# Cerges' Reactor?



## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi, I wanna install this reactor but I have my doubts about my canister flow which is fluval 204 and declared 180 us gallons and it has another 110 us gallons which I guess is for when its filled with filter media and since this canister is a bit old maybe its flow is a bit lower now.So my question is How to insert a pump inside this reactor much like CarbonDoser EXT5000 uses.
I don't want to use my canister as a main drive for this reactor, I wanna use a pump.


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

No idea?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

First off your Fluval is not producing anywhere close to what the box or the manual says. Those numbers are usually made up by the manufacturer and in real life are much lower. Different reasons for that. Have been discussed before, do a search if you really need to know them.

The picture of that reactor:

1. How is degassing handled?
Every external reactor accumulates gasses that do not disolve in the water. Is there a particular way to degass this canister automatically, as it runs?

2. The check valve is connected to a nipple by just slipping the air tubing over the nipple.
That's a huge risk. If the small hose comes loose the water will shoot out of the nipple very fast and very far.

3. I think I see a pH probe on the side. 
This is for people that like gadgets. No real need for it if you are not into gadgets.

4. Not every pump will have a round electric cord. Unless the metal tight fit connection on top somehow seals perfectly around any cable please be aware that you may find a pump with a round cable.

5. Two 90 degree elbows - reduce the flow quite a lot.

And to answer your original question - How to put a pump in a sealed canister - This is the fitting that you need:
http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=92459F

Keep in mind they come in different sizes. You need to match the size of your cable (diameter) the size of the fitting. There is a rubber part inside that fitting that tightens around the cable. The contact cable/rubber part needs to be as tight as possible even before tightening the fitting.

Good luck.

--Nikolay


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

Hm, I was planing to use those water filters that are for human use and simply bore a hole in the lid slightly smaller than the diameter of the cord and push it throw forcibly and seal it with some sort of glue like one of those super gel glue which I hope is strong and water resistant.


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## TetraGuy72 (Dec 12, 2009)

Niko, I have a couple questions about some of the points you brought up.


niko said:


> 1. How is degassing handled?
> Every external reactor accumulates gasses that do not disolve in the water. Is there a particular way to degass this canister automatically, as it runs?
> 
> I just built a DIY Cerges reactor myself. I used a whole house water filter housing. The top of the filter housing has a priming button on it. Would this be a way to address the degassing issue?
> ...


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

John,

The glue for the cable is a very bad idea. It may work just fine forever or it may cause a flood one sunny day. Better safe then sorry. How much does that fitting I showed you cost? Do the math.

Tetra,

I'm not sure if that "priming button" is actually just a valve or it is meant for bypass of the filter. If it is a valve and when you press it opens a hole in the lid then you can use it for degassing. The downside is that you have to do it manually. Degassing is not an every day issue but anything that requires constant mandatory maintenance sooner or later leads to a problem. I have no idea how to righ up the Whole House filter to degass automatically. My best auto degassing design for an external reactor is to hook up an airline tubing to a nipple screwed in the lid. Any gas will make it's way into that tubing. The other end of the tubing goes in the tank. Works, but I find it ugly.

The nipple/air tubing connection: You can buy compression fittings that have a nut going around the air tubing. The nut them tightens on the base of the fitting and snugly presses the tubing. There is no way you can pull the tubing off this fitting - you have to tear the air tubing. You can by these at Home Depot. They are brass and someone may say they may harm the shrimp because of the Copper in the brass. I do not know if they will because the exposure to the brass is minor. And I do not know of a plastic or nylon alternative fitting. You can find them Nickel plated but I do not know where. At least you get the idea:
http://img.alibaba.com/wsphoto/v0/267302922/brass-union-brass-compression-fitting.jpg
http://img.directindustry.com/images_di/photo-m2/nickel-plated-brass-compression-fitting-542284.jpg

--Nikolay


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

Niko, all you said about degassing its not necessary at all, you just leave the reactor on during the night(shot down CO2 first) and the gas will be dissolved in the min time. I did the same when I had a sort of reactor of my own design. During the day CO2 would build up all most half a cup that I was using for CO2 mixing and during the night all most all was dissolved and than two hours before the photo period I start CO2 and everything was OK.As for the elbow valve you're right it will decrease the strength of the flow which by my opinion is most important if you want to actually dissolve gas.
Best way would be if there was some sort of huge propeller inside the cup section in the same principal that hang on filters use...


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I agree. Degassing is not a concern at all.

--Nikolay


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

I found today one of those water filters but its much smaller than the one in photo and since its half a price I'm thinking of buying the smaller one and than adapt it as a CO2 reactor.What do you think should I buy this one or the bigger one?


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi, I'm testing my new (DIY) reactor and I must say I'm not convinced that its THAT good.First, let me tell you how its installed.My CO2 hoze is in the tank under a small pump with no filter so its with open propeler that pumps CO2 and water inside the reactor.Inside reactor I have another pump that sends the water out in the tank.During a day inside reactor formes CO2 part(uper part of reactor) which stays allmost 40% untill next day and I'm not sure that it will be dissolved any time soon.On the other side CO2 is a gas that does not dissolve easy so no matter how "strong" the pump or water curent is there will all ways be CO2 undisolved.What I want to say is that allready dissolved CO2 by the small pump outside the reactor is being seppareted in the reactor which is, you know, complete crap.I had a small pump and a three feet hoze that did a better job and costed me a fraction that this DIY reactor is costing me.So I hope that the original factory manifactured reactor is more efficient or thats a waste of money and I'm rady to patent my old and very cheap version of reactor and maybe by selling it I will be able to return my lost money that I invested in this very big very expensive and loud reactor.Cheers.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I told you degassing is not a problem at all. 

Maybe someone that has made a reactor or two or bought one from Rex Grigg or whatever his name was will jump in here and start saying what not about how degassing is not a problem.

Go find my long thread about how to stuff a co2 tubing in a suction of a little pump. Genius at work... Wish I never posted that thread because it helps cheap people belittle this hobby with a cheap mindset.

And yes - degassing IS a problem, in case you still have not figured I like sarcasm. What you see as accumulating gas is not CO2. Where did you get the idea it is? Your water contains other gasses. That is what you have to deal with.

Good luck.

--Nikolay


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## john.shephard26 (Mar 8, 2011)

niko I completely agree with you except for degassing since I don't have a way to confirm what gas is that accumulates in the reactor but my money would be on "not only CO2" mix of gases.Please if YOU can post here that link about tubes and pump that you've mentioned I wanna check it.


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

I'm pretty sure that link is a sticky somewhere around here, with about a million replies singing its praises.


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## inkslinger (Jan 1, 2005)

The AM1000 has a little valve on top that you leave crack open , you run the co2 hose from there to the pump and all gas will be reused an dissolved 100% . I've gotten 100% co2 diffusion with this setup. I guess it could also work with CarbonDoser EXT5000 (External Reactor 5000) if need be.


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