Changed to a Sera Co2 Reactor 1000. Gave up on inline diffuser for my planted tank.

[Chris Jackson]

I had some issues with algae on my latest scape where I was using just the filter as a reactor so I got a 'New' UP atomiser. It was very easy to get a good PH profile with this but it didn't seem to help much with the algae and frankly I hate the 7Up effect...plants pearling is all the bubbles I need.

So in looking for an alternative and having perused this thread a little I decided against the Sera reactor and built a modified pumped Cerges style reactor with a bio ball chamber that is connected inline to the outlet of the main filter (I rather like making stuff). Great performance, algae in severe decline, very happy plants, crystal clear water and no 7up micro bubbles but it does use 3-4 bubbles per sec compared to 2-3 with the atomiser in my 80lt tank. So this result just had me wondering whether a reactor is a better method in principle and I did find one US web site claiming this but of course they were promoting and selling their own brand reactor.... I can't find that site now.

 

[kirk]

My reactor will not go back on my tank EVER, you have described all the things which drover me mad, I had a constant stream of bubbles too fed into ours. Now I've gone back to an in tank diffuser plants are growing. I got sick of the algae the noise the loss of live stock loss of plants, and flow reduction. I'd rather see bubbles and plants than a lifeless tank. I've tried everything even almost destroyed my filter messing around putting it on the inlet. Best plant mass I ever had was with an up inline.

 

[Chris Jackson]

My reactor will not go back on my tank EVER, you have described all the things which drover me mad, I had a constant stream of bubbles too fed into ours. Now I've gone back to an in tank diffuser plants are growing. I got sick of the algae the noise the loss of live stock loss of plants, and flow reduction. I'd rather see bubbles and plants than a lifeless tank. I've tried everything even almost destroyed my filter messing around putting it on the inlet. Best plant mass I ever had was with an up inline.

Just goes to show there are many approaches that work!

For me it's the opposite never again an atomiser....

 

[kirk]

Seems the case chris, I think sometimes it the item and our personal skill levels. I'd still like to have a go at a proper homemade reactor sometime it's the only thing I haven't done. I can see why people give up and go lowtech. Have you a picture of your homemade one please.?

 

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Kirk, Yes I think the main issue that is causing so many headaches these days is the trend towards more intense light. I had fewer issues 20 years ago with just T8 lights and a simple bubble ladder style CO2 diffuser, kind of of mid-tech perhaps. Anyway here is a photo of my reactor/filter



This is made from a 10" water filter housing and an industrial quality ADA type Iwaki MD10 pump found on eBay. The filter housing is plumbed in reverse so that water enters down the centre where a filter module would normally fit. It just happened that the top section of an old gravel cleaner I had with a piece of pvc tubing on it wedges perfectly into the centre hole and it then also just happened that part of an old Dennerle bubble ladder module I had fitter perfectly into the gravel cleaner top. So the bubble ladder module (this is a just a plastic tube like the gravel cleaner but instead has a grill on the bottom that stops the bio balls from dropping out) is filled with bio balls and the water enters into here along with the CO2 bubbles (injected directly in the water feed tube via a T connector) the CO2 gets trapped in this tube amongst the bio balls and absorbs into the water. I drilled a couple of 1mm holes in the top of the gravel cleaner fitting to allow the excess gas that builds up to escape automatically. I wanted it to be very simple for easy maintenance and leak protection, if you Google about you'll find some other very efficient "double venturi" designs that recirculate the gas build and others that have a vent tube to allow you to manually release the gas. Many options...

I like that my one is an independent pumped unit that increases the flow from my Eheim Experience filter. The 700ltr/hour Ehiem was actually delivering 288 lt/hr from a freshly rinsed filter (I weighed a minutes worth into a bucket) with this reactor connected inline from the outflow of the Eheim I get 440ltr/hr. The Iwaki pump (Rated at 660l/hr) is a powerful 35watts and very hot to the touch but feels wonderfully robust and there is little flow reduction between filter cleans and no 7UP!

 

[terry82517]

Wow looks impressive chris, very ingenious.

Any more pics?

 

[Chris Jackson]

Wow looks impressive chris, very ingenious.

Any more pics?

Thanks, clean up day tomorrow so I'll take some more then.

 

[pepedopolous]

I think stability is the key as mentioned earlier in the thread. If i dont keep my tank topped up to the same level surface agitation increases leading to unstable/reduced co2 in the tank and bba blooms

Bingo. I'm thinking about getting an ATO for this reason. Just need to work out how much water I lose per week through evaporation...

P

 

[Zak Rafik]

Great performance, algae in severe decline, very happy plants, crystal clear water and no 7up micro bubbles but it does use 3-4 bubbles per sec compared to 2-3 with the atomiser in my 80lt tank.

Hi Chris.
I see your tank is a 80lt and so could this be the reason that your reactor is able to supply enough dissolved Co2 and the pump provide the much needed flow inside the reactor?
My tank is a 285 lt ( actual measured amount of water ). When I tried with Sear reactor, the bubble count was insane and yet the DC was green only.
If I were to try a setup something like yours, would I be needing a more powerful pump?

What is your Co2 and light timing like?

The 700ltr/hour Eheim was actually delivering 288 lt/hr from a freshly rinsed filter (I weighed a minutes worth into a bucket) with this reactor connected inline from the outflow of the Eheim I get 440ltr/hr.

I think my Eheim 2080 ( manufacturer's flow rate 1700lt/hr) would not be able to give the flow with a reactor connected for a 285lt tank.

Awaiting your tank's photos and setups.🙂
Cheers.

 

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Chris.
I see your tank is a 80lt and so could this be the reason that your reactor is able to supply enough dissolved Co2 and the pump provide the much needed flow inside the reactor?
My tank is a 285 lt ( actual measured amount of water ). When I tried with Sear reactor, the bubble count was insane and yet the DC was green only.
If I were to try a setup something like yours, would I be needing a more powerful pump?

What is your Co2 and light timing like?


I think my Eheim 2080 ( manufacturer's flow rate 1700lt/hr) would not be able to give the flow with a reactor connected for a 285lt tank.

Awaiting your tank's photos and setups.🙂
Cheers.

 

[Chris Jackson]

Whoops..pushed the wrong button...

Hi Chris.
I see your tank is a 80lt and so could this be the reason that your reactor is able to supply enough dissolved Co2 and the pump provide the much needed flow inside the reactor?
My tank is a 285 lt ( actual measured amount of water ). When I tried with Sear reactor, the bubble count was insane and yet the DC was green only.
If I were to try a setup something like yours, would I be needing a more powerful pump?

What is your Co2 and light timing like?


I think my Eheim 2080 ( manufacturer's flow rate 1700lt/hr) would not be able to give the flow with a reactor connected for a 285lt tank.

Awaiting your tank's photos and setups.🙂
Cheers.

Hi Zak,

I think that for a larger tank you'd be better off running two filters with your Ehiem 2080 proving flow and filtration and a smaller less powerful reactor filter/pump providing CO2 duty. The longer the CO2 is in contact with the water the better is will absorb so to me it makes sense to have slower rate of flow through a reactor for more dwell time. Then this highly enriched water can mix with the rest in the tank and waste less CO2. My old tank is 400ltr and I ran it for many years with two filters with the smaller Eheim 2026 serving double duty as a reactor with the CO2 being bubbled directly into the inlet at 2 bubbles per sec did the job to create this but CO2 level was only around 25ppm.


The journal link in my signature will tell you more about my current setup but in brief it's powered but an Aquasky 602 and I'd say it was this level of lighting that gave me problems. I've now got a dimmer fitted to one bank. The tank gets a fair bit of ambient light but first light comes on a 14:00 at about ⅔ rd power and then its 17:00 till 19:00 with the second light on full as well then back to the first light until 20:00 and lights off. I'm increasing the bright period by 15mins a week at the moment as I recover from my algae drama.

Water is KH5 and a 8:00 the ph is 6.89 and drops to 6.27 by 14:00 and stays about there until 19:00. CO2 comes on at 08:30 and off at 19:00. I stood a glass of tank water for 24hours and it's PH measured at 7.6 so theoretically I've got over 80ppm of CO2 which seems a tad radical but the fish and shrimp are happy enough. I also have a surface skimming type out flow so there is a lot of gas exchange.

Here are some more reactor photos:

CO 2 enters via blue t piece on Ehiem outlet and passes to Inner chamber full of ¾ inch balls

The pump


The tank this evening after a heavy trim

 

[Zak Rafik]

Hi Chris,

Fantastic set-up.
Awesome tank.
Most of all, thank you for taking the time and effort to take the photos and posting them here.🙂 I sure this will be an inspiration many fish hobbyist.
This is the thing I love about this forum. You guys are so humble and not brag about your tank but when prodded further, I discover a treasure trove of USEFUL information.

you'd be better off running two filters with your Ehiem 2080 proving flow and filtration and a smaller less powerful reactor filter/pump providing CO2 duty.

Yes infact that is what I have now. An Eheim 2080 for filtration and inline Co2 diffusion purpose and an Eheim 600 attached to an Eheim UV and a chiller.

The longer the CO2 is in contact with the water the better is will absorb so to me it makes sense to have slower rate of flow through a reactor for more dwell time.

That's what I thought too when I fixed the reactor to my Eheim 600 (model:2075 with a stated flow rate of 1250lt/hr). The Co2 gas started to build up build and even when the lights were off, there was still lots remaining Co2 inside the reactor. It would take more than 2 hours after lights went off.

My old tank is 400ltr and I ran it for many years with two filters with the smaller Eheim 2026 serving double duty as a reactor with the CO2 being bubbled directly into the inlet at 2 bubbles per sec did the job to create this but CO2 level was only around 25ppm

What!😕 A 400lt tank with 2 BPS? Must have been a low or mid light tank I suppose.😉
I'm now pumping in Co2 like crazy ( finishing a 5lt Co2 canister in 35 to 45 days), my DC is lime green and YET have plants melting away, BBA, GSA in the tank. I strongly suspect my Eheim filters' actual flow is not what is claimed by the manufacturer. I think it can be 1/3 less flow and even worse and contribute to less flow and distribution of Co2 for the plants.

I noticed that in the second photo ( the one with the view of your cabinet), you've hooked up your Co2 tube to the output hose of your canister filter via a T shaped connector and this hose goes into the reactor with a pump. Won't this setup spoil your filter's internal pump in the long term? Won't this create an uneven pressure inside the filter?

BTW your glass spray bar is out this world.😎 I've never seen one like it before. What brand is that? Can you please provide the manufacturer's website/details? Thanks.

I will certainly take a look at your journal.
Cheers.

 

[Crossocheilus]

What!😕 A 400lt tank with 2 BPS? Must have been a low or mid light tank I suppose.😉
I'm now pumping in Co2 like crazy ( finishing a 5lt Co2 canister in 35 to 45 days), my DC is lime green and YET have plants melting away, BBA, GSA in the tank.

I'm having the exact same experience 😡 I just don't understand...

 

[ian_m]

I'm now pumping in Co2 like crazy ( finishing a 5lt Co2 canister in 35 to 45 days), my DC is lime green and YET have plants melting away, BBA, GSA in the tank. I strongly suspect my Eheim filters' actual flow is not what is claimed by the manufacturer. I think it can be 1/3 less flow and even worse and contribute to less flow and distribution of Co2 for the plants.

Using a JBL bubble counter I have 1-2bps, for 180 litre tank use 2Kg in about 100days and drop checker is more yellow than green. Only times I have ever had fast bubble rate, blue/green drop checker and used 2Kg in once 60days and other time 23day is when I had CO2 leaks. Yes I thought, my CO2 system is 100% gas tight, can't be leaking, I have checked I don't know how many times, despite every one on the forum saying you have CO2 issues. Well finally dunked all the CO2 setup in a bucket of water, that is everything to from regulator out to in-line diffuser and found one time drop checker plastic had crazed and was leaking. Another time leaking at joint at top of drop checker, another from connectors at top of drop checker another finally leaking from a seam in one way valve and finally from connector where there was a fine score line on CO2 tubing leaking past the seal..... So bought expensive JBL drop checker, expensive one way valve, replacement CO2 tubing and fitted all together, checked for leaks, nothing.... and found that 1bps in 180l tank drop checker was green heading yellow everywhere in the tank.. DONE. 😀

 

[Chris Jackson]

I'm having the exact same experience 😡 I just don't understand...

Yes its strange but true however the tank was also fed by a continuos drip of rainwater and I imagine that would have been adding some CO2 as well . That tank was run on an auto PH CO2 controller (the same one as in the picks above that is now only measuring PH) and set to keep PH at 6.65ish. The tank was powered by 4 x 55w T5's and two 150w HQI BUT it was a 10 hour period with just two t5 on for the first 2 hours then 4 for the next 3 hours then the HQI as well for the next 2 hours then back to 4 and then 2 for the last hour. So highly lit for a couple of hours only.... after a year or so I tired of all the maintenance and switched off the HQI's for an easier life ....

Coming to this forum some months back I was surprised by this new constant obsession with CO2 and flow...it just hadn't been an issue for me at all previously. However when i started this new small tank which is intended to be a high power number I began to run into the same problems and addressing CO2 does seem to have alleviated them... I hated the look from the atomiser (having never had to live with this previously) so set about this reactor...

 

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks!

I noticed that in the second photo ( the one with the view of your cabinet), you've hooked up your Co2 tube to the output hose of your canister filter via a T shaped connector and this hose goes into the reactor with a pump. Won't this setup spoil your filter's internal pump in the long term? Won't this create an uneven pressure inside the filter?

Well the Iwaki pump has more power than the Ehiem so I just see it as making life easier for the Ehiem pump. I tried removing the impeller from the Ehiem and just using the Iwaki but flow slowed a bit and I figured I could afford the 7 or 8w the Ehiem filter uses so added it back in. I have them connected together mainly so that the tank is less cluttered but also so that the Ehiem pre filters the water into the reactor and stops it clogging.

BTW your glass spray bar is out this world. I've never seen one like it before. What brand is that? Can you please provide the manufacturer's website/details? Thanks.

Spraybar is another of my DIY numbers made from acrylic tube bought on Ebay the skimmer/outflow is from CO2Art http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections...cts/lily-pipe-surface-skimmer-o17mm-16mm-22mm

 

[Zak Rafik]

Well I get better results with the diffusors compared to the reactors.

How is your tank doing? Any updates with regards to Co2?
Cheers

 

[Bhu]

Hi Zak

I've had the (7)UP diffusor on for 2 weeks now. Much less co2 on my bubble count and plants doing great. Zero melt on the crypts so far so I'm thinking the water conditions are more stable. Only draw back 7 UP effect.

I still have a lot of BBA and hope it will recede. I put some plants into a low tech set up with zero co2 added and the BBA has disappeared on it 🙂 so it can go away! Here's hoping!

How's your set up?

 

[Carl Whitbread]

Hi Zak & Bhu,
Long time no hear from me eh. Well here is my update. I got my sera and still had awful algae problems etc. The Sera had nothing to do with the problem nor did the Up line. I removed the UP inline as I did not want any more 7up but wanted to see more from the tank and just removed all my CO2 equipment, I had finshed with it all and thought plastic plants and air bubbles here I come. Well I did not do that but instead after a few weeks I decided to give it all another go and install everthing again. I extended my spray bar as much as I could to remove any dead spots in the tank. I then reassembled all of my tank equipment and relocated my filter. Before my filter would only fit into my cabinet sideways so I decided to bring the filter out on show instead. This meant drilling holes in my cabinet to relocated the inlet and outlet tubes but a small price to pay. Ok, next I connected the sera and all other bits that go with co2. Then I bought more plants and bascially try to cover as much space as possible. Whilst buying plants I also bought new light tubes as it had been about to years since I last changed them. I trimmed my old plants and set my bubble counter to 3-4 bps then sat back and watched. Well I would like to report that my tank is doing really very well. The one thing to remember is not to get too involved with light. I have learnt that part of the success with co2 is good circulation and balanced co2 e.g. bps set at a rate and notconstantly changed by the user. The filter that I am now using is the JBL Cristalprofi e1501 greenline which has a reported 1400 lph. Some may say its over kill and it will support upto 600 l tank and my tank is only 180l but hey this solution works very well for me and I see encouraging results and with no 7up effect. Oh one thing I also forgot to mention was that I had stopped using RO and had gone back to UK tap water. The water where I live in the UK is hard water but the quality is good and drinkable (PH 7.3 and a KH of 6) so no need for me to continue with RO so I had changed the water gradually back to tap water over a number of weeks. I no longer get any major PH swings or crashes and my seneye reports healthy temp, amon, etc. My drop checker is a nice healthy green. Yes my plants do pearl but not on a major scale but for me but they do produce very large bubbles. My first priority is always to ensure my fish are happy. Other priorities are to ensure that my dc are green (I have two different spots adnd height of tank) and for now my tank appears to be well balanced. I have less algae (as the plants are taking all the nutrients) and a nice clean looking tank. I am sure that is all that I did but if my memory is jogged I will give more information. My tip of the day - Don't make things overly complicated

 

[Carl Whitbread]

How is your tank doing? Any updates with regards to Co2?
Cheers

I have done an update for you