Reactor Modifications Needed

[150EH]

I have a CarbonDoser EXT5000 external reactor and at first I was in love because the design seems as if it's perfect but it turns out I can't get it to deliver. It's powered by an Eheim 2215 exhaust and has a self contained Rio pump (Rio 90 ?? maybe) and the way it works is the gas and water enter the top of the housing, the pump rests on the bottom pulling the mixture up a tube and out to the tank, half way up there is a coarse pad that will break up the gas and not allow it to pass if undisolved.

It really works very well but if you get the bubble count too high the gas will start to push all the water out of the housing. I was hoping you could help me figure out how to make it work as it should and I was thinking the Needle wheel DIY modifications might work on this unit, I have only seen the modifications to the impeller and never a completed unit (a lot of photos are missing and some links are broken) that you guys are using. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

BTW I plan to make a call to the manufacturer as this unit is rated for tanks up to 1000 gallons but I'm having problems on a 150, I will update any progress to help others with the same unit.

 

[fjf888]

Others can chime in that know more about this reactor than I do.

That reactors has a a whole bunch of 90 degree elbows on it. I'm wondering if the reactor simply can't handle the water you have going through it. If this is inline on your main pump, perhaps try running it on a secondary pump with a lower flow rate and see if that helps. Another mod that you may be able to do it perhaps put larger 45 degree elbows on the intake and outflow to help water flow.

IMHO I would suggest getting a better check valve, if you're running a high bubble rate of CO2 and have a lot of back pressure, those cheap plastic ones will not last.

 

[dutchy]

Efficiency of a reactor is determined greatly by flow generated by the pump you're using. My guess is that an Eheim 2215 doesn't give you enough flow to dissolve all the CO2 you're using. I bet you're not getting more than around 150 gph at the outlet at tank level.

I have a 180, but it has two AM1000 reactors with two 500 gph pumps to do the trick. Big tanks need big capacity equipment.

 

[150EH]

The reactor has it's own pump at the bottom of the tubing in the photo, it actually increases the flow of the 2215 canister, so although there are a lot of 90 degree fittings they don't really come into play with 2 pumps in one line.

 

[inkslinger]

Hey 150EH I know this is an old thread but you ever solved this problem? I'm going thru the same thing with a Eheim 2262 filter.

 

[scottward]

I'll have to study this reactor a bit more when I get time, I'm not familiar with it. But with an Eheim 2215 and being used on a 150, I don't see how it could hope to ever get the CO2 levels up to where you want them.

BTW, I'm not quite sure why 2 pumps in one line would make much difference, water in has to equal water out, and that 2215 canister full of media and gunk is going to slow things down quite a lot.

Scott.

 

[Green Thumb Aquatics]

give me a little bit and I will put up all the mods I did to mine, I unfortunantly havent seen my camera in a good week so I cant take pics, but I had a battle gettin this thing going good, now I can gas my tank anytime I want on a 75 gallon..

 

[Green Thumb Aquatics]

k first thing plumbing.

are you running it to a canister filter? if yes
take out the first ball valve
second take out all 90 degree elbos, you can replace them w parts found online, if you are running 5/8 ID, you will need to just go with a 3/4 barb to 1" threaded adapter and heat up your tubing to get it over, just use boiling water

next you want the CO2 already kinda broken up, if you go too small you will still get the soda can effect, not quite as bad but it will still be there

so my recomendation is take out the nipple you run your airline to, drill a whole just smaller than airline tubing, next push airline tubing through and use a wooden airstone to put the CO2 out through

also, it wastes a little but CO2 is cheap so I also definately recomend take out the stupid scrubber thing, unroll a little bit of it, now use just this little bit with a rubber band or just tie it over the part above the Rio, at the bottom of the pvc where the water goes out, this will help so most of the bubbles stay in, a few will escape, this will stop the large buildup of air you are getting, and will keep it reactor running effecient, also the bubbles will not be limited by the large scrubber, they will be able to be pushed down further in the chamber to get more contact time with the water, therefore increasing amount its mixing in the water....

dont mind the ugly plumbing, this was right after some mods so the air was built up a bit from working on it, but now I get amost no buildup

also the scrubber was not modified in this pic, that makes a huge difference

BTW i used to run mine with an eheim 2075 (330gph) I found this was not enough, I use a rena 4xp and it really does the trick

 

[inkslinger]

I'm using a Eheim 2262 filter 900gph , But with the media I think around 600-700gph . What I see is where the water inters
the reactor the force pushes some of the co2 thru the sponge and it collects on the bottom of the sponge while the rest dances
around on top of the sponge and it's only on the back side of the sponge where the water enters.
IMO: I think a longer jar canister would be better for high flow rate. Thought of adding small bio balls above the sponge to break up the flow and get more co2 mix?