Advice needed with custom made in-line reactor..

[Trevor Pleco]

A bit of a time warp, but here goes with my second attempt with this post, as just when I was getting some good replies, thanks guys, the original post vanished on Black Sunday when the server crashed…

Specs – Tank 760L, reactor – 360mm length, 60mm diam, plumbed into the Fluval FX5 return pipe. Small ceramic diffuser used inside the reactor, as shown in the pic.

Problem – Although the diffusion is much better then before when I used a small internal pump to chop up the Co2 bubbles, I’m still getting quite a bit of micro bubbles which starts as soon as the CO2 switches on.

Questions –
Is the FX 5 flow too strong to properly break up the bubbles before they are quickly expelled and so would it perhaps help removing the little ceramic diffuser installed, as heard big bubbles can break down easier ... ?

I don’t sadly have the height in my cupboard for a longer reactor, but would a wider one perhaps help the problem ?

The canister flow is reduced by about 10 to 15% which I’m not mad keen on, so thought I should rather put it through an external pump, if so what size.. was considering the Eheim 1250L/ph model ?

Alternatively for the in-line reactor I could rather add a smaller second canister say the Eheim 2217 with less flow and plumb the reactor to this?

Here are some pics, check out the bubbles escaping in the last pic..

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[soton_dave]

i would try it without the diffuser,a bigger bubble should stay in the reactor longer,at least untill its dissolved a fair bit before being pushed through so in theory you should get fewer bubbles making it through to the tank.

i could be totaly wrong though.....lol


cheers dave

 

[Trevor Pleco]

Thanks Dave, will certainly try it..

 

[Alastair]

Agreed the bigger bubbles are better in a reactor in order to get smashed up but id have opted for a longer length reactor...50cm

 

[niru]

Just add bio balls or ceramic... This way the bubbles remain trapped in. Dissolving smaller bubbles is easier than larger ones.

niru

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[Alastair]

Just add bio balls or ceramic... This way the bubbles remain trapped in. Dissolving smaller bubbles is easier than larger ones.

niru

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

True yes but in a reactor powered by an fx5 the flow is too powerful and just pushes fine bubbles from a diffuser straight through with them being small and light.

 

[Peter Leid]

Hi Trevor
Glad you got this thread up and running again. The logical addition of bio balls to assist with the elimination of CO2 micro-bubbles raises the issue you seem most worried about........ flow rate.
The question remains - what is the priority and why??
Is flow rate of +/- 2000 liters per hour more or less important than 100% CO2 dissolution (zero bubbles)??
If the FX-5 comes with a micro bubble problem (as I have read in other threads that it does), then it is unlikely for the problem to get anything but worse by having the CO2 concentrator in line with the efferent/return pipe.
To maintain the "high flow rate" which is probably only "ideal" for your +/- 800 liter tank, you might well have to do as you suggested, introduce a second canister for the sole purpose of CO2 management.
The main reason for doing this exercise (I assume) is to eliminate as much hardware from inside the aquarium, for aesthetic reasons - which I agree with.
Have the UKAPS people seen your Aquarium?? I think you should show them, if you've not presented it.
You owe me a visit.....
P

 

[foxfish]

I think the only way to diffuse the gas in such a short vessel is by increasing the contact time between C02 & the water inside the reactor.
The most effective way to achieve this would be by spinning the water into a vortex but this would require considerable modification!
Other than that a longer reactor is the easy answer.

 

[Trevor Pleco]

Thanks guys for your input -- yeah the vortex option might well be a good one, thanks foxfish, so you need to come up with a mod Peter . First step I will try without the ceramic pad and see if this helps. As mentioned I fortunately don't have enough tank cabinet height to lengthen the reactor as with the FX 5 pipe U bends and connectors it knocks off at least 20+mm. Peter, the micro bubbles are now much better with a cleaned canister..so the bubbles are mainly the Co2 ones which are immediately released as soon as the CO2 comes on..

Just working out how to keep the great FX5 ribbed piping and connect this to the eheim 2217 and piping with no leaks..

 

[Trevor Pleco]

True yes but in a reactor powered by an fx5 the flow is too powerful and just pushes fine bubbles from a diffuser straight through with them being small and light.

thought this was the case..

yeah, don't want to loose more flow with the bioballs..but take your point

 

[Alastair]

thought this was the case..

yeah, don't want to loose more flow with the bioballs..but take your point

I didnt have any media in the reactor I designed for the fx5. I just had the co2 tubing enter about 3 inches down from the top with no diffuser and the bigger co2 bubbles would rise up against the flow and get smashed up.

 

[Trevor Pleco]

I didnt have any media in the reactor I designed for the fx5. I just had the co2 tubing enter about 3 inches down from the top with no diffuser and the bigger co2 bubbles would rise up against the flow and get smashed up.

Yeah understand, was referring to Niru's comment on using bioballs..Your explanation on bigger bubbles bursting up better makes sense and I've have heard this before.. now to test it out. My Co2 pipe is currently placed about
3 inches down so holding thumbs. Presumably if it was slower flow then a big bubble would not be good..