Re: [APD] Aqua medic co2 reactor 500

["Rachel S" <rachelsor at gmail_com>]

This is probably pretty obvious, but how are you telling if the reactor is
addig CO2 to the water?

On 23/09/2007, Timur Aydin <ta at taydin_org> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I have an aqua medic co2 reactor 500, which I am trying to use to add
> co2 to my 35 gal planted tank. However, so far I am not successful. The
> thing just doesn't seem to add any co2 to the water. If I just stick an
> airstone to the end of the co2 hose, that seems to add more co2 at the
> moment :) I have read the manual several times over and I am still at a
> loss.
>
> There are several possibilities that I am trying to address:
>
> 1) The user's manual says on one place that the reactor requires a water
>   flow between 500 l/h and 1000 l/h (about 125 gal/h and 250 gal/h). In
>   another place, the manual says that a minimum flow of 100 l/h is
>   required (25 gal/h). I have tried attaching the reactor to the clean
>   water return of my eheim 2213. I have also tried using a powerhead
>   rated at 150l/h - 1200 l/h. In all settings, the reactor eventually
>   fills up with gas and the drop checker is solid blue (no co2).
>
>   If I use a high flow rate (around 1000 l/h), small gas bubbles come
>   out of the bottom of the reactor and these bubbles go to the water
>   surface without having been dissolved. Occasionally, a gas bubble
>   reaches the outer spiral, moves down slowly and then stops
>   there. Other bubbles follow after some time and they all collect in
>   the spiral, until eventually the spiral is full with gas.
>
>   The manufacturer of this reactor also has a product, which uses this
>   reactor together with an integrated power head. The power head is
>   rated at 300 l/h (75 gal/h), so I am really suspecting the manual is
>   not correct when it says 500 l/h - 1000 l/h is required.
>
>   I also found a discussion on this mailing list:
>
>   http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200211/msg00103.html
>
>   which recommends a lesser flow of water. But in any case, whatever
>   flow I use, the co2 just collects in the reactor and isn't dissolved.
>
>   I am suspecting that some of the water just leaves from the bottom of
>   the reactor instead of being redirected to the spiral. I have felt
>   the bottom and there is some water flow there. Can it be that the
>   pieces inside the reactor don't sit on each other perfectly or there
>   is a washer required, which my unit doesn't have?
>
>
> 2) The german manual says that the small white cap should be put on the
>   pipe opening on top of the reactor. The english manual does not say
>   that, so I am not sure which one is correct. I have tried both and it
>   seems if the white cap is off, co2 bubbles escape from the top of the
>   reactor. So I guess the german manual is correct :)
>
>
> Anyway, if someone is using this reactor, I would really appreciate some
> insight on how to further troubleshoot.
>
> Timur Aydin
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