-
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
SERA FLORA 1000 REACTOR
- Thread starter Fred13
- Start date
AverageWhiteBloke
Member
Yeah works well Fred, I used one for a long time but went back to atomisers purely because I don't have a lot of time on my hands to be cleaning extra equipment than needs be. It will reduce the out flow of your filter slightly as the hose connectors are slightly narrower than the inside diameter of the hoses. It doesn't take much to do that a couple of mm wil slow flow down but that's an inherent issue with all these type of reactors.
One word of caution, the plastic nipple that the co2 hose connects to on the body is very fragile and easily broken which renders the reactor useless. If you get one I use soft co2 proof pipe so its easier to take off when cleaning and if I was you I would put a non return valve a 100mm or so from the co2 inlet and when you disconnect the reactor for cleaning disconnect from the non return valve rather than the nipple on the body so if something does break its not the reactor. Once the pipe is on the nipple try and leave alone. Also, I used to put a smidgeon of petroleum jelly on the thread of the main body to cap to make it easier to take apart later. When it's been running in the tank for a while it can be hard to unscrew these two components as there's nothing much to get a grip on.
One word of caution, the plastic nipple that the co2 hose connects to on the body is very fragile and easily broken which renders the reactor useless. If you get one I use soft co2 proof pipe so its easier to take off when cleaning and if I was you I would put a non return valve a 100mm or so from the co2 inlet and when you disconnect the reactor for cleaning disconnect from the non return valve rather than the nipple on the body so if something does break its not the reactor. Once the pipe is on the nipple try and leave alone. Also, I used to put a smidgeon of petroleum jelly on the thread of the main body to cap to make it easier to take apart later. When it's been running in the tank for a while it can be hard to unscrew these two components as there's nothing much to get a grip on.
Zeus.
Fertz Meister
My APS EF reactors have been pretty spotless each time I give them a clean ((Co2 reactors setup and detritus build up)
, one has never been cleaned since fitting since the first one is always so clean to start off with. Only cleaned one twice in many many months
AverageWhiteBloke
Member
Hell of a setup there mate. The Sera just had brown mulm inside on surfaces that needed a wipe off best done during filter breakdowns when water level was down. Not a major issue to clean but I try to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to maintenance. Every connection, valve and join for me is just something to keep clean and something else to go wrong or break while cleaning. Ok if you have time to spend on your tanks I suppose but me I just like an inlet/outlet pipe and co2 entering the tank with something I can whip out and clean without shutting everything down and I have limited room in the cabinet for plumbing. Unfortunately I have very little time to give to the hobby so I look for max return min effort.
The Sera could probably do with a couple of taps to disconnect it from the system while keeping water in the pipes, quite difficult to get a syphon going with them again as the water enters from the bottom. I found turning it upside down helped a bit but the push on pipes aren't really held on with anything substantial so they tended to pop off quite easily when they had stretched to shape which isn't something you want happening once you've started the syphon of water from the tank. Been caught a few times with that and the only way to break the syphon is to lift the outlet above water level in the tank...quite difficult to do obviously when you're under the cabinet unless you have 5foot arms. If I was to use my Sera again I would put some double taps either side of the inlet and outlet so I could keep water in the pipes while cleaning.
The Sera could probably do with a couple of taps to disconnect it from the system while keeping water in the pipes, quite difficult to get a syphon going with them again as the water enters from the bottom. I found turning it upside down helped a bit but the push on pipes aren't really held on with anything substantial so they tended to pop off quite easily when they had stretched to shape which isn't something you want happening once you've started the syphon of water from the tank. Been caught a few times with that and the only way to break the syphon is to lift the outlet above water level in the tank...quite difficult to do obviously when you're under the cabinet unless you have 5foot arms. If I was to use my Sera again I would put some double taps either side of the inlet and outlet so I could keep water in the pipes while cleaning.
KevB1
Seedling
I'm trying one of these on my new 6 ft tank, it sits inline after the filter and heater and the CO2 enriched water exits to tank via a spray bar. I'm still tinkering with bubble rate to find out best compromise of decen tplant growth without using excessive amounts of CO2
AverageWhiteBloke
Member
They are quite good for their co2 use. I used far less with a reactor than with inline atomisers. Looking at your cabinet I could live with that but I was using mine in a 600 and there was just too much going on and two many tight bends on pipes. Maybe I should look for softer, flexible 17mm pipes. Hmm
