# Red Sea CO2 Reactor 500 - REVIEW



## saint27 (Apr 27, 2006)

add my thumbs to the mix. I have one that I have been very happy with as well. It is in a 20L if anyone is interested.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

While I'm glad you are happy with this product, I saw this item working on a demo tank in a major fish store and was NOT impressed. the clear cavity was half full of Co2 and bubbles were flying out of it just as large as if they were using a good air-stone. perhaps your DIY Co2 is simply putting out a lot fewer bubbles per minute than a Co2 Cylinder and valve setup does, or the water intake gets clogged too easily with plant debris.
I found the Hydor Ario pump (only need the smaller #2 model since Co2 is already under some pressure) does a much better job of mechanically dispersing Co2 (high speed impeller grinds up the bubbles) no matter how many bubbles are being injected, and it's much cheaper than that Dead Sea product, and looks a lot less butt ugly buried in your substrate. merely attach your Co2 tube input in the place of that blue bulbed room air input. it can also be mounted sideways on your glass with included mount, and is completely silent, and includes a sponge filter to keep debris from clogging the water intake.


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

I have 2 3 quart bottles feeding two bubble counters that are then connected and then fed to the unit. I am getting 4bps.

My unit has a vortex that fills it about 50% and every once and awhile it burps but no large bubbles.

Maybe they have theirs turned up way to high.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

The DIY CO2 reactor I designed works better than this can.
You can build to suit depending on tank size etc, it's cheaper and looks better.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Mr. Barr,

Where are plans/diagrams to your reactor? I'm interested in building one since I'm starting up my DIY CO2 soon. Thanks.

edit: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/35198-barr-internal-venturi-co2-reactor.html

Sorry for the threadjack!


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

AquaticQuotient.com

This one person's version, Welcome to Viewtainer sells, them as does OSH and Home Depot.



regards, 
Tom Barr


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## clint13 (Apr 27, 2008)

I have one and I love it. small and looks cool. about the cord being on the bottom, you can simply twist the motor upside down. it is adjustable you know. I have about 2 bps. at first I had it turned up to high and was getting burps of bubbles but after reading this, I turned it down about half way and no more big bubble burps.


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## Justintoxicated (Oct 18, 2006)

I have one and it works well.

Using a drop checker, I do about 1 bubble every 2 seconds. 1 bubble per second turned the drop checker yellow in 3 days screaming CO2 Overdose. I do have to clean them every 3-4 months, and they are eye sores. It also requires power, so thats another cable in the tank I'm thinking that since Co2 is cheap I'll probably stick to glass diffusers. 

The only reason it should burp is if your pushing too much CO2 through it, otherwise you get as close to 100% as possible using the venturi design.


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

I have one for sale if anybody wants it, I'm not using it. 18 bux shipped...


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## newt (Nov 26, 2006)

mott said:


> I have one for sale if anybody wants it, I'm not using it. 18 bux shipped...



PM sent


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## DvsDev (Dec 7, 2010)

I have one of these reactors in my 70gal tank and initially I was a little annoyed that it burped out the gas but I was able to remedy this.
Firstly I took out the reactor chamber and plugged up the bypass outlet with a rubber end of a pump impeller shaft, then a piece of filter foam 5mm thick trimmed into a nice fit was put at the base of the chamber, then put it all back together.
Reduce the flow on the pump from full to half and plug it back in.
No longer do I have the tornado in the center (which is a shame) but instead I have a hurricane of bubbles in the chamber instead.

I have noticed that even though bubbles will still escape, they will be alot smaller after being forced through the filter.

Hope this helps anyone else who has one of these units


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## mydogcisco (Jan 24, 2009)

*Works like a charm*

I've had one of these powered diffusers in my tank for roughly two years...and it has worked like a charm. Due to the flow rate coming in/out of the diffusion chamber, it does require an occasional cleaning of debris on the intake side, but when used with a fully automated CO2 system which releases gas as a function of pH level into the unit it is very efficient at "forcing" the absorption of the CO2 into the water and quickly brings the pH level to the numerical target. I would suspect that lower bubble rates are required with this device than what ceramic diffusers and similar solutions require due to the absorption efficiency...but that's just speculation on my part. I tried many diffusers/chambers before settling on this one. To each his own, but I will use one of these in all my planted tanks over all other options as it simply works when used in the way I've described. :thumbsup:


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

mine died a few months ago, I wasn't able to find the impeller. It was burnt. Stopped spinning a after making weird noises. I failed to clean it often.

anyone knows where to get this impeller?


now i have the co2 line going into the fluval 204 inlet.


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Update, wasn't dead!! I cleaned it well, oiled the shaft where the impeller goes and figured that I needed to use the impeller housing upside down(wire on top) turn the "twister" housing to a correct position and works perfectly.
The problem was an air lock (co2 lock) because I was using the reactor with timer to go with the lights. When it shut off, the remaining gas went into the impeller housing making the "CO2 lock" be the reason for malfunction.
It works now!


-On my way back to lush.


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## pirayaman (Mar 30, 2008)

I think. One part is over looked here. I have red sea 500. It desolves co2 so good I can only run 1 bubble per 3 seconds. Plants pearling like crazy. No co2 loss so it does more with less co2.


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