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Cerges' Reactor - DIY Inline CO2 Reactor

438K views 906 replies 222 participants last post by  iltwort 
#1 ·
Have to thank our Russian friends for this one. After playing with the Rex Griggs reactor I wanted to try something else. Principal and cost are about the same design is different.

http://translate.google.com/transla...yjj_reaktor_so2.html&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

What you will need:

Omni OB1 Series A House Filter
2- 1/2" Male Threaded Adaptors with Barb end
2- 3/4" 90 degree Street fitting
2- 3/4" PVC Male Adaptor
2- 3/4" x 1/2" PVC Bushing
1- 3/4" CPVC Coupling - Note this has to be CPVC not PVC as the PVC fittings are too big
1- 6 3/4" x 3/4" CPVC Pipe - Again has to be CPVC and not PVC
PVC Primer and Cement
CO2 Tubing
Teflon Thread Tape
Scissors
Needle Nose Pliers
Filter Tubing
Drill and Drill bit for your CO2 Tubing

Total cost as ~ $23 each about the same as the Rex Griggs inline reactor if you don't use clear pvc.

Filter Housing:





Start by removing the Priming Button via the screw on the inside of the lid for the housing:




Drill out the hole to accept your CO2 tubing this hole shpould be smaller then your CO2 Tubing so it creates its' own seal.



Cut the CO2 tubing at a sharp angle so you can stick it through and pull it with the needle nose pliers. This should be slightly tough to pull through as it will create a seal as you pull the tubing through.





Cut the CPVC pipe off at 6 3/4", if you are using a different filter you may have to adjust the cut off length. I cut mine so it was about 3/4" off the bottom. Push the CPVC coupler over the nipple in the lid, should fit really snug. Then push the CPVC pipe into the coupler. I didn't glue this together as it was a snug fit and should be under little pressure.




Lay out and glue the fittings together, with the fitting I chose you won't need any extra 3/4" pipe as all the fittings go together.





Attach the fittings to each side jsut make sure you hook them up according to the Flow marking on the lid. Finished Product.



I will update tomorrow once I install these as to how effective they are, but based on looks they should function really well. According to the article I linked to about he got a .5 PH change in a matter of minutes.

Craig
 
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#528 ·
There are a lot of different ways that people have introduced the CO2 to the reactor. Including the ceramic diffusers. One thing off the top of my head that makes me think they'd be less than ideal is that they like to clog, meaning more maintenance. I personally started out using a Mag pump with a fractionating impeller for a skimmer thinking it would break up the CO2 bubbles before they got to the reaction chamber. I then changed out that impeller with the normal pressure impeller and didn't see any difference in efficiency as far as bubble leakage into the tank. I'm not saying that some form of turbulence before the chamber is irrelevant, just that my and others experience have not seen it proven out in use. There is a lot of turbulence at the tip of the CO2 line at the point of injection.
 
#530 ·
Ok guys, thank you. "Proven in use" is always best. I'm constantly amazed by people's ability to speculate (including my own)!

What about a "rule of thumb" that says the cerges works best with a flow of "fill in the blank" GPH? From what I can see a relatively low flows best: 150gph -- and that is in synch with what disgo says above and what has been said elsewhere on the thread. The exception seems to be when a 20" filter case is used when it looks like a higher flow may work. What do you say?
 
#531 ·
My experience has been that it's easy to overwhelm the reactor. I started out thinking a high volume pump would process more water therefore giving me a lower bubble count and saving me $ on CO2. That hasn't proven out in reality. The fact in my case is that there's a sweet spot for these things and if you exceed it you're going to get bubbles in the tank. That sweet spot for me is about 100-120 gph. This is a 40b with a Fluval FX5 as the main filter. Lots of water movement, albeit diffused through 30" of spraybar, so there's no water in the tank that's sitting still. I'm pushing about 4-5 bps through the reactor giving me a full pH stop of saturation, making the drop checker lemon yellow by lights-out.
 
#535 ·
Negatory: No, the FX5 is separate from the CO2 loop.

Separate system: Separate means not together. Alone. Discreet.

Both: Means 2...

I assume you've read through the thread and seen several pix of my set up by now. I use a Supreme Mag pump for the reactor.
 
#537 ·
I just made one of these. I also modified the OG design by adding a T to eliminate the need for a drill. HOLY CRAP does this thing blows my ceramic disk outta the park. I am getting pretty much 100% dissolution since i see no bubbles in the tank anymore and I am still trying to dial my CO2 back since my fish are all gasping! :(. But still, :). Great Design!
 
#538 ·
Actually, so i get soem gas buildup at the end of the day. I purged the system before i went to sleep and this morning i noticed there was still some buildup of gas (no i dont run co2 at night). I am thinking since i use a TOM's surface skimmer, it must be drawing in air which gets trapped due to its low solubility in water. Any ideas what i can do to alleviate this? Thanks!
 
#539 ·
I'm guessing that you have the reactor somewhere in line with a canister? Hard to know where to give pointers with so little info. Unless you have severe problems with leaf litter or other floating debris I don't see the benefit of a surface skimmer, personally. I was looking to go that way when I began battling surface film, but I tried air stones on a timer for 30 minutes during lights-off period, and the scum went away. Stuck with that since, and never went to the trouble of building a skimmer (the ones being sold by the various companies are way too small for true 600 GPH canisters).
 
#540 ·
I'm guessing that you have the reactor somewhere in line with a canister? Hard to know where to give pointers with so little info. Unless you have severe problems with leaf litter or other floating debris I don't see the benefit of a surface skimmer, personally. I was looking to go that way when I began battling surface film, but I tried air stones on a timer for 30 minutes during lights-off period, and the scum went away. Stuck with that since, and never went to the trouble of building a skimmer (the ones being sold by the various companies are way to small for true 600 GPH canisters).
Yes, it is inline after the canisters output. I wonder if its a matter of adjusting the skimmer. I use the skimmer primarily to increase oxygenation.
 
#541 ·
Well if it's coming out of your canister, it's getting into it, too....so I would probably try to figure out the flow rates and adjust to eliminate any air. I would be more concerned with air in the canister than I would the reactor, aside from the noise anyway.
 
#543 ·
OK guys I have a quick question. Has anyone tried to add an extra line into the reactors to input air? My co2 will be on a timer for the solenoid to turn it off at night, but how about adding the air pump line on a timer to turn on at night? If I can inject co2 why can't I inject o2 and eliminate one more hose feeding into the tank? Do you think this will work? Any opinions or other ideas? Thanx
 
#544 ·
Seems like you could do that with a T-connector and 2 check valves.

Air pump -> check valve -> left side of T-connector
CO2 -> check-valve -> right side of T-connector
output of T-connector -> reactor

My only concern is that your reactor probably wouldn't be able to handle the high output from the air pump.
 
#549 ·
I made one of these about a week ago when my danner mag pump went out. It is working fine! I have it inline with one of my XP3's. I get a little bubble mist into the tank but the plants have perked back up so I know it is working. The bubble mist is nothing compared to the needle wheel mag pump, that thing would have the tank in a CO2 cloud
 
#552 ·
First time trying to setup Cerges' Reactor.

I have Reactor all built and ready to go, few questions I have.


Setting up on 90 Gallon Tank
Canister is Rena Filstar XL
Flow-rate: 450 U.S. GAL/h
Waterflow with filtration media and accessories: 190 U.S. GAL/h

Will the canister have enough flow to use the reactor?

Should my in-line heater go right after the canister, then to the reactor or should it go after the reactor? Or does it not matter?

My CO2 regulartor has a bubble counter on it, from what I read I can remove that since my reactor housing is clear?

Thanks
 
#553 ·
Will the canister have enough flow to use the reactor?

Should my in-line heater go right after the canister, then to the reactor or should it go after the reactor? Or does it not matter?

My CO2 regulartor has a bubble counter on it, from what I read I can remove that since my reactor housing is clear?

Thanks
Not sure about #1. Try and see. It will probably work.

Try it with the heater before the reactor - this will slow down flow (maybe) and allow more time for the CO2 to dissolve in the water moving through the reactor. I suppose this would only be a problem if you were blowing bubbles through the return wand.

Yes, you can remove the bubble counter. I have a clear reactor housing w/ no bubble counter. In my opinion, one less piece of equipment means one less thing to break. Make sure you still use a one way valve for the CO2 line though.
 
#560 ·
I just finished making mine, and lets just say it was a NIGHTMARE. Everything possible went wrong for me. I had leaks everywhere I ended up taking it apart 3 different times. Also this reactor is WAY more expensive then the R.G style I spent around 20 or so on it and I believe im over 60 on this Cerge reactor. Mainly because I could only find 3/4 to 5/8 brass barbed connectors. Yeah it looks nicer but I'm not sure if it was worth the head ache.

I ended up gluing some parts. Right now I have the co2 turned up more then it was with RG style reactor and getting a darker green drop checker... Kinda frustrating. I was thinking of taking pictures but forgot in my rush to instal it, then after fighting leaks it slipped my mind again.

I followed the design of page 10 using the same housing on page 1 but with a clear bottom.
 
#564 ·
Hey Guys,

Just want to put added emphasis on these darn discountfilter filters and how damn fragile they are. When posters say not to over tighten that's an understatement. I tightened mine less than one revolution past finger tight and the housing still cracked! It's odd because the plastic (acrylic) is beefy where the threads are located.

When I was doing the salt water thing I would have to tighten the filter housings (RO/DI unit) substantially more than these pentek (sp) filters after changing a DI filter out.

Use caution! I wouldn't tighten much past 1/2 revolution after finger tight (seriously).

Hope this helps...

G
 
#565 ·
Hey Guys,

Just want to put added emphasis on these darn discountfilter filters and how damn fragile they are. When posters say not to over tighten that's an understatement. I tightened mine less than one revolution past finger tight and the housing still cracked! It's odd because the plastic (acrylic) is beefy where the threads are located.

When I was doing the salt water thing I would have to tighten the filter housings (RO/DI unit) substantially more than these pentek (sp) filters after changing a DI filter out.

Use caution! I wouldn't tighten much past 1/2 revolution after finger tight (seriously).

G
Are you talking about the actual housing or the 3/4 inch inlet/outlet. I just did the housing hand tight, and it was the only connection that didn't leak haha. Everything else I tightened as tight as I could get it with channel locks. I was first scared to strip the threads so I didn't tighten them as hard as I could. I wish I did because it got leaks in several spots and had to retighten them.

I wanted to give an update, I turned my co2 up more and now got a yellow drop checker, I reduced co2 slightly and increased surface agitation but today the drop checker is still yellow, fish arn't gasping so I'm rollen with it. I hope it helps my algae problems.

Hope this helps...
 
#566 · (Edited)
Newb here. I've read through every post in this thread and really appreciate all the info.

Would anyone with knowledge of the Cerges design, please confirm that I have the concept correct? Please see the attachment.

I will be using this on a 65 gal sump system. The return pump is an Eheim 1260 and I will be using the 20" housing. The CO2 will be coming from a Milwaukee MA957.

I just want to get some confirmation that I have the idea correct before I go ahead. Is there a more efficient way to get the CO2 into the inflow or will the 3/4"-to-airline barbed tee I have in the schematic work fine to keep it simple?

Thank you!!!
 

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