CO2 mist vs. Rex style reactor

I vote for mist

I agree! I have been seeing more results with mist! I know that you waste for CO2 but come on, it's not that much, right?

I have read more then once that plants take in CO2 more easily with mist vs. reactor. So... I just wanted everyone's input. :icon_smil

lol....looks like you already had your mind made up...but i like the clear dissolved CO2 look

looks like my fish float in the air as opposed to swimming thru a tank of sierra mist

So..... The folks voting for the reactor,.... Tell me/us your experiences and why you choose to go that way. I understand that you get the most out of your co2.... Besides that, why do you choose the reactor? Is that the only reason? Do you have better results?


I want to hear everyone's experiences.

I am happy with misting right now. The only "down side" is the "haze" in the water. It really doesn't bother me much though.

Feed back everyone!

It's not that I have my mind made up, per say.... I want to hear everyones thoughts and experiences. Of course I could live without the "haze". I just want to hear everyone's thoughts about both angles.. I have found that the mist works better for me. I want to hear personnel experience from others.

MrMoneybags said:

lol....looks like you already had your mind made up...but i like the clear dissolved CO2 look

looks like my fish float in the air as opposed to swimming thru a tank of sierra mist

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Neck and neck folks! Keep the votes coming! Share your opinion too!

i have been misting for about the last year. i was okay with the fog for a while. just yesterday i hooked up my first reactor. i can't comment on differences of effectiveness yet but i sure can see into the tank easier now.

I use a cerjes reactor. It seems more efficient than rex style, but occasionally at high bubble rate I can get some misting...

whats a cerjes reactor?


and i chose the RG style for 4 reasons...1)it gets stuff out of the tank (no small powerhead) 2)its more efficient 3)no churning sound as the bubble goes thru the powerhead and 4)you have clear water

not to mention when my plants are pearling...I know that it is EXACTLY that...plants giving off O2

...which makes it cooler IMO and when I explain it to people that ogle my tank(s)

MrMoneybags said:

whats a cerjes reactor?


and i chose the RG style for 4 reasons...1)it gets stuff out of the tank (no small powerhead) 2)its more efficient 3)no churning sound as the bubble goes thru the powerhead and 4)you have clear water

not to mention when my plants are pearling...I know that it is EXACTLY that...plants giving off O2

...which makes it cooler IMO and when I explain it to people that ogle my tank(s)

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Cerges

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/110100-cerges-reactor-diy-inline-co2-reactor.html


.

I tried the Cerge Reactor for a couple of weeks but got tired of the gurgling sound. I went back to a powerhead with a split impeller. Yes the powerhead makes noise everytime a bubble hits the impeller so, I attached a Boyu diffuser to the input of the powerhead. The combo of Boyu diffuser and powerhead is kind of big but at least it's quiet so, I just hid it behind some stem plants.

I haven't changed my needle valve or regulator output settings and the 4 kdh drop checker is still yellow so I don't think the efficiency difference is that significant.

I angled the output of the water pump so the mist bounces off of the glass back into the input so the mist gets recycled throught the impeller several times. This seems to make the mist appearance less obvious.

hmm. I don't really hear anything with mine.

over_stocked said:

hmm. I don't really hear anything with mine.

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My reactors are all running off controllers with the bubble rate so high I can't count it. I have 'overloaded' one of the reactor chambers to where I could hear water gurgle when CO2 built up in the top.(but not often) Dialing back slightly on the bubble rate things go back silent.

A few years ago, I used a Rex style reactor inline with a Rena XP2 filter. I used it for at least a year. I could hear gurgling later in the day but not quite as loud as the Cerge. I only stopped using the RG because sometimes, it made priming the filter difficult. Also, I wanted to keep CO2 injection separate from filtration. For me the Rex style was nicer than the Cerge. Of course there are quite alot of reasons why one would be better for a person, pump size, Reactor length, whether it's inside the stand etc...

In you add the dual venturi, then you have the rapid dissolving of the mist+ not gurgling since the venturi purges larger bubble bubble build up and recirculates back into the reactor chamber.

Most reactors can be modified like this(Eg even AM 1000's etc)

Regards,
Tom Barr

I kinda run both, with the degassing tube from the reactor fed into a powerhead intake, chops up the extra gas and circulates. Works well, good efficiency and minimal fine bubbles floating around...I like the clarity of the reactor set up.

abcemorse said:

I kinda run both, with the degassing tube from the reactor fed into a powerhead intake, chops up the extra gas and circulates. Works well, good efficiency and minimal fine bubbles floating around...I like the clarity of the reactor set up.

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hmm....I think I will try it again with the degassing tube.

This sounds similar to what Tom was suggesting.

I use Rex Grigg and like it. Everything is hidden and no maintenance whatsoever. I barely hear any gurgling and the total dissolved co2 is very high.

I wanted to do a Rex style But the parts have been a pain to find. I have been to lowes and home depot with no luck. I hear they reduce your flow rate allot also. So that makes me stand-offish...