Cerges' Reactor - DIY Inline CO2 Reactor

[inkslinger]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...hlight=ext5000

I got my parts from here 1" - 3/4" - 5/8" and use a Aqua Medic 5/8" tee
http://www.tractorsupply.com/

[DaTrueDave]

Originally Posted by DaTrueDave

I'm going to be looking on Amazon.com for the pieces that Moose listed and, if I remember, I'll list them here with links.

I had no luck with Amazon and ended up getting everything from Lowes.

Everything seems to be working as it should except I need to crank the filter housing a bit tighter (gonna need wrenches, as it's already as tight as I could get it by hand), it's leaking about one drop of water per hour right now, which isn't a big deal, but I'm not comfortable with any leak, really.

The other thing is that I don't think it's getting enough water flowing through it. It's on the output of my Eheim 2226, and a pocket of CO2 is forming at the top of the reactor. No bubbles are driven even a third of the way down the filter housing. It's acting like more of a bell than a reactor. Guess I just need a stronger pump?

[m00se]

Originally Posted by DaTrueDave

I had no luck with Amazon and ended up getting everything from Lowes.

Everything seems to be working as it should except I need to crank the filter housing a bit tighter (gonna need wrenches, as it's already as tight as I could get it by hand), it's leaking about one drop of water per hour right now, which isn't a big deal, but I'm not comfortable with any leak, really.

The other thing is that I don't think it's getting enough water flowing through it. It's on the output of my Eheim 2226, and a pocket of CO2 is forming at the top of the reactor. No bubbles are driven even a third of the way down the filter housing. It's acting like more of a bell than a reactor. Guess I just need a stronger pump?

#1 - DON'T CRANK THAT CAP DOWN!!!

You can crack them EASILY by over tightening them. A wrench is a good idea to get because once they seat they're a bltch to get off again, and unless you got another strong guy to hold it while you twist, you're not gonna have a good time. If you go onto the DIY house repair forums you'll learn that this is a major gripe about whole house filter systems. Beware.

#2 - APPLY VASELINE!! Put COPIOUS amounts on the flat rim where the cap touches the base, and also on the O-ring all the way around. Put some on the threads too. This will help reduce the friction and get that seal to work. You shouldn't have leakage. Is your downpipe touching the floor of the base and keeping the O-ring from seating? If so you might want to trim it up a bit. In any case, keep in mind that some day you're going to want to get that base off and things you do now will greatly facilitate it.

I run a Supreme Mag 7 on mine, and I back it off with a ball valve a bit, but not much. There's plenty of flow. I also bought some dollar store pot scrubbies that have handles and removed the plastic mesh and used them around the downpipe.

<---- Unscrew the center piece and a perfect little ring of scrubbie is presented for your downpipe!

You can see one of them here:







No judging!! I was in the process of securing all that spaghetti!

Cheers

[DaTrueDave]

Originally Posted by m00se

#2 - APPLY VASELINE!! Put COPIOUS amounts on the flat rim where the cap touches the base, and also on the O-ring all the way around. Put some on the threads too. This will help reduce the friction and get that seal to work. You shouldn't have leakage. Is your downpipe touching the floor of the base and keeping the O-ring from seating? If so you might want to trim it up a bit. In any case, keep in mind that some day you're going to want to get that base off and things you do now will greatly facilitate it.

Vaseline? I know Vaseline eats rubber like it's going out of style (depending on the rubber, of course). Perhaps a food safe silicone based grease would be better? I'll have to take it apart next weekend.

[m00se]

If you feel like spending $5 on a tube of plumber's grease go for it. The manufacturer recommends vaseline.

[tylergvolk]

I'm thinking about making one of the inline co2 reactors for my Ehiem 2213 on my 20L.

Anyone have any experience with this?

I'm concerned about flow reduction...

[kevindiep83]

Hi m00se,

I'll have a similar setup like the pictures you posted above. I already ordered the 20" clear filter and ready to place the order for the Mag 5. Btw, smart ideas to have it run separate.
I know that you listed the parts on the previous page but the last two pieces wasn't cleared to me

( 1 x 5/8" T barb with male NPT, for the CO2 injection )

(1 matching female NPT to barb the size of your CO2 hose (3/16" is standard) This one might end up being brass, and that's ok ) - seemed like this is where you connected co2 line. But i thought the co2 connected to the Mag 5 white venturi tubing.

I'll have it hook up to a Mag Drive 5 with the Venturi. Is it possible that you can take a closer picture where the Mag Drive connections and the Co2 injection part?

Also do you think the Mag 5 - 500 flow rate is too much on my 48 gallon tank ? I think too much flow can push the co2 back to the tank.

thank you,

[m00se]

Hey Kevin,

Yes, that T and barb is for a set up on the output of a canister or other generic pump configuration. Lots of people will remove the red bleed valve on the top of the cap of the filter and thread the CO2 hose into that hole. If you do that you lose the ability to burp the air out of the filter unless you arrange a bleed valve on the CO2 line somewhere. If you get the Mag with the skimmer impeller it comes with an intake adapter with a nipple to connect your CO2 hose (it would be air for the skimmer if used as intended), so you don't need that T fitting or barb arrangement. Hope that's clearer than mud

[kevindiep83]

Originally Posted by m00se

Hey Kevin,

Yes, that T and barb is for a set up on the output of a canister or other generic pump configuration. Lots of people will remove the red bleed valve on the top of the cap of the filter and thread the CO2 hose into that hole. If you do that you lose the ability to burp the air out of the filter unless you arrange a bleed valve on the CO2 line somewhere. If you get the Mag with the skimmer impeller it comes with an intake adapter with a nipple to connect your CO2 hose (it would be air for the skimmer if used as intended), so you don't need that T fitting or barb arrangement. Hope that's clearer than mud

thank you for clear this out. Now i just have to wait for the parts to arrive.

[jeremy va]

Hi,

I'm thinking about building one of these reactors but I can't get past one concern regarding the potential for a disastrous leak.

It seems to me that the weak link is the "T" where the co2 line joins the water line. The hoses can have clamp on them to lock them down -- so they are pretty safe. But the pics I see on this thread show the co2 line just slipped over the barb. I've also seen them entering the top of the GE unit through the hole where the bleed valve previously lived (as mentioned in moose's post above). So here's my concern: it seems to me that if the co2 line comes off the barb or out of that little hole at the to of the GE unit there will be water all over the place. Now, since there are a lot of people putting these reactors together and nobody is talking about disasters I've got a feeling I must be missing something. Are those little barb connections so snug fitting they are foolproof? Or is there a checkvalve of some kind that I'm missing? Any info appreciated. Thank you!

[m00se]

On my "T" I use a small 4" black cable tie (Lowes) like a hose clamp to secure it to the nipple. It's not necessary because it's pretty snug anyway and we're not talking pressure here, but the insurance keeps me from pacing at night. On the burp holes, you have to slice the airline (which is oversize) diagonally to a sharp tip (think of the tip of a hypodermic needle) so that you can grab it on the underside with a pair of pliers and pull it through that hole. It's very snug and almost stupid-proof. The airline sits 2-3" into the vessel so there's enough there for security.


HTH

[jeremy va]

Thank you for the explanation -- it makes sense. I've also been reading about needle wheel pumps -- adds another level of complication...

[m00se]

I bought the fractionating Mag pump and it made little difference (read: none) so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Your quest is to get the flow through the unit to be slow enough to give the CO2 time to dissolve before being pushed into the tank. I also use a pot scrubber on the end of the uptake pipe to capture bubbles before they enter it and into the aquarium. Post #483.

[leros]

My 20" reactor almost works. It breaks the bubbles up pretty well, but once they get small enough they're able to leave the reactor. Do you think that adding a pot scrubber would help? Alternatively, I've got about a gallon of bioballs laying around. Which is preferable?

[watercage]

My Cerges (connected to a 2217) has some microbubbles out the spray bar, but it really doesnt bother me considering my tank is bubbling all over the place.

Overall, Im very happy with mine.