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Re: CO2 reactor



> I haven't used the M3 Mixer but I have been using an external reactor from a
> company called Hydrologix ( mine is the HCO 150E) for a couple of months now
> and love it! The Hydrologix unit looks similar, although more sophisticated. I
> doubt that any reactor can be 100 % efficient but the Hydrologix unit appears
> to come as close as it gets and works extremely well. I power it off the
> output of my Eheim 2226. I did a review on this at:
> http://www.cshore.com/luna/Fishpics/Misc.html
> HTh,
> Bob Buettner
> ready for the holidays!

This like the the dupla S reactor & can use a CO2 feed before the pump if
you use a separate powerhead-pump as well. This will grind up the CO2
bubbles before it makes it to the reaction chamber. You have to get a
soliniod to turn it "on" and "off"(the gas) if you don't do the pump intake
suction fed method. The gas will bubble up to the atmosphere when the pump
is off. This way you can use the pump instead. You'll waste the CO2 gas
though, but it will take a long time to pay for the soliniod for the gas
cost-losses. They can be 100% efficient if you run them within capacity. If
your losing CO2 out the bottom, you typically have too little flow through
or too high a bubble rate. You'll see this at the end of the light cycle.
100% efficient is not always the goal. CO2 is cheap.
It is 100% when the water is CO2 poor. As CO2 gets nearer to the desired
goal then 100% (provided the rate of CO2 is constant & most are:) is not a
good thing really. A dump can be bad for a 100% unit. It will all go into
your tank. The rate of inflow may be constant but the usage of the tank will
vary as you trims, changes things etc available/deficient nutrient as well.
The J is quite efficient as are most of these in this style. They all
perform the same, being of the same design.

Linear reactor tubes are neat as well. They are good as well and do the same
thing and are a mounting option that some like. Lots of ways to fry an egg:)
These are not mysterious high tech devices. I can build any size to suit any
need for different applications(internal external sump etc). I am working on
a dumping tube that dumps excess CO2 when your levels are starting to get
too high for externals and I already have one that does this for the
internal models (bubble counter within unit). They are 100% up to a point.
Then they become "leaky", then if more CO2 is still added, they dump it off
rather than continuing to add more CO2 to the water. Prevents some user
error and is easy to set a good rate. Been using what I make for many years.
Yeast users can use them, canned CO2 users as well.
Controller-timer-solinoid compatible etc.
Regards, 
Tom Barr