Co2 Reactor Question

[Slider]

I am just setting up and want to stabilise the water chemistry before planting. I have begun adding CO2 (using a pressurised (disposable) bottle and regulator with the Aqua Medic Reactor 500) in order to achieve 25-30ppm.

The base water chemistry in my area is not great - pH around 8.5 and KH is 140/150 mg/L CaCO3 (= 7.8/8.5dKH I think). I have been adding CO2 for the last 6 days (at around 2 to 3 bubbles per sec) and have got the pH down to around 7.8 but have noticed that after a few hours of CO2 injection, the top portion (about one third) of the Reactor Chamber has filled up with gas.

The water flow into the reactor is fed by teeing off from the filter return and using in-line valves on both streams to regulate the flow. I have tried varying the water flow into the chamber to the point where nearly all the return is going via the reactor but the build up of gas still occurs. I have also tried varying the CO2 low pressure line out (normally around 1-1.25 bar) and bubble count/sec but I still see the build up of gas.

The reactor comes with a closing cap, located on the top of the unit, which the instructions say should be removed but when I do this the CO2 appears to bubble off straight away as soon as it enters the chamber, so I'm not convined that this instruction is correct. Most of my experimentation has been done with the closing cap on. Another instruction sheet I found for this unit doesn't mention anything about the closing cap being removed.

I'm thinking that may be the water is too hard for the CO2 to be fully absorbed and that the build up of gas in the chamber is a natural result of this.

Does anyone have any experience in using the AM Reactor 500? or can they at least provide some advice on where I go from here

TIA

My set up is made up of the following:

Tank - 48" x 18" (D) x 22" (H) - approx 75 (UK) gallons capacity
Filter - Eheim 2126 external
Substrate - General 3mm gravel (40/50kg) giving an average 4" depth
Lighting - 4 x High Output T5 (54w) lamps - 216w total using 'Daylight' tubes with reflectors
CO2 - pressurised system connected to an Aqua Medic Reactor 500.

 

[zig]

What position have you got the reactor in? try tilting it at a 45 degree angle and see if that helps. Most reactors will work better when tilted, play around with it varying the tilting angle and see what works best.

 

[wandgrudd]

you have to take the cap of if you don't the co2 can not get out the reactor.



see - http/www.aqua-medic.de/en/service/pdfs/r...0%20_71111_.pdf

 

[Slider]

I am just setting up and want to stabilise the water chemistry before planting. I have begun adding CO2 (using a pressurised (disposable) bottle and regulator with the Aqua Medic Reactor 500) in order to achieve 25-30ppm.

The base water chemistry in my area is not great - pH around 8.5 and KH is 140/150 mg/L CaCO3 (= 7.8/8.5dKH I think). I have been adding CO2 for the last 6 days (at around 2 to 3 bubbles per sec) and have got the pH down to around 7.8 but have noticed that after a few hours of CO2 injection, the top portion (about one third) of the Reactor Chamber has filled up with gas.

The water flow into the reactor is fed by teeing off from the filter return and using in-line valves on both streams to regulate the flow. I have tried varying the water flow into the chamber to the point where nearly all the return is going via the reactor but the build up of gas still occurs. I have also tried varying the CO2 low pressure line out (normally around 1-1.25 bar) and bubble count/sec but I still see the build up of gas.
The reactor comes with a closing cap, located on the top of the unit, which the instructions say should be removed but when I do this the CO2 appears to bubble off straight away as soon as it enters the chamber, so I'm not convined that this instruction is correct. Most of my experimentation has been done with the closing cap on. Another instruction sheet I found for this unit doesn't mention anything about the closing cap being removed.

I'm thinking that may be the water is too hard for the CO2 to be fully absorbed and that the build up of gas in the chamber is a natural result of this.

Does anyone have any experience in using the AM Reactor 500? or can they at least provide some advice on where I go from here

TIA

My set up is made up of the following:

Tank - 48" x 18" (D) x 22" (H) - approx 75 (UK) gallons capacity
Filter - Eheim 2126 external
Substrate - General 3mm gravel (40/50kg) giving an average 4" depth
Lighting - 4 x High Output T5 (54w) lamps - 216w total using 'Daylight' tubes with reflectors
CO2 - pressurised system connected to an Aqua Medic Reactor 500.

After a bit more experimentation, the performance of the reactor is much improved. The build up of gas is now very small and the pH has come down to around 7.0. To achieve this, I've had to route all of the return from my filter through the reactor. It would seem that only by doing this, can I get a sufficiently good flow rate through the reactor. However, the flow rate out of the filter has dropped sharply. I assume that this is due to back pressure caused by the narrow flow path through the reactor. As you might expect, the overall circulation of water in the tank has dropped - there were quite good currents before but these are now less noticeable.

To overcome this I am considering purchasing an internal pump such as the Eheim Compact 1001

http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalogue/eheim-pumps.asp

and use this just to provide an internal circulation to feed the reactor. The AM instruction guide recommends a flow rate through the reactor of between 500lph to 1000lph (which is at the top end of what the Eheim 2126 can push through when operating unrestricted)

Has anyone come across a similar situation and/or would recommend using an internal pump as opposed to the return flow from an external canister filter?

Thanks in Advance