# CO2 Reactor Question



## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

I just picked up an Aqua Medic 1000 CO2 reactor and installed in on my system. I'm getting a large CO2 bubble at the top which does not dissolve until after the CO2 goes off at night and the CO2 levels in tank are not rising as fast as expected. I'm using a Danner Mag 3 pump with the unit which cycles sump water through the reactor, through a UV filter, then back into sump.

I think the bubble indicates water flow is insufficient to dissolve the CO2 (about 10bps). In that case I would need a more powerful pump.

Can anyone confirm whether this is correct.









Thanks, Greg


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## kyle (Oct 9, 2006)

Hi Greg

I have the same CO2 Reactors but I dont think I have ever gone over 3 bubbles per second. Are you sure you need 10 bps??? Seems like alot.

I dont know what you have switched from but if you had a diffuser previous you may find you need less co2 with the reactor as more co2 is dissolved prior to entering the tank??? MOst of my tanks are running about 1 bubble maybe 2 for every 3 seconds. 

K


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## balutpenoy2oy (Feb 17, 2011)

I do have a DIY inline reactor running for almost a month now and using a 1 bps so far my 75 planted tank ( check my thread ) is doing very fine , almost anything I insert there is growing like weed. Having said that I think there are no escape of CO2 in bubble form thus dissolving it completely in water, IMO.


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

kyle said:


> Hi Greg
> 
> I have the same CO2 Reactors but I dont think I have ever gone over 3 bubbles per second. Are you sure you need 10 bps??? Seems like alot.
> 
> ...


Agree that 10bps seems crazy, however drop checker is green blue, ph takes the entire day to drop 1.0 from tap water level and still having BBA issues so I'm pretty sure CO2 is not at optimal levels.

My wet/dry is sealed such that the lid actually floats on dissolved air, straining against the marine grade duct tape and the water on wet/dry side is lower than reservoir side due to air pressure forcing it down. So I'm pretty sure no CO2 is being lost in wet/dry. My only thought is that I'm experiencing massive CO2 loss in drain line from main tank to sump. I don't really see any way to change this up to avoid loss, so I'm stuck using a lot of CO2 to compensate.

Greg


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

balutpenoy2oy said:


> I do have a DIY inline reactor running for almost a month now and using a 1 bps so far my 75 planted tank ( check my thread ) is doing very fine , almost anything I insert there is growing like weed. Having said that I think there are no escape of CO2 in bubble form thus dissolving it completely in water, IMO.


Thanks for the reply. As indicated in previous post I think there must be massive CO2 loss in drain line so I'm stuck figuring out the best way to compensate by injecting massive CO2 in return line.

Greg


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

Just measured flow through CO2 reactor. Pump rated 350gph but flow through reactor only 120gph. Definitely need to upsize it.

Greg


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Might be an interesting test to temporarily modify the out put of the reactor so it routes directly into the tank, and watch the ph.

I have just in the last week started playing with reactors and must say this is the most efficient means to dissolving CO2 I have tried to date.


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

Greg_o said:


> Might be an interesting test to temporarily modify the out put of the reactor so it routes directly into the tank, and watch the ph.
> 
> I have just in the last week started playing with reactors and must say this is the most efficient means to dissolving CO2 I have tried to date.


I built the acrylic box to surround the intake of the return pump located within the sump. The separate line with the diffused CO2 gets output right by the intake of the return pump. So I think I would be capturing all the CO2.

I don't think my surface ripple is excessive in main tank so CO2 loss could only be in drain line.










I'm going to switch the CO2 line pump from Danner Model 3 to Model 7 and hopefully the additional flow will allow all the CO2 in the reactor to diffuse.

Greg


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