venturi on external CO2 reactor

[sllo]

Hello guys,

I am new to this forum, I just joined yesterday. I went through reading all the posts regarding the venturi CO2 reactor but I don’t really know where to insert the venturi tube on my DIY external CO2 reactor.

Bellow is a schematic of the reactor I currently use. It is 24" long and 1-1/2" wide. Although It is quite long there are still tiny bubbles escaping from the reactor into the aquarium. I used to have a 2" wide and 18" long but the gas built up was way too much beacuse my fluval output flow is not strong enough, howere I used to have bubbles escape from that reactor as well.


The gas built up in the reactor is shown in the schematic. At which place should the venturi tube be inserted, 1, 2, 3 or somewhere else?

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

Add the venturi line lower, about 1/2 way down on the tube there.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[phineus]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

Tom,
In a recent post on APD you mentioned using the venturi power skimmer for CO2, can you provide details?

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

Not the skimmer, the venturi valve attachment that is providing the bubbles to a skimmer, you remove this and add that tio the tank, not to a skimmer cup etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[bonklers]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

@silo, why do you have three lines going to the spraybar? I understand number 3 is the venturi loop, but what's the numbers 1 and 2 for? Won't they make your reactor less efficient because you're leaving no time to have the CO2 react with the water?

Tom, if I understand correctly the venturi loop is to burp out the gas buildup. So in this picture line 3 (where it should be on 1/2 of the reactor) will be connected to the outlet of the reactor. Why should it be that far away from the gas buildup "zone"? In my experience the gas buildup doesnt even come on 1/3 of the reactor from above. This way it'll loose it's function since it the venturi loop never reaches the gas buildup zone.

I also wonder what'll happen if you connect the venturi loop to the inlet of the reactor instead to the outlet. This way you can give the CO2 gas a second chance to diffuse in the reactor. Has anyone tried this before? In this case I was thinking connecting line 2 with the reactor inlet.

 

[sllo]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

@silo, why do you have three lines going to the spraybar? I understand number 3 is the venturi loop, but what's the numbers 1 and 2 for? Won't they make your reactor less efficient because you're leaving no time to have the CO2 react with the water?

the 3 numbered lines are just the options I draw in order to ask where to insert the venturi loop.

Tom, if I understand correctly the venturi loop is to burp out the gas buildup. So in this picture line 3 (where it should be on 1/2 of the reactor) will be connected to the outlet of the reactor. Why should it be that far away from the gas buildup "zone"? In my experience the gas buildup doesnt even come on 1/3 of the reactor from above. This way it'll loose it's function since it the venturi loop never reaches the gas buildup zone.

I have the exact same question.
I inserted the venturi loop 1/2 the way of the reactor tube and as I noticed the built up zone of the gas is way up from the venturi.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: venturi on external CO2 reactor

On an internal reactor the venturi is roughly 2" down from the top, the burp hole is roughly 2.5" from the top. This means about 2" build up is required before you see the venturi action.... and about 2.75-3" before you get a burp due to water tension rather than 2.5" inches.

Regards,
Tom Barr