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DIY Project High flow DIY reactor - now with video

5x18x18. There is 2 eheim 2028 filters. 900lph and 3000lph wave makers. the filter with the reactor has a full length spray bar, other spray bar is 3/4 length. All plants sway, some take a battering more than the others due to the wave maker.
Co2 on: 12
Lights on :15:00
Co2 off: 20:00
Lights off:22:00

2x54w t5's and 40w arcadia classica stretch led, which absolute rubbish.

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Plants do grow but........ getting crimped leaves on Alternanthera
reineckii pink, and abit of algae on others, ranalisma, blyxa and moss.



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I found that while the co2 reactor worked extremely well in dissolving all of the co2 into the water, the filter trapped the co2 for a long time.

This meant that I had to turn the co2 on a long time before the lights came on, I think it was about 5-6 hours before lights on, of course this meant that the co2 turned off earlier too, I still maintained 6-7 hours of co2 injection as it was all getting into the water but just being held by the reactor for longer.

I found that even after the co2 went off there was still enough co2 held in the reactor to keep my drop checker lime green untill well after lights off.

I found I had to play around with the co2 start and end times to get the right balance.
If you start the co2 earlier dont forget to turn it off earlier as well, You dont want to gas the fish.
 
Can anybody recommend any particular bottles?
The one I'm using at the mo let's bubbles out from the bottom, but I don't see them in the tank or spray bar :s

I'm not getting as quick of a ph drop or as much of a drop as when using up inline, but my hc is pearling mid way through the lighting period, which it never did at all with the up.
 
Im using the 500ml ribena bottle. Then the largest filter pipe(22-28?) fits over the end with some persuasion, and also fits over the head of the reactor.

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Had a thought today, does anybody think that using a external filter with all trays and media removed with a bottle inside with its neck over the impeller output part on the filter head would work?

In exactly the same way as the the water filer housing but inside the external filter it's self.
 
Well I managed to make a reactor with the help of this excellent forum.

I used one of my Bazooka Atomisers and the tank water has some bubbles but it is not anywhere near what it was using the inline Atomiser. The drop checker is a good lime green to yellow and the plants are pearling ok.

I am wondering if I could eliminate the bubbles that are escaping into the tank, by either moving the atomiser higher in the bottle (it is currently about halfway down) or eliminating the atomiser all together?
 
Last edited:
foxfish said:
Well done for having a go Bert!
The internal bottle plays a big part in the reactors efficiency... do you have any pictures?
Click to expand...
Hi foxfish,
No photos at the mo..........but looking at it, I think I need to change the bottle. I am using a small Ribena bottle and it ends up about 3/4 of an inch from the bottom of the housing! I will either change the size or connect it to the filter housing cap with a longer piece of tubing, but overall I am pleased with it.
 
You don't need a high pressure atomiser, I ran mine with just the tube but found a basic cerimic diffuiser worked well.
Fine tuning is a bit of a pain but it seems each aplicatsion requires a little setting up to get the reator running at it's best.
The flow rate and bottle neck shape seem to be directly related, higher flows work best with round top bottles and low flow. With one shaped necks... Triel and error with get yo there...
 
Hi Foxfish,
I am using the Bazooka as a start, as I was using UP Inline Atomiser and I could not count the bubble rate so, wanted the co2 to keep stable as it had taken me a long time to get there 😉. Once it is all working ok I amy switch to a ceramic diffuser which I have ready to change if and when.. I am using an APS 2000 lph although it obviously is not running at that but the flow still seems to be fine even with the reactor working.
 
Well I changed the Bazooka for a "Up simple co2 diffuser" this morning and adjusted the diffuser position in the bottle, and I now have crystal clear water without fizz 😀 I turned down the working pressure to 2bar and as I did not sort it until well after the co2 would normally come on, I will adjust over the coming days. But over all I am more than happy.,
 
Alje, that looks like a great alternative to a bottle. Am I rite in thinking that it fits over the inside neck part of the water housing head and the arches on the bottom let the water out? Any pictures?
 
It fits perfectly as designed top and bottom for 10" water filter housings, even has a rubber sealing ring on the top as shown in ebay listing. You can open the item I linked to ( top comes off) and place media inside but I don't find it necessary.
My setup, Eheim external 500-700lph-UP inline atomiser-10" housing(flow in through outlet, out through inlet)-spraybar.
I find this allows the atomised CO2 to mix well before flowing into tank. I don't get any build up of CO2 in the top of the 10" housing, or burping!
No pics sorry. Hope this helps and not expensive, even cheaper if you buy 2 or 3 pack, give it a try.
 
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