# Aqua Medic 1000 (false air)



## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

The Aqua Medic 1000 has a "false gas outlet" at the top of the reactor. When the reactor housing, that is filled with Bactoballs, gets this false gas, you are able to let it out with this valve.

How many of you are always letting this false gas out of the reactor, during normal operation? I seem to be doing this a lot, and by a lot I mean daily. It seems to fill with false gas so fast that within an hour there is a 1 inch section of it.

As I watch it, this is just my C02 bulding up, and it seems wrong to me that I need to keep messing around with the valve like this.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

It sounds like you're either pumping too much CO2, or the flow rate is not enough to create the needed turbulance to dissolve the incoming gas faster. 

Lowering the CO2 flow rate and/or adjusting the angle/position of the reactor might help dissolve the gas better. Cleaning out your filter more often will also help improve the flow rate coming into the reactor. 

-John N.


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

yeah, time to toss the mag 500 on there and get it off the 350 magnum filter and see what that does

thanks


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

The mag 500 did the trick, thanks getting headed in the right direction


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Good deal. I knew it would work. 

-John N.


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

I now have 1425 gallons of flow an hour in this tank. crazy


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

Just an update for anyone that might have this same problem. Going to the new pump was not the solution, it did help things out overall, but once I put on brand new tubing I got zero air in the chamber.

It has now been a week and I have not had to release false air a single time. The tubing I was using was leftover and old.


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## inkslinger (Jan 1, 2005)

hey!! what did you use to hook up the mag 5 to the reactor , did you use 1/2inch hose , so did mag 5 work ok i thought it would be to much for it, i'm planing to do the same thing and use my mag 5 but i also got the turbo twist 3, and the hydro heater 300 and my eheim intake and return spary bar use the 16/22 hose {5/8 hose} , i think i'm better of by useing a reducer before and after the AM 1000


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Questin said:


> Just an update for anyone that might have this same problem. Going to the new pump was not the solution, it did help things out overall, but once I put on brand new tubing I got zero air in the chamber.
> 
> It has now been a week and I have not had to release false air a single time. The tubing I was using was leftover and old.


What tubing did you replace?, the air tubing from the CO2? or your filter's tubing? I had that problem a while back. I thought it was my flow rate too. I kept turning my CO2 up and had too much going in at one time. I had leaks at the bubble counter and was just pumping CO2 like crazy. Too much leaking, too much going to the reactor. Went through 10lbs in four days. Have plugged all leaks, turned down CO2, maintaining 30ppm by dropchecker. Still have 1/2 tank of CO2 after 2 weeks!

I have my water turning over 6.25 times an hour. I am amazed at how much flow people have in their tanks. I have 2 XP3's on 125 g. They are each rated at 325gph. Seems like alot to me. I wonder what the normal suggested rate of turnover should be? How big is your tank to have such turnover? Are your fish just pushed around your tank?!!:rofl:


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

I replaced the 5/8 tubing for the pump. I have not touched the CO2 tubing.

The tank is 125 gallons.

The mag 5 only has the AM1000 in line, there is nothing else at all, so there is a lot of flow going thru that reactor, but it is working very well. From tank to pump, from pump to reactor, from reactor to tank. I nice little loop that is able to keep the pH in the tank at 6.7


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## inkslinger (Jan 1, 2005)

inkslinger said:


> hey!! what did you use to hook up the mag 5 to the reactor , did you use 1/2inch hose , so did mag 5 work ok i thought it would be to much for it, i'm planing to do the same thing and use my mag 5 but i also got the turbo twist 3, and the hydro heater 300 and my eheim intake and return spary bar use the 16/22 hose {5/8 hose} , i think i'm better of by useing a reducer before and after the AM 1000


the AM 1000 has 1/2 inch barr on each end


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

The new tubing I put on was 5/8 tubing and fit perfectly. It might be 1/2 connection on the unit, but I just happened to get the 5/8 for it instead.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

When I used the Aquamedic 1000 I put airline tubing from the bleed valve and up into the aquarium and left the valve slightly open. This took care of any buildup though I didn't have much.

However you *must* make sure the airline is securely fastened in the aquarium! If it slips out, well, let's just say that's no fun!


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

thats a pretty good idea


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

I have the AM 1000, but I don't have the aquarium going yet.

I bought a nano diffuser to hook it up similar to the way that Laith mentions. The nano diffuser will be connected to the gas release valve tubing.

I recently read of another way where the gas release valve was connected to some airline tubing. Then the airline tubing was connected to a place below the intake of the AM 1000. The CO2 and O2 gas was recycled this way and helped to keep the build up of gases in the AM 1000 lower. The gas kept recirculating in an "O" direction over and over.


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## Pen3 (Jul 9, 2006)

I just use that airline to a ceramic diffuser in the tank lol.


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