# Looking for U's or something better...



## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm thinking of running my external CO2 reactor off it's own inline pump rather than off a filter's output. 

To get the water an and out of the tank, the first and simplest idea I had was picking up replacement intake/ouput tube for a filter to do the "U" loop over the back of the aquarium, since it would also have a fitted intake screen and maybe adapt the output to a long spraybar to distribute the CO2 across the width of the whole tank - 48" (75G).

But first, since we've got a few members with big sumps and SW setups, I wanted to see if anyone had better ideas for a clean solution? (Other than drilling the back of an already running tank).

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BTW: Are we not able to change the title of a thread? I submitted before I meant to and can't fix the title of the thread - the first post in the thread, but not the thread.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

What filter are you running?

If you're running a canister, you could Tee off the return (or just use the whole return) into a reactor that has it's own return into the tank, that way you don't have an extra inlet strainer assembly in the tank, and one less pump to use too.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

I'm running an ooooold (yes really, 5 o's worth of old) Magnum. It's something like 15 years old - but it was in a box about 13 years. Had an XP3 die and it was the spare on hand...I've been too cheap to buy a new filter. 

The flow is good, more than enough I think - maybe you're right. I should try it first before I go and "overcomplexificate"...


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I feel dumb, because I don't fully understand what setup you are using now, but maybe telling you what I use will help you out.

I have an external reactor (just a big cylinder basically). Either end fits the hose for my eheim canister filter and the side of the reactor has a hole which the co2 tubing connects to.

So the output of my eheim go to one end of the reactor and close to where the water enters, the co2 enters. The opposite end has more tubing that then connects up to the spray bar.

Pretty much 100% of the co2 becomes dissolved in the water - no bubbles or anything, just water rich in co2. Because it comes out of the spray bar too, it is spread around the tank on a pretty even basis. The important aspect is the cylinder (reactor) being significantly larger than the connection tubes, so the water tumbles and mixes with the co2. Using the filter output/input for straight co2 injection isn't quite as effective, and I have read some bad things about using the input of the filter as your reactor (however, I have used it for a few months prior without any real negatives).

Not sure if this helps at all, but hopefully it does!


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

It sounds like you have the set-up I am basically speaking of - The reactor is a 2" PVC rig - not that different from the one that Brandon's thread discussed. I was just considering using an external/inline pump to drive my reactor instead of the hooking it to the output of a filter.

I'd be able to get rid of the powerhead I have for extra circulation, but I'd have to add an intake tube of some sort and a spray bar/output so it wouldn't really make that big a difference in terms of equipment in the tank...and it would cost more.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

So what would it really accomplish then?


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Well, it's a 75G and the filter alone was not enough circulation so I've already got a power head in addition to the filter in there to provide additional water movement. I started to think that the reactor plumbed in line with the filter would slow down flow so maybe I'd drive the reactor off an external pump or maybe the existing power head...but I'll wait and fix the problem when I can confirm it.

I'm going to leave things as is, with the reactor in line on the filter output and adjust or add things later if needed...just as soon as I find some rigid airline tubing...3 stores and nobody has had it...reactor is still not done.


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