# Cerges Reactor + In-Line Diffuser?



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

It would be better to break up the bubbles for faster diffusion but it's not needed for a cerges or Rex. The gases are smashed & diffused inside these chambers. These inlines are for canister filters usually. For a HOB, you'll need to break up the bubbles for diffusion.


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## Remmy (Jan 10, 2007)

Its not needed because these reactors already achieve full dissolution


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

It might help for very large tanks with high flow and a ton of co2 being injected but in general it's not needed. Certainly wouldn't hurt though.


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## Fiala06 (Mar 17, 2013)

Teebo said:


>


I do not miss this thing at all! Cerges Reactor does work as well as they say. After using this inline and a few others, once I switched to Cerges I had to turn down my co2 so I would also say its not needed at all.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I do not use HOB's in the tanks I am referring to using this reactor on, if I understand correctly the bubbles float to the top of the reactor and smash against the top because they can not escape with it capped off so I can see how it may not be necessary now. 

I went to the hardware store and I want the size of the under sink canister but they do not use 3/4" piping, I need a very narrow canister to fit.


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## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

I thought about it, but I couldn't find one that fit my hose.


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

nilocg said:


> It might help for very large tanks with high flow and a ton of co2 being injected but in general it's not needed. Certainly wouldn't hurt though.


From my experience, you are correct. If I run greater than 10 bps with my current flow rate from the canister filter, I can generate a bubble in the top of the reactor (i.e., not enough flow to pound the cO2 into submission). If the reactor has larger water flow passages and the cO2 was pre-diffused, then you could likely run 1 reactor on a 180 gallon tank. The video below is about 5-7 bps. As you can see, none of the bubbles make it down to the bottom and up the draw tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LunleNWDeIo


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Patriot said:


> I thought about it, but I couldn't find one that fit my hose.


*Finally I found one! This may be the only option out there and its only $17 on eBay right now with free shipping! "Hydronix HF2" it is only 2.5" wide (standard 10" tall) and uses 1/2" NPT which for me is perfect my canister uses 1/2" line* 










*I notice everyone puts a foot of pipe between the T and the reactor...is this necessary? Would be much cleaner if I could just thread the T to the reactor inlet*


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## Desertsp (Feb 17, 2013)

Some people, myself included, just drill a hole in the top of the housing and pull the co2 tubing through. Just make the hole a little smaller than the tubing and clean out the burrs and there shouldn't be any leaks. 

Also btw, you'll still need an adaptor to connect tubing to the 1/2" female NPT. Your hardware store should have adapters that can connect pretty much any size tubing to any size NPT...all for a buck or two. Not saying this isn't the right filter housing for you, but if there was another one you liked better but it has larger NPT threads, that shouldn't pose any problem for you. 

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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

So in theory it does just collect under that cap and mash there does not matter how it gets there because chances are bubbles join each other once inside under the cap anyway?

Yea I realize NPT sizes can be changed but my point is there is no 2.5" wide filter canister that has 1/2" plumbing its all smaller than that or to get 1/2" or larger the canister has to be wider than 2.5" (I am restricted on canister width) I will T it in directly to the inlet instead of drilling a hole in the cap thank you for your input!


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## alphabeta (Jul 14, 2014)

thanks for the lead of the filter. good price.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*My canister arrived, it is great quality, nice and thin how I needed it. Here it is next to my tiny SUNSUN HW-603B now I need to take a trip to the hardware store for threaded barbs and a T* :grin2:


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Diffuser bubbles blow into the tank easier than big bubbles. People have put diffusers on before the reactor and get bubbles in the tank! Diffusers also need maintenance, the cerges reactor doesn't, why make work when you don't have to?


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Yeah I guess I see your point with maintenance, I don't see how being smaller would make the bubbles end up in your tank though. 

*I could not find all the parts I need to T in at the hardware store the way most people do it, so this is what I ended up with, I am not sure how much the 90D elbows will slow down flow but I am restricted on space:*










*Then I was toying around in my spare aquarium parts bin, and I found this, it came with my Ecoplus 396 Submersible Water Pump the threads are correct but a bit loose. Tight with an O-ring and plumbing tape I should be fine, and it saves me a lot of space!*










*I now need to add a UV unit to my line, so this is where I left off so far; I want to thread it directly onto the output of the reactor but it will take some tricky piecing to make it work but I am going to try:*


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

If you want to break up bubbles without a diffuser, you can use a Venturi tee.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I think that is what that is; it is designed to siphon air into the pump head


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Teebo said:


> I think that is what that is; it is designed to siphon air into the pump head


That connector you found? Look down its barrel. The opening should be small like 1/4". If not, it's not Venturi.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*This is what I came up with to link the UV with the reactor; I used a 3/4" water meter standoff with a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer. The down pipe inside the reactor is the entire length of the canister it even fits into the hole in the bottom of the canister, this way it will remain straight and I will just drill a bunch of holes toward the end of the pipe to diffuse it even further but mainly for stability. *












mistergreen said:


> That connector you found? Look down its barrel. The opening should be small like 1/4". If not, it's not Venturi.


*It indeed does have a taper inside on both sides, I can feel it with my finger its like a Chinese finger trap haha*


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Cool. Good find. Let us know how it runs.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*Still working on getting it into my system but this is where I am at now, I hope the 90 degree elbows do not have too much of an impact on flow but I need them for space constraints. I used 3/4" tube on the UV output (which is 3/4" - 1") with a 1/2" reducer, on the reactor input that Venturi was an odd piece I had to use a 5/8" tube and I heated the other end over a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer since my system is 1/2" I am questioning the way I did this with the reactor first. I read air gets trapped in the UV units so people run them with the input being at the bottom and the output at the top, also adding CO2 before it means CO2 could get trapped in the UV...at least it will sterilize the CO2 and maybe help it mix better if it gets caught in the UV housing?*


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Too tired at the moment to read through the whole thread, but from the nipple on the adapter threaded into the reactor, I am assuming the co2 is first entering the reactor before going through the inline UV. If that is correct, and the reactor housing is sized appropriately then the bubbles should be dissolved before reaching the UV, so no worries about trapped co2 bubbles (only the bubbles float up).
If the co2 in flowing through the UV first, then that is a different story.

Remember, this is crucial, when doing the Cerges reactor using the whole house filter housing as you are using (the purple reactor), you have to set up the inlet and outlet OPPOSITE of the markings listed on the reactor housing cap. So your actual inlet connects to the marked outlet, and actual outlet connects to marked inlet.


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

nice find on the reactor! thanks for sharing!


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Consider mounting the UV right side up.
As it is any connector that weeps collects near the ballast.
I have same UV and not sure the electrical in top is water tight.


Consider a T in your canister discharge with a valve to the UV.
That UV performs very well @ 40 GPH.
Allow the straight through flow to go to the reactor.


I hope suggestions help.


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## Desertsp (Feb 17, 2013)

please delete


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I did not know that CO2 does not rise like air! Thanks 

Are you sure your suppose to run the filter hosing backwards? That does not make sense to me; the CO2 would be pulled down in a narrow 1/2" pipe then float to the top and when it hits the top it would get sucked right out, in reverse any bubbles too large would stay against the top until they are broken down small enough to be dragged downward, this is the way I see all the videos of them online functioning. 

- - -

So your suggesting using the UV before the reactor if one of the T lines goes to the reactor? Or are you saying to recycle 50% of the water back into the reactor and through the UV again for redundancy? 

My SUNSUN canister filter is rated @ 105 GPH just for reference.


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Teebo said:


> So your suggesting using the UV before the reactor if one of the T lines goes to the reactor? Or are you saying to recycle 50% of the water back into the reactor and through the UV again for redundancy?
> 
> My SUNSUN canister filter is rated @ 105 GPH just for reference.




This depends on your reason for UV.
@40 GPH bacteria and single cell organisms can be destroyed.
@105 GPH more for algae or green water with higher flow rates.


The "T" implied splitting your filter discharge to each device separately. Flow control valve to limit what goes through UV.
Two returns back to the tank.


Being that only 105GPH you may need all of that for the reactor to function well.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Thanks! 

I would be running it for algae and cloudy water, and I have a good test for it too @ 105 GPH; I filled my 15.8 gallon tank with water over a month ago maybe even two, nothing in it but gravel and bright lights, and the canister filter. Nothing in the water for algae to eat, after several weeks the water is now starting to get a little cloudy (whiteish) but still clear and I want to see if it clears that up.


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## ppp (Sep 2, 2015)

@Teebo My original set up for the Cerges reactor was with the water flow as marked on the water filter. With this I only managed a pH drop of 0.5 during the day. Reversed the flow, added some sponge filter media and now get a 1.0 drop in less than 90 minutes. I also use an independent Rio 1100 pump for the Cerges.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*Thanks PPP I will set it up in reverse if that is what people are recommending. 

Until I get a CO2 tank I should be able to run this setup with just a check valve right??*


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## WickedOdie (Aug 15, 2015)

Yes you can run it without co2. You will have to realize that with all the 90s and the reactor now that your flow isn't going to be the same.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

That's fine, the flow is overkill for a 15 gallon tank


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## ppp (Sep 2, 2015)

What's your CO2 source? Sorry have not read the whole thread. As long as you have enough pressure, I see no reason for it not to work


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I dont have a source yet, Im going to pickup a tank soon either 20oz or 2.5lb


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*I got my source; a 2.5lb aluminum tank but no regulator yet. I have it up and running in forward direction and it seems to work just fine the bubbles that reach the tank are tiny. The air from priming was trapped in the reactor and has been dissolving for hours now, I am curious if the water level will raise in the reactor as is dissolves (I have no pressure release on the reactor head). *


















*Air cant be getting in from anywhere I have a check valve on the air line and the air bubble in it is not moving, I also used pex cinch clamps but I am missing one I need some 1" clamps but it is sealed anyway. The odd piece I found with the venturi is 5/8" so I had to use a 5/8" ID tube and stretch it over a 3/4" -to- 1/2" reducer to get it back into my system size.*


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