Cerges' Reactor - DIY Inline CO2 Reactor

[jmullenix]

Hello, I am building one of these reactors and was thinking that if I cap the bottom of the tube inside I may be able to control my flow into the tank by the number and size of the holes I drill. Does anyone have an opinion as to the soundness of this thought......mainly wondering if it could damage my filter pump or create more bubbles in the tank, but any other thoughts are welcome as well. Thanks

-Jason

[PamAndJim]

Out of curiousity, other than the "bling" factor is there any benefit to the clear housing? Obviously there is no difference in terms of performance. But, is there any benefit to being able to see what is happening inside the reactor? I am about to buy a white one from HD. But, if someone can tell me it's worth the additional $15-$18 for a clear one I will go that route.

[farrenator]

No need for bubble counter.

Originally Posted by PamAndJim

Out of curiousity, other than the "bling" factor is there any benefit to the clear housing? Obviously there is no difference in terms of performance. But, is there any benefit to being able to see what is happening inside the reactor? I am about to buy a white one from HD. But, if someone can tell me it's worth the additional $15-$18 for a clear one I will go that route.

[PamAndJim]

Oh, I didn't know that. But, I already have a BC, so I think I'll just stick with the white one.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by PamAndJim

Oh, I didn't know that. But, I already have a BC, so I think I'll just stick with the white one.

Yes, seeing the direct bubble rate in the reactor does help. I also can monitor the build up of "yuck" inside as well.

[PamAndJim]

Never mind, I saw that someone already posted what I asked. My bad

[sewingalot]

Just set mine up. Even I could do it following this great instructions. Will let you know how it goes. This will be running 24/7 due to the lack of a solenoid, so I turned the bubble count down to 1 bps. Thanks for this thread!

[150EH]

These modifications will make your Cerge's reactor more effecient and should save you some CO2 gas with a very quick response when you open up your needle valve.

This is how it works, the water and gas enter the upper chamber and start to mix in the churning water and the whole time the mixture is leaving the reactor via the large center tube in the bottom chamber, so it is constantly pulling the mixture downwards through the sponge/scrubby in the center which will not allow any gas bubbles to enter the lower chamber. The pump is not conected to the center/exit tube, the pump sucks in the gas/water mixture pushes it through the smaller tube and back into the top chamber, this extra churning/aggitation is what makes the unit so efficient.

The center tube should be cut on an angle that is great enough to allow about one half inch of space between the pump and center tube, this allows you to put the pump againt the center tube without any risk of the gap closing, the pump outlet tube should be somewhat ridged so you can use atleast 3 wire ties to hold the pump tube, center tube, & pump power cord (not shown) together neatly, you will also need to get the power cord through the lid of the reactor and make a water tight seal.

I have not figured out the power cord and how to make the seal in the lid, but the parts are out there somewhere and it may mean you have to cut the plug off of the pump and re-attach it properly with solder, shrink tube, etc., I urge you not to try any eletrical modification unless you have the needed skills, this is going into and around water and has the potential to hurt or even kill you if it's not done properly.

Good luck and please post any modifications or part suppliers you find, thank you.

[Gatekeeper]

So you are trying to draw the water down then recycle it back up? Its a valid idea and can only provide more efficiency.

However, my reactor has been very very efficient already. Not sure if this is something that is really needed, but perhaps with higher bbs flow rates and high turnover pumps/filters, this may be a modification that will provide great efficiency without having to upsize the filter housing size to the next large 20" version.

Power cord would just need to be glued in place with silicone (obviously the cord needs to be cut in order to pass it through the housing).

[Craigthor]

Originally Posted by Gatekeeper

So you are trying to draw the water down then recycle it back up? Its a valid idea and can only provide more efficiency.

However, my reactor has been very very efficient already. Not sure if this is something that is really needed, but perhaps with higher bbs flow rates and high turnover pumps/filters, this may be a modification that will provide great efficiency without having to upsize the filter housing size to the next large 20" version.

Power cord would just need to be glued in place with silicone (obviously the cord needs to be cut in order to pass it through the housing).

That design is what the Aquariumplants.net CarbonDoser EXT5000 uses.

Craig

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by Craigthor

That design is what the Aquariumplants.net CarbonDoser EXT5000 uses.

Craig

Holy $110 batman!!!

[TheWoo]

Will there be enough pressure created in a DIY system for the reactor to work efficiently?

[freph]

Holy efficiency. I made one of these today for $23 and I'm seeing my HC pearl for the first time in a long time after just 2 hours of being installed. Even my fissidens is pearling a bit! I highly suggest everyone have a little bit of fun and make one of these!

[Lugnut]

Where can I find a clear filter housing like that, and how much did anyone of you pay for it?

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by Lugnut

Where can I find a clear filter housing like that, and how much did anyone of you pay for it?

I got mine on [Ebay Link Removed]