Problem with ISTA Reactor

[sandeepraghuvanshi]

The reactor is doing what it's supposed to do. Mix co2 with running water. You stop the water flow and it will flood the reactor with co2. Do you have this on the intake or outflow side? If you have it on the outflow side and you have it mounted vertically the co2 should be creeping upward to the outflow pipe and into the tank. Normally a gas will not flow down. Do not connect this on the intake side.


Henry tomassini
www.theplantedaquariumstore.com
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

The connections are made as shown in the manual.
The reactor is mounted vertically, the inflow is from the side of the reactor, the outflow is from the top of the reactor.
When gas starts accumulating it should come out from the outlet side and not back towards inflow side into the Canister.
The Manual or the website do not state anywhere that a solenoid is required for proper functioning of the reactor.
This should have been mentioned on the product description.
As of now I have taken out the reactor and it is lying useless for me.

[Biollante]

Hi,

I use CO₂ reactors very similar to yours and know of no requirement for a solenoid.

A solenoid would be one answer to the power outages. Power off solenoid closes, no CO₂ to “airlock” the canister filter.

A check valve on the output side of the canister filter should prevent the CO₂ from backing up into the filter and dump it into the tank instead.

Another answer is to use a separate pump, an inexpensive submersible pump in place of the canister filter output the power goes off so does the pump, the CO₂ ends up in the tank.

Biollante

[Htomassini]

Solenoids are usually mounted on the regulator before the needle valve, red sea makes one that can be used on the plastic tubing. You did not answer my question regarding the reactor, did you mount the reactor so the water comes from the outlet side of the cannister filter?

[sandeepraghuvanshi]

Hi,

I use CO₂ reactors very similar to yours and know of no requirement for a solenoid.

A solenoid would be one answer to the power outages. Power off solenoid closes, no CO₂ to “airlock” the canister filter.

A check valve on the output side of the canister filter should prevent the CO₂ from backing up into the filter and dump it into the tank instead.

Another answer is to use a separate pump, an inexpensive submersible pump in place of the canister filter output the power goes off so does the pump, the CO₂ ends up in the tank.

Biollante

I have already started using a small submersible pump in place of canister filter out put, the problem is no longer there.
Sometimes the easiest of solutions can be elusive.
@ Htomassini
The input of reactor is connected to output of canister.