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

Hmm, interesting! I suppose I could achieve the same thing by plumbing in some solid pipe of the right diameter to create a more structured pipe layout within the cabinet.
 
Do you intend to soak the whole difusser then? Is it the the intense one that doesn't come apart?
My diffuser is the intense model which can't be taken apart.

Hope members who tried the Hydrogen peroxide method can in put their advice. Thanks.:)


How long have you had your sera? Is it still under warranty? Worth a try maybe...
It has been only 12 days plus.:dead:
The LFS had already informed before hand that they would not do replacement. They have had many customer break this reactor during their set up or cleaning.:mad:

Do you know how I can salvage this reactor? Like drill in a small metal / plastic pipe to replace the reactor's nozzle?

Cheers
 
I'm sure you can repair it no problem. TBH the screw cap on my co2 is obsolete and I don't use it. Same for the screw caps on the 16/20 piping. I wouldn't use metal pipe grips at the most I'd use the spring ones not the screw wind up ones as that risks cracking the sera. Also id really check with trading standards as a 7 day old product must clearly be under warranty. Contact sera! ;) I will look out for some parts that might help repair your sera and get back to you :)
 
I have decided to turn my co2 down to less BPS as my fish are acting kinda strange and breathing very heavy. It's a real challenge finding a happy balance!
 
BTW what's the best way to clean an inline diffuser?

Hi Zak Rafik,
I assume your filter tube connections are 16/22mm

If you have the UP Intense then you are unable to remove the ceramic so I would recommend an inline cleaner from CO2Art. They ship worldwide, here is the item,

http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections...-atomizer-detergent-kit-with-16-22mm-end-caps

If you have the UP Inline then you can remove the ceramic and place in the same solution as above. I prefer not to use bleach as I do not want to run the risk of any contaminants. By all means ask CO2Art for their recommendation but for mine I go an additional ceramic so I have one being cleaned and one being used. Here is the ceramic details

http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections...ramic-tube-for-up-latest-inline-co2-atomizers

Hope this helps you
 
Interesting thread, I'm to going through similar challenges,
125l tank
Fluval 206 external filter
Co2 art paintball co2 kit with atomiser diffuser in tank, 7 UP effect.
I have just upgraded lights to TMC Aqua grobeam led with controller.
Now want to inject co2 without the bubbles and came across original thread around the sera co2 reactor.
I was guessing the 500 model based on my flow rate, even though tempted by the 1000.

What I'm reading from the thread it has its pro's but be careful of attaching tubing and balancing CO2 on set up ??
I need to replace the fluval 16/22 ribbed tubing I guess to attach.
 
Id wait to see what co2Art bring out if possible, else yes the sera works ok if you are careful with the hoses. I don't know the fluval tubing so can't coment on that.
 
Well after turning down the bps my fish are no longer stressed but the plants are! :( I've got crypt melt and my DC is a deep turquoise green instead of light green :( I can't seem to win! I have now turned it up again a little bit. It certainly is a fine balance act co2!

Maybe I need to dose oxygen too?
 
From personal experience you are now at the point that you need to play about with the co2 off gassing rate to support the amount you are putting in to get a green DC and for it to be safe for fish.

:)
 
I have a Eheim Surface Skimmer as I find that this helps with the CO2 \ Oxygen exchange it also helps keep the top water clean. I hope I understood the quote from X3NiTH.

I have also replaced the body of my UP Inline with he replacement from the wonderful guys at CO2Art and all is very good.
 
At 100% co2 dissolution, my injection rate is set such that if I remove my Airstone (provides most of my surface agitation) my tank will hold co2 like a bottle and the fish can't tolerate the gas, they can tolerate the same injection rate if co2 is allowed to off gas more effectively. Being able to adjust the air coming out of the Airstone I can increase or decrease the aperture through which co2 can escape the water allowing me to fine tune things around to the comfort of both the plants and the fish.

What I have found is that It's not just about how much co2 you can inject into the water it's also about how much co2 you can eject to keep fish safely at 30ppm.

:)
 
Mmmm I see. I do have a strong surface agitation as I have 15x flow and the spray bar is pointing up and the other input is just the crook bend near the surface also. I don't have an air stone though! I was thinking that I might need to run one at night to help with the extra load. I hear if you get a good O2 supply for the night this also really helps through the day. There is no film on the surface of my water but an airstone is always useful.

Do you feel that the air stone needs to be going during the day as well as the night?
 
My flow is about 15x also. It's especially important for me to keep the Airstone running after lights out to help co2 off gassing happen quicker otherwise the tank stores it like a bottle overnight, this has knock on effects for the next injection period. Having the Airstone run all night my pH is at a stable high for a couple of hours before the gas comes back on. This stable pH point is my starting base point for the days injection (starting pH changes throughout the week due to tank influences, ie fish/plant waste & EI dosing). Running it 24/7 overcomes my filtration method of using a crook and not a spraybar to keep water/air contact high.

If your off gassing rate is already at a maximum due to filtration method and you need more off gassing then an Airstone can help, you can then bleed air from the line to fine tune the amount you need without having to fiddle with the needle valve on the co2 regulator (mines set a good rate and balanced by the air off gassing co2)

My tank is a small cube so the surface area is not great, so my margins for error are very narrow, and small adjustments have a greater effect. I think the larger the tank the less of a problem this tends to be.

If I had the space then I would be having a tank with an overflow and a wet dry sump so there is always a maximum of water air contact ensuring good oxygenation and maximally efficient co2 off gassing. I've read (TheBarrReport) that some users using this filtration method can off gas co2 within an hour of solenoid closing from a 1 point pH drop (mine takes 8 hours with the help of an Airstone). The canister filter represents a closed loop in the system ensuring that any gas transfer out of the system always happens through the tank surface area, which is effectively the closed neck of a bottle, the smaller the neck the tougher it is to off gas co2.

I hope that makes sense.

Other things I'm doing slightly differently is that I have augmented my air supply to the Airstone by sending it from two different pumps. One runs 24/7 with a line from it that I can bleed to adjust the bubble rate, the other is plumbed into the same line after a one way valve so that it doesn't back pressure into the other pumps line, this pump is controlled by an UP pH controller (CO2Art) set to LO, this way when the pH drops to a point where the fish will show signs of stress due to the amount of co2 going in but not coming out, it triggers the supplemental air to come on and blow of a little more co2 to keep the fish comfortable, I never have to reach for the needle valve, just balance it with air injection. The only thing I have to do to maintain this is to note my start pH for the day, calculate the drop and adjust the controller to come on just past this.

If the controllers could learn the daily pH stable start point and adjust their variances accordingly it would be entirely hands free, but alas these don't exist yet, at least not as a consumer item (not impossible though).

:)
 
My flow is about 15x also. It's especially important for me to keep the Airstone running after lights out to help co2 off gassing happen quicker otherwise the tank stores it like a bottle overnight, this has knock on effects for the next injection period. Having the Airstone run all night my pH is at a stable high for a couple of hours before the gas comes back on. This stable pH point is my starting base point for the days injection (starting pH changes throughout the week due to tank influences, ie fish/plant waste & EI dosing). Running it 24/7 overcomes my filtration method of using a crook and not a spraybar to keep water/air contact high.

If your off gassing rate is already at a maximum due to filtration method and you need more off gassing then an Airstone can help, you can then bleed air from the line to fine tune the amount you need without having to fiddle with the needle valve on the co2 regulator (mines set a good rate and balanced by the air off gassing co2)

My tank is a small cube so the surface area is not great, so my margins for error are very narrow, and small adjustments have a greater effect. I think the larger the tank the less of a problem this tends to be.

If I had the space then I would be having a tank with an overflow and a wet dry sump so there is always a maximum of water air contact ensuring good oxygenation and maximally efficient co2 off gassing. I've read (TheBarrReport) that some users using this filtration method can off gas co2 within an hour of solenoid closing from a 1 point pH drop (mine takes 8 hours with the help of an Airstone). The canister filter represents a closed loop in the system ensuring that any gas transfer out of the system always happens through the tank surface area, which is effectively the closed neck of a bottle, the smaller the neck the tougher it is to off gas co2.

I hope that makes sense.

Other things I'm doing slightly differently is that I have augmented my air supply to the Airstone by sending it from two different pumps. One runs 24/7 with a line from it that I can bleed to adjust the bubble rate, the other is plumbed into the same line after a one way valve so that it doesn't back pressure into the other pumps line, this pump is controlled by an UP pH controller (CO2Art) set to LO, this way when the pH drops to a point where the fish will show signs of stress due to the amount of co2 going in but not coming out, it triggers the supplemental air to come on and blow of a little more co2 to keep the fish comfortable, I never have to reach for the needle valve, just balance it with air injection. The only thing I have to do to maintain this is to note my start pH for the day, calculate the drop and adjust the controller to come on just past this.

If the controllers could learn the daily pH stable start point and adjust their variances accordingly it would be entirely hands free, but alas these don't exist yet, at least not as a consumer item (not impossible though).

:)

Hi X3NiTH

Thanks for that it makes a lot of sense. I was under the false illusion that the plants would use all the co2!

This part is very good...

"Other things I'm doing slightly differently is that I have augmented my air supply to the Airstone by sending it from two different pumps. One runs 24/7 with a line from it that I can bleed to adjust the bubble rate, the other is plumbed into the same line after a one way valve so that it doesn't back pressure into the other pumps line, this pump is controlled by an UP pH controller (CO2Art) set to LO, this way when the pH drops to a point where the fish will show signs of stress due to the amount of co2 going in but not coming out, it triggers the supplemental air to come on and blow of a little more co2 to keep the fish comfortable, I never have to reach for the needle valve, just balance it with air injection. The only thing I have to do to maintain this is to note my start pH for the day, calculate the drop and adjust the controller to come on just past this."

I really do need to get an air stone running even if it just comes on when the co2 goes off. I almost got the sump version of my tank but the reports of condensation in the cabinet really put me off...

Well I will start with an airstone and see how it goes...

Best wishes

Bhu
 
Anyone using the sera reactor what pressure are you running?.
Reviewing the online manual recommends max 1 bar, (14.5 psi)
Just purchase non return valve which needs working pressure of 2 bar?
Are the instructions edging on the conservative?
 
Wow I didn't know that I. Sure I'm well over that like 40psi as it was set for my UP inline. I've had no leaks but probably best I reduce it a little ;) getting really good results though!
 
Sure I have the pdf as as well as the manual that comes with it. I quickly went and read mine and found the part about working pressure. Will reduce mine some what. Maybe it will work better for it! I am having to have quite a night bps at the moment. Maybe that will be less now?
 
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