# What kind of CO2 reactor do you use?



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

I use an Aqua Medic 1000. It is an in-line reactor that is connected to the outflow from my filter. It is really efficient. I guess that it dissolves close to 100% of the CO2 output from my regulator. I started with an Eheim CO2 diffuser and it was… well not very efficient. With the Eheim I had to refill my 5# CO2 bottle in about 3 weeks. I have no clue how long my bottle will last with the Aqua Medic. I’ve had it for 4 weeks and there has been no significant decline in CO2 pressure yet. 

BTW this reactor is recommended for use with a pH controller. Because it is so efficient you can easily overdose your tank if you don’t have a feedback system to control the flow.


----------



## Riiz (Jul 19, 2008)

I use an eheim 2217 as a diffuser in my 80gal and the $10 Hagen Mini Elite DIY reactor in a 60gal and havent had any issues. No pH controller here, with either tank btw.


----------



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

ray-the-pilot said:


> I use an Aqua Medic 1000. It is an in-line reactor that is connected to the outflow from my filter. It is really efficient. I guess that it dissolves close to 100% of the CO2 output from my regulator. I started with an Eheim CO2 diffuser and it was&#8230; well not very efficient. With the Eheim I had to refill my 5# CO2 bottle in about 3 weeks. I have no clue how long my bottle will last with the Aqua Medic. I've had it for 4 weeks and there has been no significant decline in CO2 pressure yet.
> 
> BTW this reactor is recommended for use with a pH controller. Because it is so efficient you can easily overdose your tank if you don't have a feedback system to control the flow.


I don't believe the aqua medic 1000 manual says that. You are grasping at that conclusion. Aqua medic is suggesting there's an advantage to keeping the ph constant so they suggest a ph controller. A ph controlller has been proven not to be necessary as the majority of planted aquarists do not use them and many including myself have had sensitive schooling fish for years without keeping the ph by shuting co2 off at night.


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> I don't believe the aqua medic 1000 manual says that. You are grasping at that conclusion. Aqua medic is suggesting there's an advantage to keeping the ph constant so they suggest a ph controller.


Well you may be right but they clearly recommend using a controller. They say that pH could get too low without one (ie to much CO2). If you look at their manual they even show how to set the thing up using a controller.

http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/docs/CO2_Reactor_1000.pdf

I can also tell you from my own experience that this reactor is almost 100% efficient. If you set your bubble counter too high your tank will quickly reach excessively high levels of CO2.



houseofcards said:


> A ph controlller has been proven not to be necessary as the majority of planted aquarists do not use them and many including myself have had sensitive schooling fish for years without keeping the ph by shuting co2 off at night.


I don't say you have to have a pH controller. You don't even need CO2 to have a nice planted aquarium. What I'm saying about this equipment is that they add a tremendous level of control to your tank. Wild changes in your tank profile are the root of algae plagues. If you cannot afford a pH controller that's OK you can still enjoy the hobby at a different level.


----------



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

_I can also tell you from my own experience that this reactor is almost 100% efficient. If you set your bubble counter too high your tank will quickly reach excessively high levels of CO2. _

Well I've set up several tanks using the AM 1000 and never used a controller and have no problems with your fish. Would you agree that you could simply reduce your bubble count if the controller is supplying to much co2. Really no different than if you use a ceramic in tank diffusor. Either way you could reduce co2 by turning down the co2. So that agrument is mute.

This is why AM suggests a ph controller:

_Use a pH Controller or pH Computer to switch an M-Ventil Solenoid, which will regulate the injection of CO2 to your aquarium based on the pH value of the system water. This eliminates harmful pH swings and offers an essential element of stability to your live-plant aquarium. Typically you will set your pH value between 7.0 - 7.4 for freshwater live-plant aquaria. _

This has been proven to be not accurate and very out of date.


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

I guess your opinion and my opinion are not the same as to why AH recommends using a controller. But they do and they even show how to set it up even though they don’t sell a pH controller.

If you use a AH 1000 reactor without a controller, what bubble rate do you set it at and what size tank do you have?


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

I've been using an AM 1000 for the better part of the past three years and have no complaints. Some of that time I've had a pH/CO2 controller running the system, sometimes I haven't. I'm currently running my CO2 on a timer rather than being controlled by a pH probe. 

The CO2's set for 5-7 bubbles per second on a 90g. I've got the rate so high because the tank's lit by a 2x 250w HQI system. The reactor's set up on my filter's intake and does a pretty good job of diffusing CO2 into the water. Near the end of the photoperiod there's some recalcitrant gas in the chamber but it gets absorbed when the lights are off. The only times I notice excessive gas in the chamber are when the filter media needs to be cleaned or when there's something choking the intake. Otherwise it's clear sailing.

I've found my AM 1000 to be very efficient, but in my experience it hardly requires a pH controller to operate safely. Taking care to know how your tank reacts to CO2 input and adjusting your settings accordingly will be sufficient for safe long term operation.

Regards,
Phil


----------



## miles (Apr 26, 2006)

ray-the-pilot said:


> I use an Aqua Medic 1000. It is an in-line reactor that is connected to the outflow from my filter. It is really efficient. I guess that it dissolves close to 100% of the CO2 output from my regulator. I started with an Eheim CO2 diffuser and it was&#8230; well not very efficient. With the Eheim I had to refill my 5# CO2 bottle in about 3 weeks. I have no clue how long my bottle will last with the Aqua Medic. I've had it for 4 weeks and there has been no significant decline in CO2 pressure yet.
> 
> BTW this reactor is recommended for use with a pH controller. Because it is so efficient you can easily overdose your tank if you don't have a feedback system to control the flow.


having to refill a 5lb bottle in 3 weeks sounds like you had a big leak somewhere.


----------



## jmhart (Nov 13, 2007)

miles said:


> having to refill a 5lb bottle in 3 weeks sounds like you had a big leak somewhere.


Ditto.

I run my co2 into the intake of my Eheim 2128. 100% diffusion. The first time I set it up, I had a small leak, had to refill in about 4 weeks, now I get several months.

However, now that I mention it, it's roundabout time to switch it out, and I'm out of town...here's hoping it hasn't run out.


----------



## algaehater (Jul 18, 2008)

I use a dupla 400 in my 90 gallon tank its around 8 years old, the top of it got snapped off so i just silicon it up works like a charm.


----------



## FobbyBobby23 (Mar 8, 2005)

jmhart said:


> Ditto.
> 
> I run my co2 into the intake of my Eheim 2128. 100% diffusion. The first time I set it up, I had a small leak, had to refill in about 4 weeks, now I get several months.
> 
> However, now that I mention it, it's roundabout time to switch it out, and I'm out of town...here's hoping it hasn't run out.


Have you had any issues with the impeller on the Eheim? I don't recall if there was ever any conclusive evidence of this, but I remember there are always discussions regarding the possible negative implications of feeding CO2 directly into the intake of a canister filter which would essentially harm the impeller.

But perhaps it is just unfounded paranoia, in that case it would be quite helpful to many individuals (ie those that don't want to spend more money!) in finding an affective method of CO2 diffusion.


----------



## jmhart (Nov 13, 2007)

I have no problems at all. If you think about the flow going through the filter, most of the co2 is chopped up and diffused before it even reaches the impeller. Occasionally there is a slight build up of gas that reaches the impeller, but again, I've had no problems.


----------



## gibmaker (Jan 3, 2007)

Mix Max co2 reactor. Best one I have ever found pretty much 100% efficient. I run it on my 125 gal and a 20Lb. tank of co2 lasts me just under a year


----------



## andreic (Apr 2, 2008)

I am using an Dennerle Cycloturbo internal reactor on a 125g tank and I am extremely pleased with him.
Previously I try to use an Dupla 400 and an Tornado - external reactor from Aquatic nature. Both reactors fail to satisfied my PH needs. Dupla wasn't big enough and the other one proves to be lost money.


----------



## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I use a powerhead rated at around 120 gph (that may not be accurate). I took an undergravel filter tube-topper (the thing you'd normally put an air hose into) and attached it directly to the powerhead (inverted) and inserted my CO2 tubing into that. The powerhead was originally used for circulation, so I don't count it as a cost, and I already had the UG filter parts from a previous set-up.

The CO2 bubbles get sucked up by the powerhead intake and chopped into tiny bubbles. This has worked very well and gets CO2 across my 4' tank easily, but I do not know what the efficiency would be rated at. For me, "it works good, and didn't cost anything." 

-Dave


----------



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Co2 Reactor 200 With Rio Pump. Like it a lot.

http://www.aquariumplants.com/product_p/pr374.htm


----------



## supersmirky (Oct 22, 2008)

I've got an aquamedic 1000 connected to my XP3


----------



## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

DIY reactor connected to my XP3... only two of it's kind in existance 

extremely efficient.


----------



## Yokomo99 (Aug 26, 2008)

I use an Aqua-Medic 500 with a Maxi-Jet 600 pump in my 40 gallon tank and it works very well. It is supplied with CO2 from two 2L DIY fermenting bottles. I use a drop checker to monitor the CO2 levels. I used this system on my 135 Gallon tank for a while using 3 2L bottles and I was surprised by how well it kept up although I was just starting up the tank and the plant load was fairly low at the time. My 135 now uses the Aqua-medic 1000 with a 700 gph mag drive pump and of course the ever present drop checker.


----------

