Any comments on this Co2 reactor?

http://aquariumplant.com/cgi-bin/cart/pr374.htm

Thanks
Elwin

I use that reactor in my 75 and it works well for me. I did however modify it with a venturi loop to improve its efficiency

So I guess with that modification, it's not the best in the business?
Haha, that's an old design I had, predates them by 6 years.

See the 2-3$ DIY version which looks better on the articel link here:

http://www.barrreport.com/forums/sho...=1&pp=&conly=1

image:

http://www.barrreport.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=138

Took me 15 minutes and needs no sponge, and cost 15$ total with new powerhead or about 2-3$ without the cost of the powerhead added. You can make these any size(scaled up larger) or use more than one to suit larger tanks.

You can also use the venturi loop on external CO2 reactors to reduce gas lock and to prurge the gas that fills the tubes later in the lighting cycle.

No one else makes such a loop, probably because I've been the one designing them for many years:-) Not other folks who see a design, try and copy it, charge 3X the cost. I just show the plans for folks to make it themselves.

Mine also works better.

Regards,
Tom Barr

I'm using one of these venturi reactors that Tom describes above (built by our very own Cornhusker here on the BarrReport) in my 180 gallon tank ... I never would have believed it could have handled a tank that large, but it is keeping up with it just fine ...

Greg

I put in a venturi purge for my external reactor, but I did modify the reactor so the water input from the canister filter is from the top-side rather from top-down. The "swirl" of the water seems to have made my reactor much more efficient and there isn't much of an o2 buildup to purge like I had when it was a top-down model...

I added the top to side to reduce the size of thje reactor for the internal, we do not need the extra space on an external design.......but, I like it, I'll see about adding that to the venturi external design.

I've got several external venturi designs running on a few folk's tanks now.

They are much happier with them, highly responsive.

I swear, I will post the photo's of the design on line here soon!!

Regards,
Tom Barr

why the burp hole? I never have any accumulation.

If you do not have a solenoid or use DIY CO2, then you need it to prevent the entire tube from filling up and inverting from the buoyancy.........

You can add the burp holes at a number of different heights and plug them if you want to vary the purge level also, same with the venturi.

This allows you to adjust the amount of gas and the purge process as much as you desire if you like to play. Simply plug the unused hole/s with an airline plug.



Regards,
Tom Barr

Tom,

If you have the powerhead mounted on the top side, the excess gas will bubble up through the powerhead as soon as you turn it off at night. So for the top-mounted model, the burp hole is not needed even with DIY-CO2, as far as I can see.

Regards,
Frank

If you add too much CO2 when the unit is running, this will pruge excess gas and add a measure of self leveling.

I don't like gas in the impeller area, I'd rather it burp out the side. It's just a little hole anyhow, hardly tough to add.

Regards,
Tom Barr