# Tired of co2 bubbles!



## Argus (May 22, 2013)

I have the same issue with a similar 



. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Just the nature of the beast. I'm about to experiment with a reactor full of bio balls to see it helps. I'll post results.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

behemoth said:


> So I have an inline co2 diffuser from GLA (which I believe is an upmarked up aqua diffuser). I have it hooked up on the output of a hydor pro 350. Running about 6bps on a 55g.
> 
> As the title says, I'm tired of my water looking carbonated. Yes, the bubbles are small, but at 6bps they're very noticeable and everywhere. It was alright when I set up my tank because it gave me an idea of how co2 was being distributed throughout the tank, but now it's just an eyesore an takes away from the beauty of the plants. At 6bps rate, my drop checker barely starts turning green/yellow right before lights out. And fish are absolutely fine so I feel it's a proper amount of co2 (running planted+ 24/7 and a ray2 during peak hours).
> 
> ...


Well, you *might* end up with bubbles from a reactor, but they will be practically nonexistent compared to bubbles from an Atomizer.

You can guarantee yourself you get no bubbles at all by simply increasing the diameter of a standard ractor - to 4 inches, for example. Reduced flow means that gas won't have as much trouble heading upward, fighting against current. However, you'll likely get a small pocket of CO2 at the top of the reactor, which can be a little noisy. It's in an enclosed space (the reactor), which itself is likely in an enclosed space (the stand), so it's not going to be terribly loud.

But that fight against current helps gas dissolve. So it's a toss-up.

Look, DIY reactors have been extremely common for a decade. It's a simple, cheap design that works. It's not rocket science, and it's no cause for anxiety. You don't like the 7-Up look, which is understandable and common. Try a reactor. You'll spend $30 and a couple hours of your time. I suggest a basic design. You don't know exactly how it's going to work for you, only that it will absolutely work. And if there's something you don't like about it, tweak the design the next time around.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Put the diffuser on the inflow into the filter and see how that works for you. It works fine with some filters and not as well with others. I have mine on the inflow of an Eheim 2075 for a couple of years now with no issues.


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## Dropline (Dec 30, 2014)

I built a Griggs reactor for my 55, when I crank the co2 way up I do see a couple tiny bubbles, but nothing like before. 1-2 every 2-10secs or so. 99% better clarity than when I had my chopstick diffuser running so I am sure it would help a LOT for you as well.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Yep, as KevMo mentioned, co2 micro bubbles are common with atomizer, hence why people call those tank set ups as having "sprite water" (carbonated water/beverage).

Rex Grigg and Cerges design reactors pretty much 100% dissolve (if built properly) the co2 so you won't see any bubbles (bubbles are undissolved gasses). Atomizer make micro bubbles that tend to stay within the aquarium and slowly dissolve in the water column, unlike other ceramic diffusors that produce larger bubbles that float up and out of the water. Reactors do all the dissolution with the reactor so no expelled micro bubbles.

Look into reactors if you are tired of the sprite water. Make sure you get a properly sized reactor housing for the given flowrate of your filter/pump (the faster the flowrate the longer the reactor needs to be to keep the co2 contained in the dissolution chamber/reactor).


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

Definitely check out a DIY reactor, I built 2 of them with inline heaters attached.
A great upgrade to any CO2 system IMO.


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## heel4you (Mar 8, 2015)

The Big Buddha
Would you mind sharing some photos of your setup?
I am planning on building one this week.
I also plan on using an inline heater as well.
Some photos with some details would help me and I would appreciate it 
Thank you!


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## Dropline (Dec 30, 2014)

heel4you said:


> The Big Buddha
> Would you mind sharing some photos of your setup?
> I am planning on building one this week.
> I also plan on using an inline heater as well.
> ...


Here is a pic of mine (Griggs) while leak testing it in a 5 gallon bucket...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8560769-post71.html


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

I built a 7 foot stand that holds a 65g and a 90g side by side.
Built 2 identical reactor/inline heater units for those two tanks, and run a manifold splitting the co2 3 ways to supply the 40b, 65g and 90g.

Hope this helps.

��


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## heel4you (Mar 8, 2015)

Nice Rex Griggs dropline!

@ The Big Buddha 
Sweet Cerges Reactor with heater.
I really like this build. It save alot of room under the cabinet.

Some questions:

What tall is the canister on the cerges, 10 or 20 inches? What size canister filter do you use with this?
Also...
How do you control the heater?
Thanks!


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

This is the water filter I used.

Glacier Bay Advanced Household Water Filtration System-HDG2VS4 - The Home Depot

I run an Eheim 2217 on each reactor/heater. 
The 90g also has an Eheim pro as well.
I have no controller on the heaters yet, the parts for that build are on order.
I had a 300w heater on the 90g keeping the tank at 75 degrees, when I moved it inline it brought the tank up to about 79 degrees. 
I turned it down a bit, now the tank has stayed steady at 75 despite the colder Canadian temps we started getting.
I run about 6 bps which gives me a ph drop of 1 in the 90g. Plants start pearling around midday on a 8 hour light cycle. None of the bubbles escape the reactor, I rarely see them in the reactor chamber either, if I do they are micro bubbles. I guess I hit the sweet spot for flow and pressure in my setup.

I probably should do a tank journal on this setup....


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

Argus said:


> I have the same issue with a similar inline diffuser. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Just the nature of the beast. I'm about to experiment with a reactor full of bio balls to see it helps. I'll post results.


My experiment reduced the 7Up effect by roughly 50% (based on clarity of water), but didn't eliminate it. I'm not surprised. Others said inline diffuser bubbles aren't removed by a reactor, but it was easy to try in the process of making a DIY reactor.

I used a 20" 



 filter holder. 

Put a 



 where a filter would go. Drilled 16 holes near the bottom of the tube for water to enter. Area of the drilled holes exceeded area of the tube cross section so they wouldn't restrict flow. Used an O-ring at top and bottom of tube with tube length cut to exactly fit in the filter holder. Sanded the ends of the tubes for a good seal.

Filled the area around the tube with three boxes of 



.

Water flows in from top, goes down through the bio balls, into and up through the tube to exit the filer housing. The turbulence created by the bio balls was supposed to help get the CO2 bubbles absorbed. 

Reduction in water flow from the Fluval 206 appeared to be at tolerable levels. 

Now, if I want to eliminate the 7Up effect completely, I just need to replace the inline diffuser with a PVC T that has a CO2 input. Or, remove the red purge button from the filter housing and inject CO2 there. 

My biggest problem has been keeping the vinyl tubing (used to connect the filter housing) from kinking. Maybe this is why Fluval uses corrugated tubing. It doesn't kink.


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## behemoth (Sep 28, 2015)

Thanks to everyone for your help. Sorry for the delayed response, but have been busy and traveling lately. 

@Argus thanks for posting your experiment. Good to know as I was going to try doing this 'dual' setup by leaving the inline diffuser in place. Guess I won't be doing that. Seems the inline diffuser makes the bubbles too small to start with? 

Looks like I'm going to build a cerges reactor. Only thing though is I'm having an oddly hard time finding detailed plans for it. The original plantedtank DIY post no longer has pictures unfortunately. I think I understand the general concept, but would like something to go off of when building. (I honestly can't figure out how the design ensures such good mixing of the co2 - like why argus's experiment of putting a reactor after an inline diffuser failed? Is it because the reactor doesn't 'atomize' the co2 but rather just mixes?) @The Big Buddha if you worked off a plan I would appreciate the link. 

Then I have a few questions that still come to mind. What should my working pressure be on the co2? And if the DIY doesn't state it, what size reactor housing should I be getting for a 55g? I'm thinking 10in filter housing based on what I've seen people build. By the way I have the hydor 350 which has 240gph filtration.


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## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

10 inch housing should be fine in your tank. I run one on my 90g and one on my 65g.
I didn't really use a plan other than the inline heater DIY.
You will need the Heyco cordgrip, and the visible fittings in the pics I posted.
I run at 40psi, but it goes to a manifold for 3 different reactors.
Start at 20-25psi, there will be pressure on the check valve from the canister's pressure. You need enough psi to open the check valve at startup. On 1 reactor I think 20-25psi should do it, maybe someone else will chime in on that. Depending on which filter housing you get it will depend on what you use as the interior tube in the reactor. Just open it up in the store and see what options fit. I found an orbit 10 inch nipple in the irrigation section and used that as it was a snug fit.
Or also a 3/4 pipe with a 3/4 slip to 1/2 male thread works as well.

Try this for a base plan 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/110100-cerges-reactor-diy-inline-co2-reactor-52.html


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## behemoth (Sep 28, 2015)

The Big Buddha said:


> Try this for a base plan
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/110100-cerges-reactor-diy-inline-co2-reactor-52.html


This is the link I was talking about that the pictures don't load. Is it just me? There's also that googletranslate link in there but there are no step by step photos as it seems are in the plantedtank post.


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## Dropline (Dec 30, 2014)

behemoth said:


> This is the link I was talking about that the pictures don't load. Is it just me? There's also that googletranslate link in there but there are no step by step photos as it seems are in the plantedtank post.


look at post 770 of that thread...
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/6987650-post770.html


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