed of the water down in the reactor so bubbles get trapped in there, well that's my take on it.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
Is an inline reactor really better than an inline diffuser?

Better is subjective...
Inline reactors, like sera flora 500/1000, will give the best Co2 dilution, you can reach 100% dilution. But they are big and can make some noise, little but the noise is there! (I use this one in my big tank)
DIY inline can be designed for your specific demands, the best! You need to have some skills...
JBL inline, Pro flora direct, are very small, much easier to isntall. The Co2 dilution is not so good as the big ones. (I have one and like it).
Co2 diffuser, like glass ADA type, have a fancy design! Not easy to clean, you must be aware of the glass material. But they are the simple to install and calibrate! (not my favourite).
All solutions will give nice Co2 to the tank, you can see top layout's with all kind of solution's.
Chose the one you like the most!
cheers
 
Edvet said:
Yeah
Click to expand...
have you a picture? I'm just trying to piece one together and have a couple of concerns looking at other designs and remedies.

-Getting air trapped at the top of the diffuser, is this a problem you've had? I'm considering putting a bleed valve in place.
-Making a system I can take apart without getting water everywhere
-Do I put the CO2 through a diffuser before the reactor or just inject it straight into the reactor / before the reactor

I'm thinking from my filter I can go into the top of the reactor then the flow out of the bottom of the reactor can be directed upwards into my heater then onto the spraybar -
I think if I put a tee between the bottom of the reactor and the heater I could put a valve on it and drain it before taking things apart.

How does this sound?
 
With reactors it is all about contact time so the longer the tube the more effective.
The way around having a large, long tube, is to spin the water within the tube ... a vortex.
So if you can make an inlet & outlet into the tube at a tangent the water will spin & dramatically increase the contact time & hence a much smaller tube can be used.
If I could accesses my photo bucket I could post some pictures!
It amazes me that there are no commercial vortex reactors available?
 
foxfish said:
With reactors it is all about contact time so the longer the tube the more effective
Click to expand...
This is why I'm looking at building one as I have the height, the parts soon start adding up as I want to make sure I can take it apart without making a mess and also I think I need to be able to bleed off the air.

foxfish said:
It amazes me that there are no commercial vortex reactors available?
Click to expand...
I think the sera flora 500 mentioned above is and there are a few others but the fittings not being in a straight line means I just can't fit it in.

Having a look at the aqua medic 1000 which is what I will end up building but with a few twists to make it suit my cabinet a bit better, finally found the info and now I really just need to find the bleed valve type fittings and see if I can make it work.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Media/PDF/13995-Reactor1000Manual.pdf
 
For a bleed valve you just need to pull a bit of silicone air line through a slightly undersized hole and fit a airline valve.
The problem with reactors filled with biaballs is the massive restriction of flow.
Probably the biggest issue apart from restricting flow is the build up of gas in the top of the reactor but you can form a link with air line back into the pump flow... a Venturi.
 
foxfish said:
For a bleed valve you just need to pull a bit of silicone air line through a slightly undersized hole and fit a airline valve.
The problem with reactors filled with biaballs is the massive restriction of flow.
Probably the biggest issue apart from restricting flow is the build up of gas in the top of the reactor but you can form a link with air line back into the pump flow... a Venturi.
Click to expand...
I want to try and find fittings that will stay in place and not rely on tubing siliconed through a hole; I'm a bit heavy handed!
I have a G6 filter so will be able to monitor if the flow is restricted at all. I'm thinking long 50mm tube with the bigger 'spikey' bio balls in.
I see you have the tapered design which I guess stops the build up of gas at the top but I don't think I have room for that.
There are so many slightly different methods of making a reactor it's hard to try and choose one that I think will work for me, not too many people are reporting the build up of gas at the top but I guess you don't when your design is the best!
How would you make a venturi work without putting big bubbles of CO2 into the flow?
 
Hi Andy, I don't mean silicone in anything, you just cut a long taper to the end on the air line, push the end into the undersized hole, grab it with some pliers and pull it through. The silicone airline will self seal. I have used this method more times than you can shake a stick at, works extremely well, never had a fail or leak.
I will draw a pic for you but a tad busy at the mo...
 
foxfish said:
Hi Andy, I don't mean silicone in anything, you just cut a long taper to the end on the air line, push the end into the undersized hole, grab it with some pliers and pull it through. The silicone airline will self seal. I have used this method more times than you can shake a stick at, works extremely well, never had a fail or leak.
I will draw a pic for you but a tad busy at the mo...
Click to expand...
understand what you mean.
 
foxfish said:
With reactors it is all about contact time so the longer the tube the more effective.
Click to expand...

True and false

Contact time true, longer not always better alone as with width affects the speed of the water in the reactor, increase the width of reactor and slow the water down, so wider is just as important. Here is the vid of my BPS rate


high and insane, my reactors are short and nothing gets passed them CO2 wise. I have the Fastest pH drop in town IMO. today it took 47mins for over a 1ph drop
upload_2018-1-9_18-29-21.png
I do have low flow in the reactors too so less chance of CO2 getting pushed down. There is a large CO2 bubble in reactors when on but with lower flow cant hear it with cabinet door closed

foxfish said:
Probably the biggest issue apart from restricting flow is the build up of gas in the top of the reactor
Click to expand...

why is it an issue ? unless its noisy
 
Well I don't wont to get to deeply involved with this discussion & I most certainly don't doubt the efficiency of your own reactor.
However in my mind the most efficient reactors will not have any build up of gas.
That is not to say they wont work, there are many many ways to design a reactor, in fact most of the designs I see, do have a build up of gas in the top of the chamber.
Personally, I would consider that to be a design issue & I would prefer to see all the bubbles completely dissolved.
 
increasing the pressure in the reactor would help improve CO2 uptake by the water, but at the expense of noise. Agree about the build up of gas not being ideal, but if it works and is quiet... .... as to the efficiency well ...................
 
Please take a look at this video. He is using an inline diffuser (not reactor) and has 100% dissolution. He just uses a longer hose with a slight curve . This curve gives the time to co2 to dissolve into water before it reaches the output. This is because co2 wants to rise but the water presses it down so there is more time into hoses before the exit.

 
foxfish said:
I would prefer to see all the bubbles completely dissolved
Click to expand...
That's exactly the reason I'm doing this in the first place!

Another thing I'm now considering is using a fluidused media reactor like you would use in marines but run it in reverse so simply swap the in for the out meaning the flow would go into the main body and exit through the pipe at the bottom then up through the middle and out. If I choose the correct one I can hard plumb it and make it easier for myself.

What do people think?

The link below will just show you how one works but I would be swapping the in/out over.
http://www.glassreef.com/proj_biopellet_reactor.php
 
The media tumbles would all be pushed down in the current and increase the resistance to flow, which would increase the working pressure which would help CO2 uptake but reduce flow.
Well that's my initial thoughts anyway, would it fit?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
Zeus. said:
The media tumbles would all be pushed down in the current and increase the resistance to flow, which would increase the working pressure which would help CO2 uptake but reduce flow.
Well that's my initial thoughts anyway, would it fit?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I might just have to experiment with one before drilling it or putting any bio balls in then that way I've not ruined it.
The media wouldn't tumble more just get sucked to the bottom, using the bigger bio balls should help things as they're not blocking flow so much.
It really would depend on which one I chose but I think I could get one to fit if it had the correct fittings on it for me to hard plumb to.
Might be a case of trial and fingers crossed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top