# Mag 5 powerhead for CO2 reactor



## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

I am planning on making a DIY reactor for CO2 using a gravel vac attached to a powerhead. *Do you think that a Mag 5 powerhead (500gph) will be too much current for my 100 gallon tank?* I have kuhli loaches, siamese algae eaters, t-bone rasboras, and guppies in this tank, along with some angelfish(I am going to get rid of the angelfish). I not only need this to diffuse CO2 but I need more circulation in the tank since my 400gph canister is my only circulation. 
*also, if anyone knows a good way to place the powerhead in the aquarium, let me know(there are no suction cups on the powerhead)


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## Your Ad Here (Apr 4, 2009)

ive used mag-drives for years , and have yet to find a way to use one as a powerhead.
they are best used as return pumps.

even if you used suction cups, the weight of them would probably bring them down pretty fast.

Chris


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## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

Maybe I should just go buy a powerhead with suction cups. If I were to do that what gph would you recommend for my tank?

*Correction: my current canister only circulates at 340 gph. I noticed that the plant right next to the out-take of the filter is visibly healthier and lush. I am pretty sure I need more current in the tank to distribute nutrients and especially CO2.


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## inkslinger (Jan 1, 2005)

I run a Mag 5 pump in a close loop with a AM 1000 CO2 Reactor also use it on a DIY Reactor with no problem and I have a 110g tank .


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Thats alot of flow, If all the bubbles are dissolving, I would not worry about it, if they are not, I'd put a valve on the output side and slow it down.


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## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

TAB said:


> Thats alot of flow, If all the bubbles are dissolving, I would not worry about it, if they are not, I'd put a valve on the output side and slow it down.


Wouldn't a higher flow create better dissolution? I was thinking more about the welfare of the fish on the high flow side, and not enough current for dissolution and distribution of nutrients in the tank for the low flow side. I want to have the minimum flow necessary for the health of the plants without being so high that the fish suffer.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Trubulance and dwell time are the important factors.


if you have too much trubulance, you will be removing CO2.Iif you have too short of dwel time the CO2 will just get pushed out of the reactor.


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## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

TAB said:


> Trubulance and dwell time are the important factors.
> 
> if you have too much trubulance, you will be removing CO2.Iif you have too short of dwel time the CO2 will just get pushed out of the reactor.


Oh, ok that makes sense. Is it only the surface distrubance part of the turbulence that causes the CO2 to escape or the turbelence in general? I was just wondering if I put the powerhead at the top and point it diagnally downward to avoid surface disturbance if that would help.
*i am doing the in tank reactor method with the whole gravel vac and sponge thing attached to a powerhead.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

Why not make this externally? Just need some hosing and you could make an input and output. This would keep from cluttering the tank.


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## nokturnalkid (Feb 27, 2007)

dj2606 said:


> Why not make this externally? Just need some hosing and you could make an input and output. This would keep from cluttering the tank.


Exactly what I was thinking. The mag 5 is a very good and versatile pump. You can use that pump to run a reactor, mesh mod the impellor, or get a replacement fracionating impellar. Either way, you get more flow and a way to distribute your co2.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Uncle Rico said:


> Oh, ok that makes sense. Is it only the surface distrubance part of the turbulence that causes the CO2 to escape or the turbelence in general? I was just wondering if I put the powerhead at the top and point it diagnally downward to avoid surface disturbance if that would help.
> *i am doing the in tank reactor method with the whole gravel vac and sponge thing attached to a powerhead.


In general, surface distrbances just impove diffusion.


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## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

nokturnalkid said:


> Exactly what I was thinking. The mag 5 is a very good and versatile pump. You can use that pump to run a reactor, mesh mod the impellor, or get a replacement fracionating impellar. Either way, you get more flow and a way to distribute your co2.


Thanks for the post.
Is there a relatively simple way to run the pump externally as a reactor? What is this modding the impellar business you speak of? The reason I was planning on doing it internally is because all that is required is that I stick a gravel vac stuffed with floss on a powerhead. Would I use two garden hoses attached to the input and output of the powerhead, because I dont know how I would attach plastic tubing on this pump? Would running the CO2 bubbles throught the powerhead be enough to dissolve it in the water?


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Running the CO2 thru the pump does not dissolve anything, it just "smashs" the bubbles into smaller bubbles... it also will make more noise. Modding the impeller is just adding more vaynes to the impeller, most people cut a bio ball and glue it on, but you can buy premade kits for most pumps these days( thank your local reefer) 

mag drives have MPT( male pipe threads) do it right, use PVC


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## nokturnalkid (Feb 27, 2007)

Uncle Rico said:


> Thanks for the post.
> Is there a relatively simple way to run the pump externally as a reactor? What is this modding the impellar business you speak of? The reason I was planning on doing it internally is because all that is required is that I stick a gravel vac stuffed with floss on a powerhead. Would I use two garden hoses attached to the input and output of the powerhead, because I dont know how I would attach plastic tubing on this pump? Would running the CO2 bubbles throught the powerhead be enough to dissolve it in the water?


Just go down to your local home improvement store and walk down the plumbing aisle. Almost everything you need will be down there. Some pvc, coupling, barbs and some tubing is pretty much all you need. Or, you can go get you some premade intake/output sets from your lfs. Usually the good reef stores have that stuff. Some barbs and tubing and you would pretty much be set. If you want to do a reactor, just follow rex grigg's instructions on how to build one. I think his is probably the easiest to build with the least amount of pieces. You could go with an internal reactor but that just clutters the tank. If you want to go that route, by all means. As Tab said, when you mesh mod or use a needlewheel, it doesn't dissolve co2. It makes a fine mist that your plants can readily use. There are tons of threads about this here, tpt.com, and barrreport.com. Just do a search for mesh mod or needlewheel. As far as noise is concerned, I've never came across that so far. Just a slight buzz from my pump and that's pretty much it.


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## Uncle Rico (Oct 22, 2007)

Wow, thanks all you guys, I guess this is the right place to learn stuff. Anyway, its not that I want it to be easy, I enjoy big projects for my tank, I just wanted to get something going quickly (it will take a while to do the inline since this is my first reactor) instead of the lame diffuser in my tank (used to work ok for my smaller tank, sucks for my 100 gallon). I think while I am working on a inline reactor project i will install a simple DIY internal reactor (I bought an Aquaclear 5, a 270gph powerhead for 15 bucks on craigslist). You guys gave a lot of interesting options I don't know anything about so I have a lot of research to do before I even begin (will also prevent me from flooding my house).

*So does modding my Mag 5 impellar to have more blades make enable it to chop up the bubbles? Is this what creates the mist you guys are talking about? Maybe I should just research all the options with the links you guys gave me and ask questions after.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Yeah, its kind of like the diffrence between stiring a batter with a spoon vs a wisk.


You might be ok with stock impeller( try it 1st), but my exp ( with skimmers not CO2 injection) has always been there is a dramatic imporvment in bubble size using needle wheel impeller, vs a stock one.


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