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Efficiency of External Reactor

Jaap

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2011
Messages
1,068
Location
Nicosia
Hello,

First of all I would like to thank you for the very good handling of all of my orders and the excellent quality of products.

Secondly I would like to ask a question regarding the External Turbo CO2 Reactor:
http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections/diffusers-reactors/products/external-turbo-co2-reactor-diffuser

I have it connected to a 1000 L/h filter pumping CO2 in a 40L tank. My plants needed more CO2 so I increased the CO2 injection. This caused a CO2 build up in the reactor and the water lever in the reactor dropped to half way. So now the reactor is half filled with water and half filled with CO2. Please have in mind that the flow of the 1000 L/h filter in adjustable and is nearly full throttle but I cannot increase it anymore since it will uproot my plants.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/C35ZsjGHBZk?vq=hd720

1. Will the CO2 in the reactor get dissolved or will it go to waste?

2. Should I decrease the CO2 injection so the reactor doesn't get filled up with CO2?

3. What is the most efficient way to use the External Reactor?

Thanks
 
Hi Jaap, as a user of a reactor myself and having the same experience im interested what the responses will be though my own experience and logic thinking i would say:

1. it will not go to waste, the reactor is a closed cilinder so ur basicly moving it from the co2 bottle to the reactor. If you have no leaks then you have no waste. When you have so much co2 buildup in the reactor that the reactor cant dissolve it, it will be transported to the aquarium where big bubbles go from the outlet to the surface, only then its wasted.

2. My reactor is 1/3 filled with co2. When my reactor would be half full with co2 it keeps dissolving the co2 but it will take longer before the reactor dissolves it all. So when my co2 shutsoff at 1800 hours (lights off at 2000 hours) It wont be until 1900 hours till all the co2 in the reactor is completely dissolved. I had times that my reactor was 50% full with co2 then when lights were off was still busy dissolving. Since plants dont use co2 when lights or off ur wasting co2 and it can be dangerous for live stock since co2 is still getting dissolved in the water but wont be used by the plants. So a good reason to lower injection rate i would say.

3. i hope the above.

Again all of the above is my own personal experience and logic thinking. Ofc i can be way off (wouldnt be the first time haha).

Im interested to see other responses :)
 
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It's just forming an equalibrium, the only way for the CO2 to escape is with the flow, if you're getting bubbles coming out of the outlet then that's the amount of CO2 not dissvoling though some of this might dissvole in the tank, Increasing the CO2 at this point will become less and less effiencent but the amount of CO2 dissvoled will still increase.

If you are not getting CO2 escaping out of the outlet then the gas trapped in the reactor will dissvole once the gas is turned off.
 
Hello,

First of all, thank you for your kind feedback.

In regard to issue you having with this reactor. May I know what is your bubble rate ?

We will do tests here and give you answer.

Bubble rate is no countable....many bubbles per second...obviously I am pumping too much CO2....basically all my questions come down to how must the reactor function in order to be most efficient? I mean if its half filled with CO2 does it dissolve the CO2 as good as when the CO2 just takes the space on the top compartment of the reactor where the propellers are? Its all about the most CO2 I can inject in the reactor without wasting or making the reactor less efficient.

Thanks
 
The reactor is to small to cope with the amount of gas you are injecting to work efficiently!
It simply cannot dissolve the gas fast enough.
However it will still work after a fashion but if you want to drive at 100mph you are better off in a BMW than a Smart car.
How long does it takes the build up of gas to dissolve once the supply is turned off?
 
How much excess are you talking about? 1/3 of co2 in my reactor takes me between 30 -45 minutes.
I dont think its about how long it takes for the excess co2 to dissolve...I think its about at which point does the injection rate of the co2 becomes counterproductive in the sense that not enough co2 is dissolved in water and instead will take longer for the co2 to be diasolved since its being dissolvrnt inefficiently at a lower rate
 
I dont think its about how long it takes for the excess co2 to dissolve...I think its about at which point does the injection rate of the co2 becomes counterproductive in the sense that not enough co2 is dissolved in water and instead will take longer for the co2 to be diasolved since its being dissolvrnt inefficiently at a lower rate

ahh ok, well i dont think i have the answer then :)
 
Hello,

First of all, thank you for your kind feedback.

In regard to issue you having with this reactor. May I know what is your bubble rate ?

We will do tests here and give you answer.
I think the second propeller of the reactor isn't spinning...does that play a huge difference?
 
Hi all, Ive having problems too. I've managed to get the impeller spinning at a constant good rate but still have co2 levels all over the place, example one day the drop checker is blue at lights on then the next it can be green/ yellow. I've lost most of my shrimp now. I Don't think I can be bothered with it anymore, im thinking of drilling it and dropping in small diffuser and getting rid
of the impellers.:)
 
Hi foxfish, no not yet,why is it a bad idea?:) or I you suggesting that it maybe worth a go?
 
Hello again foxfish, the way I look at it is you've given me another possible solution/thing to try, before the towel is thrown in and all of my teddies out of the pram.:)
 
Hi foxfish, no not yet,why is it a bad idea?:) or I you suggesting that it maybe worth a go?

I run my reactor without the impellers, works great. Sorry about the shrimp mate. The one's you sent me are all doing fine.
 
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