I bought a canister filter with a hanging polishing box. I put the heater, purigen and the co2 diffuser inside the box. All three are nicely distributed throughout the tank.
I totally agree that this is the best way to diffuse CO2. I've had regular diffuser, inline one, and now I use DIY reactor without moving parts and only sponge and ceramic to help the gas dissolve and it works excellent. No bubbles inside the tank and my 1,5kg bottle works since September on my 200L tank whereas it lasted for about 1month previously. I'd say if you have space in your cabinet you should totally give it a try.
@@zods1964 check out that vid: watch?v=jL-LEPImEZ4 . It's in polish, but you don't need to understand what he says to get what's done step by step. He does not put anything inside, but you can fill it with sponge/ceramics/bioballs to help CO2 dissolve.
I too found that using a reactor means a lower bubble count is needed and CO2 thus lasts longer, the reactors achieve better diffusion, ceramic discs, certainly in in the tank, produce bubbles of which many/most simply escape into the atmosphere. I found this model reviewed by Mark, tricky, it leaked after a few months but also, the paddles need the filter to be working fairly strongly, if the media is 'dirty' (full of useful bacteria) the impellers can fail to turn, because of weaker flow. Mark is using a pretty powerful filter for the tank size. I am currently using a very simple reactor with revolving balls moved by the output of my external, but the reactor is in the tank, a large tank, so the green reactor is well hidden. The desired CO2 levels are much easier to achieve but be careful, I nearly lost some fish because the more easily achieved CO2 levels caught me out a bit and some of my sensitive fish were quite stressed until I balanced things.
@@williammcdowell6257 I had an internal diffusor. I supplied a lot of gas to saturate the aquarium well with co2. Decide to put an external reactor. With an external reactor, the dissolution is 100%, but the saturation of the aquarius with co2 has fallen (I focus on pH and drl checker). There are no gas leaks. I don't understand what the reason is.....because the dissolution is 100%
I've always used these Sera reactors and the first thing I do is flip the top impeller so the forked section is at the top. It helps stir in the CO2 completely.
MJ great idea.....I just tried the same reactor and found by putting a piece of foam around the reactor it will take away 95% of the noise. Something similar to what you might use on a shrimp wall....3/4 inch thick...it totally worked...Just cut a straight line with a pair of scissors and place it around the mounting plate. I agree also it has to be level or it will make more noise...
I use to have a sera Co2 reactor. My only cons with them is: -leakage around the joints -reduced flow/circulation They are a pretty good but I remember being frustrated with the leakage issue
you can help quiet the diffuser by making sure it's straight up and down, and you can remove the air from the chamber by removing the CO2 line but be ready to quickly replace the CO2 line or water will shoot out. I really like this channel and the host. thanks MJ
These types of videos are so helpful! I have tried C02 but still afraid of it and really don’t know what to do. Refill cartridges never in stock for the 95 gram had to dismantle. Love to see more to expand for the novice🧐
I ran this exact reactor for about 6 months. Pros: CO2 distribution throughout the tank was great, plants looked super healthy. CO2 test kit always showed positive results. Cons: Radically impaired flow rate of Oase Biomaster 850 by at least 70% despite having the biggest motor in the range. Had to add an another filter to add more circulation to aquarium. I guess you'll probably need a pump of more than 3000l/p/h to get a balance of flow rate and CO2 diffusion. Furthermore, the nipple for attaching the CO2 tubing is super delicate easy to break, keeping the reactor clean takes a lot of time. Conclusion: Gave up on the reactor. I run a cheap Chinese inline diffuser that gives similar results on a CO2 test, at a fraction of the cost and time spend maintaining a CO2 reactor.
I think I’ll start looking into a reactor as well. For years I’ve just put the diffuser directly below the intake to my FX5, using the canister as a makeshift reactor . Works decent, but it ejects a mass of CO2 bubbles a couple times a day. Nice work on the Channel.
I currently have a 5' - 120 gallon with a closed loop filtration. I use 2 Nu-clear canisters, one with polyfill mechanical filtration, and the other is lava stone biological filtration. I pump my co2 into my biological canister as a diffuser, so everything is inline and hidden. The co2 controller is on a timer and turns on 1 hour before the lights, and turns off one hour before the lights turn off. I highly recommend a controller to monitor the co2 levels and to maintain a consistent pH.
@@gonemad8008 In a well established aquarium where the beneficial bacteria grows on so many different surfaces, I don't think it's affecting what's in the canister enough to do any harm especially at the levels of co2 I'm pumping into the can. This system has run for over 8 years with no issues.
Installed an Aquacare CO2 reactor a month ago to replace inline diffusion. The tank looks so much better without that constant mist of tiny bubbles. It's a huge improvement. Just in time to see my first tank really take off too! Back in November I had one horrible staghorn algae experience - it was on everything. So discouraging as a newcomer to the hobby, but you have to learn from your mistakes. Switching fertlizers, and increasing CO2 appears to have finally defeated it. Another small benefit of clear water is spotting the occasional tiny newborn cherry shrimp in the water column.
I don't find the microbubbles to be that big of an issue. I also use In-line on my 70L scapers and I see very little bubbles actually. One thing to note when switching to a different CO2 diffusion is that you have to adapt your CO2 Output. Because In-line and Reactor offer a much more concentrated diffusion, you'll have to decrease your BPS, otherwise you run the risk of gassing your tank. I had that happen to me once, when I first switched to In-line diffusion, I didn't adapt the CO2 output from the classic In-tank diffusion method. In about a week, I noticed the fish started acting scared and had difficulties breathing. When I tested the O2 level in the tank, it was in the middle, so an orange-ish color, instead of the deep dark red it should normally be. The CO2 liquid was kinda old at that point so I didn't really trust the reading, but when I made a water change and saw it much more clearly, it was yellow. That resulted in a big PH decrease and the tank got partially decycled, which resulted in a considerable increase in Nitrites. Luckily, I lost no fish to that, as I acted very quickly by adding an airstone, did water changes and de-nitrified the tank with Seachem Prime (really useful product for situations like this, highly recommend it) which dropped my Nitrites back to 0 very fast + seeded the media with fresh bacteria by squeezing a sponge form an already running tank and adding Seachem Stability on top of that. Part of the issue was also because of the new external filter I used, which has a very finnicky glass inflow, that has very small holes, which very easily gets clogged up with debris and causes the Outflow to output a lot slower, thus decreasing surface agitation and flow. I say this a lot easier now, but it took me a really long time to figure out what was actually wrong with my filter. Countless sessions of troubleshooting, where I constantly cleaned the media, hoses of the filter, until I discovered that whenever I took the inflow out, it would naturally dislodge all the gunk, which would make the outflow work like new again, thus coming to the conclusion the Inflow was the issue. I still have the glass inflow now, but I clean it pretty refularly. I am thinking of switching back to the regular plastic Inflow that comes in the box.
I had one of these for a while, but there were two issues: 1. The nipple for the CO2 inlet is too fragile, it broke off after a couple months of usage. 2. After you clean this reactor a couple times, it will start leaking from the plastic cover. Otherwise, it works pretty well.
Thank you for this vid. I too have an inline diffuser and was considering a reactor. I think you have made up my mind for me to switch over to the reactor. I appreciate you and your knowledge that you share with all of us.
I wanted to use co2 in my 125 gal tank, but the fluval diffusers didn’t put out enough gas I felt so I went with co2 reactor as well. I got a small sump that just pumps water already flowing through the sump to power the reactor. It’s gotten clogged a few times from snails, but after putting filter padding around the intake it’s been totally fine. Zero bubbles and looks great
I bought this reactor. The inlet hose broke. I was able to cobble it together until a better unit from NilocG. Even though this wasn’t a good value, I am completely sold on the idea of reactors.
Hey MJ i wish i would have seen this video a week ago i have a order coming from co2 art tommarrow with the pe regulator kit and inline defuser Being new to co2 disbursement in aquariums i have no experience using one. One thing i didn't want was a lot of extra equipment inside my tank, so i purchased the inline defuser. Now you tell me there are all kinds of micro bubbles in the tank that affect the look inside the tank, which i guarantee i wouldn't want that. So, change of plans. I'm going to get this same unit from Sera and go that route. As always, thank you so much for the great information. Also, congrats on the 100,000 subs. You deserve every bit of your success. P.S. i bought a shirt with the pyramid on it and had to have it. Take care, MJ, and go bless you. Peace brother.
Yeah 👍 had seen another video where an empty bottle is filled with co2 and kept inverted in the tank..Also I had connected co2 output to the internal water filter inlet get sucked in and the impeler disintegrates the co2 into fine bubbles.
Very nice. If I can give a tip. Get a really good high psi capable check valve. I use the co2 art one... i've had the cheap ones break on me numerous times or they just lock in one position over time.
I really wish there were more nano-sized reactors. Two tips: 1) You can cut a donut out of sponge and fit it right below where the threads are on this model, and that does a great job of catching bubbles that might get past. Cut it so it's a little tight to the outside and a little loose on the center tube to make it easier to assemble. 2) if you splice a push-to-connect fitting (like the ones you see so often in RO/DI setups, it could be an elbow or a straight coupling, doesn't matter) between the check valve and the reactor, you can disconnect that fitting to purge air out of the reactor. You can also disconnect it when you're filling the bubble counter, and then you don't have to fight the twisting of the tubing when you're screwing the bubble counter on.
I have been using this ( w05-05-12a ) сhinese device in my 13 l. aquarium for more than a year. CO2 lasts longer with it than with a conventional diffuser.
@M. N. a Wyin inline diffuser? Yeah, they're more efficient than in-tank diffuser, still not as efficient as reactors. I don't particularly care about efficiency, CO² is cheap, I care about bubbles in the tank. I prefer all the bubbles in my tanks to be the oxygen from pearling. Just my preference
I arrived at the same solution after using a ceramic diffusor. Couple things to mention: 1. The CO2Art diffuser is made of brass and coated with black varnish. Over time this varnish layer flakes off and the brass corrodes. DO NOT USE THIS DUFFUSER! It will release copper and zinc into your aquarium. 2. The Sera reactor has some design flaws: a) The tightening nuts for the hose attachments are too short/steep and the barbs have almost no lip , as the PVC hose relaxes, it will no longer hold it tight, leading to leaks and it can even just pop off. b) the reactor is made off acryllic (I think). Over time it gets brittle, and the co2 hose barb break off. c) The aquarium size that Sera gives for their two models (up to 500L and up to 1000L) is vastly overstated. If you aim at 35ppm CO2, they are good to 150L and 300L. Beyond that they start to „burp“
I got rid of mine due to the noise but the old version had only one impeller. Back to an inline diffuser which also makes the flow better than with the reactor. Another drawback of the sera reactor was the attachment that broke due to my clumsiness. It's a hard plastic and it breaks easily, the reactor itself is tough though.
I just installed a CO2 tsystem in my small 40L tank and noticed this as well. Great video as always. Tips for a video would be a horrible problem Im having right now and I cant be the only one. Hardscape that I glued together and thought was stuck, but started floating when I flooded the tank. So basically a video idea "How to solve floating hardscape after it is wet"
I use this reactor too, just the bigger one. It's a great way to dose CO2. I had it hooked up to an Oase Biomaster 850 and it was too noisy, so I hooked it up to a separate Tetra EX800plus filter, and yes I have two filters in my 288l tank, the water is wonderfully clear :)
Always love the content you post, you have beautiful scapes! I’ve never had a Co2 setup, I just purchased a Fluval flex 9 and thought about running a small Co2 on it. Have you ever done a aquascape on a Fluval flex? I’d love to see you do a complete setup on one!
There is quite a bit of difference, a slightly stronger pump might be required if you miss some flow. I noticed the large flow increase after I moved the reactor to another tank.
Great video, MJ. I've been contemplating a reactor for a couple of my tanks as I too do not like the fine bubbles. It definitely makes my scapes a bit "hazy" during the midday peak hours.
I had the Sera reactor and it's really good, but yeah I broke it! It was a bit noisy, mostly in the beginning but saved me some Co2. Maybe I should get it again 😁
I was thinking about alternatives to diffusers myself, just because cleaning is a pain. Got to be an option for the next experiment. I saw some comments about plants preferring gas over dissolved CO2. I notice all the tanks in ADAs latest video have in tank diffusers, must be a reason they make that choice..
Hey, MJ, here again. Question i have seen one of your subscribers suggest hooking up the inline defuser to the inlet side of your filter instead of the outlet side and using the external filter as your reactor. What are your thoughts on that. I've already ordered the reactor you have but came across this comment. i actually thought the same thing ok brother what's your opinion later, MJ
Great video as always, I did not catch it. Not drop checker? I would love to see a comparaison between this kind of reactor and a normal diffuser. Does de reactor gets the co2 level in the aquarium to the right amount faster? Just curious. 😊
My shrimp did not like my the ph swing when CO2 would turn off over night. So I keep mine on. The regulator is attached to a ph monitor so the ph sits between 6.3-6.5 That reactor you have looks awesome. Love shiny things or things that spin.
@@Pesticide7G Hi Kush. Yeah, if i leave my Co2 off, it will go up past 7ph. Sounds like you need some Alkaline buffer, that will raise ph. I use seachem alkaline buffer but there are many out there. Add it slowly so you don't end up needing acid buffer as well!. 5.9ph is very low, i don't think many fish plants will enjoy it that low.
Yeah I used the same one and after testen almost all the other methods. The reactor is definitly the best! Mooi werk man! Door jouw filmpjes wil ik mn oude hobby weer oppakken haha
Hey ! Hope you are doing well 😌 In my DIY Co2 reactor I tried also with bio media but performance is like 10% better but reduce the flow of that canister .. So in my opinion it is better how it comes.
I have a inline CO2 defuser, I can't get pearling to save my life, even saturated to the point it knocks my fish out. (yes i was quick enough to save them) I think it's because i have quite strong water flow. If i look under leaves i can see bubbles sitting there but only see bubbling float off fresh trimmed plants.
i use that sera reactor as well way back ,surprised to see it still in production , there a weakness thou in the co2 inlet , break easily , what i do is to strengthen it
Would be nice experiment, does reactor vs direct inline, inline via filter or in tank addition of CO2 make a difference? Nice vid again! Particular interested in inline via filter as the reactor by the way 😅
I’m glad you made a video on this as I am currently in search of a reactor. I have a 20G (75L) tank, and I bought the UNS Delta 60 filter because I thought that I would be using an inline diffuser at the time. I am now unsure which strength of filter to pair with the NilocG Cerges Reactor to not impact the flow rate. Any recommendations? Also, has anyone used both the NilocG Cerges reactor and the Sera for comparison? P.s. I reached out to both companies (UNS and NilocG and haven’t received much helpful information as they have never tested each other’s products together).
If the co2 hose fails between the check valve and reactor, it will leak water out of the reactor until the filter loses it's prime. Manufacturers that make reactors should be designing them so the check valve is directly on the reactor. I have a reactor from gla and ordered a quality check valve to be safe. Anyone switching to a reactor keep in mind that you can have a huge leak risk if they are installed how they are shipped. Having most of your tank pumped out onto the floor while you are at work would be a nightmare.
At that bubble rate, what is your CO2 level? Don’t modify the reactor. I use the same one, however, I only dose one bubble per second. At this rate, my CO2 level is around 20ppm per a PH/KH chart. My setup is: 75gal (284L?) KH = 4° PH = 6.8 CO2 comes on at 6am Lights on at 7am CO2 off at 8pm Lights off at 9pm Please try reducing your bubbles per hour and keep us posted. Also, I get about 400 days with a 24oz CO2 cylinder. Thanks!
I’ve wanted to try a reactor but I read that my filter is too weak for one. But maybe if I don’t fill the reactor with media it would be fine. I’m really happy with my in tank diffuser from Aquario and the neo mixer as well. I will never have an in-line diffuser again. A pain to maintenance and hard to tell when it needs cleaning which meant that I didn’t clean it often enough. Thanks for the video as always!
I just wonder, if you put the CO2 to the intake of your external filter, would it dissolve as well as an reactor? 🤔 Surely it has to be strong filter so the gas will not stuck inside (in my case Biomaster 600). Basically it should work, what do you think?
Well done MJ, another great informative volg. Always wandered why no one puts a normal CO2 diffuser next to the cannister filter intake and your filter would act like a giant reactor. Is it detrimental to the filter biology??
Not detrimental because ph filter is in equilibrium with ph aquarium. Is a system. Really dont matter if you add co2 in inlet or outlet for biology. Problem happens only if you add excess . There is no need to add more than 35-40ppm (see ph-kh-co2 table). If you provides good circulation there is no problem with aerobical condition. I proove many methods (external reactor like this video too) and my favourite is external diffuser (good quality!) using inlet to external filter (better in high flow filter, up to 1000l/h ) . Maybe in small tanks external reactor is good because dont need add more than 1-2b/seg (because with more for example 3b/seg in my experience collaps ). Sorry my bad english. Regards
Tip : just use the inline injector you have but on the inlet tube, not the outlet tube and tada, free CO2 reactor, the filter is going to do all the work. That is what i'm doing for over 2 years now, and you can reduce the CO2 injection by a lot because all of it is going to be disolved, no bubbles, space saving, CO2 saving and no money to spend if you already have a inline injector (and easier maintenance IMO)
I’ve had inline CO2 injection on the inlet to an an Ehiem 2215 canister filter on a 60L tank, and then later changed to a Sera 1000 CO2 reactor on the outlet of that filter. The reactor on outlet is a million times better, my filter worked with the inlet CO2 connection but was intermittently churning out big CO2 air pockets as they reach the pump impeller, noisy and a bit inefficient
@@tfisher41 external good quality diffuser using inlet external filter works excelent but you need high flow (for example 1000 l/h flow or more) . In my experience this is best in big aquariums (normally small tanks dont use so much high flow filters)
Great tip. No effect on filter aerobic ability you think being rinsed with co2? Also as others said I used to use impellers which work but build up big bubbles at times and expell them
@@tfisher41I had an internal diffusor. I supplied a lot of gas to saturate the aquarium well with co2. Decide to put an external reactor. With an external reactor, the dissolution is 100%, but the saturation of the aquarius with co2 has fallen (I focus on pH and drl checker). There are no gas leaks. I don't understand what the reason is.....because the dissolution is 100%
I was wondering if having a Co2 reactor helps better distribute the gas? I've noticed that with a regular diffuser maybe the micro bubbles don't reach certain parts of the tank as well as when it's going through the out flow?🤔 Does this make sense or is it just a silly thought? What do you think?
I'm confused as to why a lot of you do not like bubbles? Ideally, if your tank is perfectly healthy with enough c02 your plants will create hundreds of air bubbles naturally. Im confused.
I'm on team neo mixer at the moment, most of the benefits of an atomizer and way easier maintenance. I am not sure the neo mixer would handle tanks larger than 90p very well though, maybe even 90p is pushing it. Personally I can't see any CO2 bubbles looking at my tank straight on, for whatever reason I can only make them out looking closely from the side view so I am not bothered by them. All that being said I want to try a reactor eventually.
I switched to inline some months ago, jbl taifun. Im wondering, before I had the co2 come from the lowest place in the tank , but now from the outflow, which is near the top, like your lily pipe.The bubbels are smaller now but doesn't the co2 escape from the water quicker now? Your 'problem' seemed to be low in the tank so it looks it doesn't matter.
Hi Mark, how is going with this reactor? I started a new 90g and i thought of using this Sera instead of the inline diffuser that i already have, are you still using it? It gives you problems? Thanks
i had this back then the rotating blades will stuck time to time, it leak easily so need to seal it with ptfe plumbing tape and the co2 nozzle breaks easily (fall, over tighten or out of the box), gotten frustrated with it after a few replacement and went with diffuser installed on the inlet of the canister filter.
I love your content so much! I will look into getting one of these! Quick question I have the Chihiros WRBG 2 as well. What percentage do you run yours on? I am always scared of running them too high because of algae but wonder if I am missing extra growth because of this.
Currently I have red on 57% Green on 113% Blue on 87% and White on 69% This means I'm using 45W of power while the light is 56W on full power. So I guess I'm running it on 80% power or so
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How to SETUP your CO2! th-cam.com/video/qSHZ4F2PI2o/w-d-xo.html
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I bought a canister filter with a hanging polishing box. I put the heater, purigen and the co2 diffuser inside the box. All three are nicely distributed throughout the tank.
I totally agree that this is the best way to diffuse CO2. I've had regular diffuser, inline one, and now I use DIY reactor without moving parts and only sponge and ceramic to help the gas dissolve and it works excellent. No bubbles inside the tank and my 1,5kg bottle works since September on my 200L tank whereas it lasted for about 1month previously. I'd say if you have space in your cabinet you should totally give it a try.
Is there a way you can show me the build on your DIY reactor? Would love to see
@@zods1964 check out that vid: watch?v=jL-LEPImEZ4 . It's in polish, but you don't need to understand what he says to get what's done step by step. He does not put anything inside, but you can fill it with sponge/ceramics/bioballs to help CO2 dissolve.
I too found that using a reactor means a lower bubble count is needed and CO2 thus lasts longer, the reactors achieve better diffusion, ceramic discs, certainly in in the tank, produce bubbles of which many/most simply escape into the atmosphere. I found this model reviewed by Mark, tricky, it leaked after a few months but also, the paddles need the filter to be working fairly strongly, if the media is 'dirty' (full of useful bacteria) the impellers can fail to turn, because of weaker flow. Mark is using a pretty powerful filter for the tank size. I am currently using a very simple reactor with revolving balls moved by the output of my external, but the reactor is in the tank, a large tank, so the green reactor is well hidden. The desired CO2 levels are much easier to achieve but be careful, I nearly lost some fish because the more easily achieved CO2 levels caught me out a bit and some of my sensitive fish were quite stressed until I balanced things.
@@williammcdowell6257 I had an internal diffusor. I supplied a lot of gas to saturate the aquarium well with co2. Decide to put an external reactor. With an external reactor, the dissolution is 100%, but the saturation of the aquarius with co2 has fallen (I focus on pH and drl checker). There are no gas leaks. I don't understand what the reason is.....because the dissolution is 100%
I've always used these Sera reactors and the first thing I do is flip the top impeller so the forked section is at the top. It helps stir in the CO2 completely.
More bubbles are not good right?
I've used that particular reactor for over a year, it works great and very quiet. Plus like you mentioned, no bubbles in the tank.
Thanks for sharing. Always wondered why ppl tend to put CO2 into the aquarium and not like you do into the filter exit side.
MJ great idea.....I just tried the same reactor and found by putting a piece of foam around the reactor it will take away 95% of the noise. Something similar to what you might use on a shrimp wall....3/4 inch thick...it totally worked...Just cut a straight line with a pair of scissors and place it around the mounting plate. I agree also it has to be level or it will make more noise...
I use to have a sera Co2 reactor.
My only cons with them is:
-leakage around the joints
-reduced flow/circulation
They are a pretty good but I remember being frustrated with the leakage issue
you can help quiet the diffuser by making sure it's straight up and down, and you can remove the air from the chamber by removing the CO2 line but be ready to quickly replace the CO2 line or water will shoot out. I really like this channel and the host. thanks MJ
These types of videos are so helpful! I have tried C02 but still afraid of it and really don’t know what to do. Refill cartridges never in stock for the 95 gram had to dismantle. Love to see more to expand for the novice🧐
I ran this exact reactor for about 6 months. Pros: CO2 distribution throughout the tank was great, plants looked super healthy. CO2 test kit always showed positive results. Cons: Radically impaired flow rate of Oase Biomaster 850 by at least 70% despite having the biggest motor in the range. Had to add an another filter to add more circulation to aquarium. I guess you'll probably need a pump of more than 3000l/p/h to get a balance of flow rate and CO2 diffusion. Furthermore, the nipple for attaching the CO2 tubing is super delicate easy to break, keeping the reactor clean takes a lot of time. Conclusion: Gave up on the reactor. I run a cheap Chinese inline diffuser that gives similar results on a CO2 test, at a fraction of the cost and time spend maintaining a CO2 reactor.
Congratulations for 100k! 🥳
Also thank you for mentioning and your great Feedback!
Sera i hope you can fix the feedback he is giving you in the video
@@heiinie agreed , not a cheap product to begin with
I think I’ll start looking into a reactor as well. For years I’ve just put the diffuser directly below the intake to my FX5, using the canister as a makeshift reactor . Works decent, but it ejects a mass of CO2 bubbles a couple times a day. Nice work on the Channel.
I'm using reactor too, and put bioring inside reactor chamber to hold co2 a bit longer and giving more space for bacteria to grow
Been using these for years. Good product.
I currently have a 5' - 120 gallon with a closed loop filtration. I use 2 Nu-clear canisters, one with polyfill mechanical filtration, and the other is lava stone biological filtration. I pump my co2 into my biological canister as a diffuser, so everything is inline and hidden. The co2 controller is on a timer and turns on 1 hour before the lights, and turns off one hour before the lights turn off. I highly recommend a controller to monitor the co2 levels and to maintain a consistent pH.
Co2 can kill beneficial bacteria at certin concentrations. Hmm..
@@gonemad8008 In a well established aquarium where the beneficial bacteria grows on so many different surfaces, I don't think it's affecting what's in the canister enough to do any harm especially at the levels of co2 I'm pumping into the can. This system has run for over 8 years with no issues.
Installed an Aquacare CO2 reactor a month ago to replace inline diffusion. The tank looks so much better without that constant mist of tiny bubbles. It's a huge improvement. Just in time to see my first tank really take off too! Back in November I had one horrible staghorn algae experience - it was on everything. So discouraging as a newcomer to the hobby, but you have to learn from your mistakes. Switching fertlizers, and increasing CO2 appears to have finally defeated it. Another small benefit of clear water is spotting the occasional tiny newborn cherry shrimp in the water column.
I don't find the microbubbles to be that big of an issue. I also use In-line on my 70L scapers and I see very little bubbles actually. One thing to note when switching to a different CO2 diffusion is that you have to adapt your CO2 Output. Because In-line and Reactor offer a much more concentrated diffusion, you'll have to decrease your BPS, otherwise you run the risk of gassing your tank. I had that happen to me once, when I first switched to In-line diffusion, I didn't adapt the CO2 output from the classic In-tank diffusion method. In about a week, I noticed the fish started acting scared and had difficulties breathing. When I tested the O2 level in the tank, it was in the middle, so an orange-ish color, instead of the deep dark red it should normally be. The CO2 liquid was kinda old at that point so I didn't really trust the reading, but when I made a water change and saw it much more clearly, it was yellow. That resulted in a big PH decrease and the tank got partially decycled, which resulted in a considerable increase in Nitrites. Luckily, I lost no fish to that, as I acted very quickly by adding an airstone, did water changes and de-nitrified the tank with Seachem Prime (really useful product for situations like this, highly recommend it) which dropped my Nitrites back to 0 very fast + seeded the media with fresh bacteria by squeezing a sponge form an already running tank and adding Seachem Stability on top of that. Part of the issue was also because of the new external filter I used, which has a very finnicky glass inflow, that has very small holes, which very easily gets clogged up with debris and causes the Outflow to output a lot slower, thus decreasing surface agitation and flow. I say this a lot easier now, but it took me a really long time to figure out what was actually wrong with my filter. Countless sessions of troubleshooting, where I constantly cleaned the media, hoses of the filter, until I discovered that whenever I took the inflow out, it would naturally dislodge all the gunk, which would make the outflow work like new again, thus coming to the conclusion the Inflow was the issue. I still have the glass inflow now, but I clean it pretty refularly. I am thinking of switching back to the regular plastic Inflow that comes in the box.
I had one of these for a while, but there were two issues: 1. The nipple for the CO2 inlet is too fragile, it broke off after a couple months of usage. 2. After you clean this reactor a couple times, it will start leaking from the plastic cover. Otherwise, it works pretty well.
Thank you for this vid. I too have an inline diffuser and was considering a reactor. I think you have made up my mind for me to switch over to the reactor. I appreciate you and your knowledge that you share with all of us.
I wanted to use co2 in my 125 gal tank, but the fluval diffusers didn’t put out enough gas I felt so I went with co2 reactor as well. I got a small sump that just pumps water already flowing through the sump to power the reactor. It’s gotten clogged a few times from snails, but after putting filter padding around the intake it’s been totally fine. Zero bubbles and looks great
I bought this reactor. The inlet hose broke. I was able to cobble it together until a better unit from NilocG. Even though this wasn’t a good value, I am completely sold on the idea of reactors.
Hey MJ i wish i would have seen this video a week ago i have a order coming from co2 art tommarrow with the pe regulator kit and inline defuser Being new to co2 disbursement in aquariums i have no experience using one. One thing i didn't want was a lot of extra equipment inside my tank, so i purchased the inline defuser. Now you tell me there are all kinds of micro bubbles in the tank that affect the look inside the tank, which i guarantee i wouldn't want that. So, change of plans. I'm going to get this same unit from Sera and go that route. As always, thank you so much for the great information. Also, congrats on the 100,000 subs. You deserve every bit of your success. P.S. i bought a shirt with the pyramid on it and had to have it. Take care, MJ, and go bless you. Peace brother.
Yeah 👍 had seen another video where an empty bottle is filled with co2 and kept inverted in the tank..Also I had connected co2 output to the internal water filter inlet get sucked in and the impeler disintegrates the co2 into fine bubbles.
Very nice. If I can give a tip. Get a really good high psi capable check valve. I use the co2 art one... i've had the cheap ones break on me numerous times or they just lock in one position over time.
I really wish there were more nano-sized reactors.
Two tips:
1) You can cut a donut out of sponge and fit it right below where the threads are on this model, and that does a great job of catching bubbles that might get past. Cut it so it's a little tight to the outside and a little loose on the center tube to make it easier to assemble.
2) if you splice a push-to-connect fitting (like the ones you see so often in RO/DI setups, it could be an elbow or a straight coupling, doesn't matter) between the check valve and the reactor, you can disconnect that fitting to purge air out of the reactor. You can also disconnect it when you're filling the bubble counter, and then you don't have to fight the twisting of the tubing when you're screwing the bubble counter on.
I have been using this ( w05-05-12a ) сhinese device in my 13 l. aquarium for more than a year. CO2 lasts longer with it than with a conventional diffuser.
@M. N. a Wyin inline diffuser? Yeah, they're more efficient than in-tank diffuser, still not as efficient as reactors. I don't particularly care about efficiency, CO² is cheap, I care about bubbles in the tank. I prefer all the bubbles in my tanks to be the oxygen from pearling. Just my preference
I arrived at the same solution after using a ceramic diffusor. Couple things to mention:
1. The CO2Art diffuser is made of brass and coated with black varnish. Over time this varnish layer flakes off and the brass corrodes. DO NOT USE THIS DUFFUSER! It will release copper and zinc into your aquarium.
2. The Sera reactor has some design flaws:
a) The tightening nuts for the hose attachments are too short/steep and the barbs have almost no lip , as the PVC hose relaxes, it will no longer hold it tight, leading to leaks and it can even just pop off.
b) the reactor is made off acryllic (I think). Over time it gets brittle, and the co2 hose barb break off.
c) The aquarium size that Sera gives for their two models (up to 500L and up to 1000L) is vastly overstated. If you aim at 35ppm CO2, they are good to 150L and 300L. Beyond that they start to „burp“
I got rid of mine due to the noise but the old version had only one impeller. Back to an inline diffuser which also makes the flow better than with the reactor. Another drawback of the sera reactor was the attachment that broke due to my clumsiness. It's a hard plastic and it breaks easily, the reactor itself is tough though.
Congratulations on 100k . Tbh I'm not sure when you hit it. But I'm pumped for you
I just installed a CO2 tsystem in my small 40L tank and noticed this as well. Great video as always. Tips for a video would be a horrible problem Im having right now and I cant be the only one. Hardscape that I glued together and thought was stuck, but started floating when I flooded the tank. So basically a video idea "How to solve floating hardscape after it is wet"
The reactor is pretty kool. I'll try it in my set up as well.. thanks for the video
I use this reactor too, just the bigger one. It's a great way to dose CO2. I had it hooked up to an Oase Biomaster 850 and it was too noisy, so I hooked it up to a separate Tetra EX800plus filter, and yes I have two filters in my 288l tank, the water is wonderfully clear :)
Can u do a an update of the big shallow tank?
And i love ur videos
u r my fav youtuber
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for thank you for this great vid
Time to invest in one. I just hooked up a hose in my internal filter with a spray bar to diffuse the co2 XD
Use silicone lubricant on the prop shaft,will defo help with the noise
Always love the content you post, you have beautiful scapes! I’ve never had a Co2 setup, I just purchased a Fluval flex 9 and thought about running a small Co2 on it. Have you ever done a aquascape on a Fluval flex? I’d love to see you do a complete setup on one!
I've always heard that this reactor causes a significant slowdown in flow rate. What are your thoughts on that?
Yeah that's what I heard as well. To be honest I didn't see a difference.
There is quite a bit of difference, a slightly stronger pump might be required if you miss some flow. I noticed the large flow increase after I moved the reactor to another tank.
Great video, MJ. I've been contemplating a reactor for a couple of my tanks as I too do not like the fine bubbles. It definitely makes my scapes a bit "hazy" during the midday peak hours.
100.000 suscriptores, felicidades crack!!
I had the Sera reactor and it's really good, but yeah I broke it! It was a bit noisy, mostly in the beginning but saved me some Co2. Maybe I should get it again 😁
Sounds interesting. Will watch later.
Wow that seems really affordable. I think I'll try one
Love your work man. Thanks for all the info and experience.
I’ve always wondered about these. Thanks for the video!
Bravo from Romania
Vaya, a mi me gusta ver las burbujas del co2 😂 cada uno es un mundo! Un saludo!
Beautiful tank. Is that narrow leaf java fern on either side of your tank?
I was thinking about alternatives to diffusers myself, just because cleaning is a pain. Got to be an option for the next experiment. I saw some comments about plants preferring gas over dissolved CO2. I notice all the tanks in ADAs latest video have in tank diffusers, must be a reason they make that choice..
Hey, MJ, here again. Question i have seen one of your subscribers suggest hooking up the inline defuser to the inlet side of your filter instead of the outlet side and using the external filter as your reactor. What are your thoughts on that. I've already ordered the reactor you have but came across this comment. i actually thought the same thing ok brother what's your opinion later, MJ
Hi MJ, you're using a reusable CO2 tank, where do you get it filled in Amstelveen area?
Great video as always, I did not catch it. Not drop checker? I would love to see a comparaison between this kind of reactor and a normal diffuser. Does de reactor gets the co2 level in the aquarium to the right amount faster? Just curious. 😊
Congratulations on 100k subscribers
Thanks! 😃
My shrimp did not like my the ph swing when CO2 would turn off over night. So I keep mine on. The regulator is attached to a ph monitor so the ph sits between 6.3-6.5
That reactor you have looks awesome. Love shiny things or things that spin.
Can your ph reach to 7? Mines cycles from 6.2-5.9. I think something is stopping my ph from going up
@@Pesticide7G Hi Kush. Yeah, if i leave my Co2 off, it will go up past 7ph. Sounds like you need some Alkaline buffer, that will raise ph. I use seachem alkaline buffer but there are many out there. Add it slowly so you don't end up needing acid buffer as well!. 5.9ph is very low, i don't think many fish plants will enjoy it that low.
Yeah I used the same one and after testen almost all the other methods. The reactor is definitly the best! Mooi werk man! Door jouw filmpjes wil ik mn oude hobby weer oppakken haha
Did you connect it to the inlet hose canister filter?
Hey ! Hope you are doing well 😌
In my DIY Co2 reactor I tried also with bio media but performance is like 10% better but reduce the flow of that canister .. So in my opinion it is better how it comes.
Now that you had this for a while, did you notice the reactor slowing down the flow from the filter ?
Thanks for the video. How do you connect the12 mm reactor to a filter equipped with 16-22 mm hose system?
I have a inline CO2 defuser, I can't get pearling to save my life, even saturated to the point it knocks my fish out. (yes i was quick enough to save them) I think it's because i have quite strong water flow. If i look under leaves i can see bubbles sitting there but only see bubbling float off fresh trimmed plants.
Beautiful tank
Did this reduce the flow?
i prefer an inline diffuser any day over a co2 reactor
Hi. Have you noticed any change on saturation in all the hard to reach places of your tank?
Not at all
i use that sera reactor as well way back ,surprised to see it still in production , there a weakness thou in the co2 inlet , break easily , what i do is to strengthen it
amigo, que recomiendas? desde que momento se comienza a abonar un acuario plantado nuevo?
Would be nice experiment, does reactor vs direct inline, inline via filter or in tank addition of CO2 make a difference? Nice vid again! Particular interested in inline via filter as the reactor by the way 😅
I had one of these, but it leaked like crazy one day.. so I switched to the art inline diffuser
Ideaal om co2 op te lossen. Echter wees alert, deze Sera’s zijn erg fragiel daar waar de slangen op gaan.
I’m glad you made a video on this as I am currently in search of a reactor. I have a 20G (75L) tank, and I bought the UNS Delta 60 filter because I thought that I would be using an inline diffuser at the time. I am now unsure which strength of filter to pair with the NilocG Cerges Reactor to not impact the flow rate. Any recommendations? Also, has anyone used both the NilocG Cerges reactor and the Sera for comparison?
P.s. I reached out to both companies (UNS and NilocG and haven’t received much helpful information as they have never tested each other’s products together).
If the co2 hose fails between the check valve and reactor, it will leak water out of the reactor until the filter loses it's prime. Manufacturers that make reactors should be designing them so the check valve is directly on the reactor. I have a reactor from gla and ordered a quality check valve to be safe. Anyone switching to a reactor keep in mind that you can have a huge leak risk if they are installed how they are shipped. Having most of your tank pumped out onto the floor while you are at work would be a nightmare.
Wouldn’t installing the check fall closer to the reactor fix this problem?
@@Pesticide7G I installed my check valve directly on the reactor.
I have two 1000sera reactor on two biomaster 850 for my 750L , clearly the best way, i can’t have 25mg/L with in line diffuseur !
Wow.. never thought of doing something like this.. I feel that it has the potencial o mixing the CO2 in the water more effective.
you might be pushing too much water through the reactor resulting in co2 mist in the tank. but other than aesthetics, it's not a bad thing.
What do you think about the green water labs - algae control? Is it worth it ?
At that bubble rate, what is your CO2 level?
Don’t modify the reactor.
I use the same one, however, I only dose one bubble per second. At this rate, my CO2 level is around 20ppm per a PH/KH chart.
My setup is:
75gal (284L?)
KH = 4°
PH = 6.8
CO2 comes on at 6am
Lights on at 7am
CO2 off at 8pm
Lights off at 9pm
Please try reducing your bubbles per hour and keep us posted.
Also, I get about 400 days with a 24oz CO2 cylinder.
Thanks!
I’ve wanted to try a reactor but I read that my filter is too weak for one. But maybe if I don’t fill the reactor with media it would be fine. I’m really happy with my in tank diffuser from Aquario and the neo mixer as well. I will never have an in-line diffuser again. A pain to maintenance and hard to tell when it needs cleaning which meant that I didn’t clean it often enough. Thanks for the video as always!
What do you think about the fluval co2 kit?
I just wonder, if you put the CO2 to the intake of your external filter, would it dissolve as well as an reactor? 🤔
Surely it has to be strong filter so the gas will not stuck inside (in my case Biomaster 600). Basically it should work, what do you think?
Yeah I've seen people do this as well. Tried it once, but the filter started making more noise.
What size filter is that? I always thought that the reactors needed a larger filter to be effective.
Well done MJ, another great informative volg. Always wandered why no one puts a normal CO2 diffuser next to the cannister filter intake and your filter would act like a giant reactor. Is it detrimental to the filter biology??
Not detrimental because ph filter is in equilibrium with ph aquarium. Is a system. Really dont matter if you add co2 in inlet or outlet for biology. Problem happens only if you add excess . There is no need to add more than 35-40ppm (see ph-kh-co2 table). If you provides good circulation there is no problem with aerobical condition. I proove many methods (external reactor like this video too) and my favourite is external diffuser (good quality!) using inlet to external filter (better in high flow filter, up to 1000l/h ) . Maybe in small tanks external reactor is good because dont need add more than 1-2b/seg (because with more for example 3b/seg in my experience collaps ). Sorry my bad english. Regards
@@gbaquascaping63 thankyou, much appreciated. !!
Tip : just use the inline injector you have but on the inlet tube, not the outlet tube and tada, free CO2 reactor, the filter is going to do all the work. That is what i'm doing for over 2 years now, and you can reduce the CO2 injection by a lot because all of it is going to be disolved, no bubbles, space saving, CO2 saving and no money to spend if you already have a inline injector (and easier maintenance IMO)
Interesting i was thinking the same thing you say it works?
I’ve had inline CO2 injection on the inlet to an an Ehiem 2215 canister filter on a 60L tank, and then later changed to a Sera 1000 CO2 reactor on the outlet of that filter. The reactor on outlet is a million times better, my filter worked with the inlet CO2 connection but was intermittently churning out big CO2 air pockets as they reach the pump impeller, noisy and a bit inefficient
@@tfisher41 external good quality diffuser using inlet external filter works excelent but you need high flow (for example 1000 l/h flow or more) . In my experience this is best in big aquariums (normally small tanks dont use so much high flow filters)
Great tip. No effect on filter aerobic ability you think being rinsed with co2? Also as others said I used to use impellers which work but build up big bubbles at times and expell them
@@tfisher41I had an internal diffusor. I supplied a lot of gas to saturate the aquarium well with co2. Decide to put an external reactor. With an external reactor, the dissolution is 100%, but the saturation of the aquarius with co2 has fallen (I focus on pH and drl checker). There are no gas leaks. I don't understand what the reason is.....because the dissolution is 100%
Do a passive co2 video comparing active co2
I have always wondered how you would scape a nano reef tank.
I'm really considering it
Hast du den flüssigen Co2 plus von Tetra getestet?
Do you have a separate canister filter & CO2 cylinder for each of your aquariums? If not, what's the ratio? (What's the threshold?)
What's the name of the green fine leaf plant?
Should i restart my 20 gallon? Maybe just do some simple maintenance fish
I was wondering if having a Co2 reactor helps better distribute the gas? I've noticed that with a regular diffuser maybe the micro bubbles don't reach certain parts of the tank as well as when it's going through the out flow?🤔 Does this make sense or is it just a silly thought? What do you think?
I'm confused as to why a lot of you do not like bubbles? Ideally, if your tank is perfectly healthy with enough c02 your plants will create hundreds of air bubbles naturally. Im confused.
You need to clean reactor every month. and change out flow like 30% less. I used couple months. I was not satisfied.
I'm on team neo mixer at the moment, most of the benefits of an atomizer and way easier maintenance. I am not sure the neo mixer would handle tanks larger than 90p very well though, maybe even 90p is pushing it. Personally I can't see any CO2 bubbles looking at my tank straight on, for whatever reason I can only make them out looking closely from the side view so I am not bothered by them. All that being said I want to try a reactor eventually.
Yeah I quite like the neo mixer as well
What is the diameter of reactor hose size please?
i used to have this it was perfect expect it lowered my water flow and the co2 intake part broke off.
I switched to inline some months ago, jbl taifun. Im wondering, before I had the co2 come from the lowest place in the tank , but now from the outflow, which is near the top, like your lily pipe.The bubbels are smaller now but doesn't the co2 escape from the water quicker now? Your 'problem' seemed to be low in the tank so it looks it doesn't matter.
How many hours do you have your light on?
Hi Mark, how is going with this reactor? I started a new 90g and i thought of using this Sera instead of the inline diffuser that i already have, are you still using it? It gives you problems? Thanks
Heya! For me it was a little bit too noisy, so I am no longer using it.
i had this back then the rotating blades will stuck time to time, it leak easily so need to seal it with ptfe plumbing tape and the co2 nozzle breaks easily (fall, over tighten or out of the box), gotten frustrated with it after a few replacement and went with diffuser installed on the inlet of the canister filter.
CONGRATS ON THE 100K SUBS!!!!
Thank you!!
I love your content so much! I will look into getting one of these! Quick question I have the Chihiros WRBG 2 as well. What percentage do you run yours on? I am always scared of running them too high because of algae but wonder if I am missing extra growth because of this.
wondering the sams
Currently I have red on 57% Green on 113% Blue on 87% and White on 69% This means I'm using 45W of power while the light is 56W on full power. So I guess I'm running it on 80% power or so