Just wanted to see what you guys though of the many options for reactors out there. i currently have a DIY from the plans on this website with the viewtainer and power head. it seems to do well but spits out tons of tiny bubbles all the time and is a little loud due to the bubbles getting chopped up by the impeller. Would something like the redsea 500 do a better job of disolving the co2? I have seen it at work at the local fish shop and didnt see any bubble spray comming out of it.

Do your DIY reactors spray bubbles all over the tank or mix them in the tube?

Thanks!

cc:

I've only done the Dual Venturi DIY reactor and the powerhead type.

On your reactor, I'm wondering if the output from the pump isn't pointed down too much and pushing the bubbles out of the reactor before they have a chance to dissolve. You should be getting a good swirling motion. Also, it may be that your reactor just pushes out more bubbles when your water becomes more saturated with CO2, which wouldn't be too big of a deal.

I understand your issue with noise. My dual venturi was fairly noisy too ... maybe I just had a bad pump. My dual venturi, however, worked extremely well and only sent out a few small bubbles in the afternoons. Other than that, the CO2 completely dissolved.

I've also had very good luck with the powerhead type of reactor -- though others have issues with this type. I tried the whole "needle-wheel" modification thing but found mine more effective without a needle-wheel. See picture below, of my Penguin 660 grate. The way I have the elbow feeding CO2 up at the very top of the grate, the intake peels of the tiniest sheet of CO2 -- my CO2 pretty much completely dissolves. I actually have the CO2 going in up higher than the picture shows. This method is also good for me since my filter was underpowered and the powerhead really increases flow in my tank.

thanks when i get home ill try and angle the flow towards the top of the tube and shrink the outlet so more pressure builds up in the tube, hopefully this will mix em better.

so i built the diy reactor that hangs over the back of the tank, the large pvc tubed one. I did not include a gas release. is it ok to drill a hole in it now that its all together and insert a plug, or is it best to put some rigid airline tubing?

Either way will work, I'm sure. I found it easier to plug a small piece of rigid tubing because I didn't have a plug for a small hole.

Did you put a venturi loop in your reactor? If you have a powerful enough pump with a venturi loop, you won't need the gas release very often, if at all.

ill upload some pics later but no venturi, seems to be doing well. I can hear the bubbles getting mixed around as the water comes in, every once in a great while i get a shot of tiny bubbles into the aquarium, not like before with the internal reactor.