flowrate for external reactor

[mafia]

what is a suitable flowrate to drive an external co2 reactor?

[|squee|]

Depends on your size of tank. Generally get 2 levels higher than the recommended flowrate for your tank, 1 level to compensate for the reactor, and the other for the plant mass.

[Shadow]

Sorry a bit confuse by the meaning of level.
If for example tank is 100L, the recommended flowrate will be 3 to 4 times of that, 300~400L/h. What is the 2 levels higher than?
easier to understand with example

[mafia]

my tank is about 30 litres, i'm gonna fill it with plants and i'm thinking of using the eden 501 with a submerged rain bar to evenly distribute the co2 to the whole tank. i also have a ceramic diffuser at the moment but i guess the circulation is not as good as a distributed rain bar.

[valice]

If you have a 30l tank, then a diffusor will suffice.
You can put the rain bar in a vertical position, thereby creating a natural "washing machine" circulation in the water. Then position your diffusor in the path of the water output from the rain bar.

That will help. And a reactor will not be necessary.

[mafia]

wad if i put my rain bar horizontally? is it gonna be better than putting it vertically?

i'm thinking of using a reactor so that i can minimise clutter in the tank and maximise planting space, it's also the reason why i am thinking of the eden 501 filter, so that i will only have 2 pipes in the tank and tat's about all the non-natural things i have in the tank.

[valice]

Why is it that you want to put your rain bar horizontally then?

[mafia]

putting it horizontally will spread the water across the tank horizontally evenly, allowing a shorter distance from the outlet of the rainbar to the plants. If the rain bar is pointed slightly upwards near the bottom of the tank, i suppose that it will cycle the water in a circular motion as viewed from the side. i feel that this way, the dispersion of the "almost carbonic" water will be more even.

[valice]

Try to imagine the rainbar in a vertical position. The cycle of water in a circular motion as view from the TOP now is it similar to that with the rain bar horizontal?

And your arguement will still work for it? CO2 level is not how short a distance from outlet of rainbar to plants. It is the constant level of CO2 in the water.

I used to have my rain bars as per your positioning. However, I found through experience that my circulation is much better with rain bar in the vertical position than horizontal. One reason is could be due to the hardscape I have and the amount of plants in the tank. In addition, I found I lose "planting space" because of the rain bar positioning. But then again this problem depends on where you place your rain bar. Whether it is mid level/near bottom/near top.

Btw, I am using my filter as a CO2 reactor, with the air-tube pushed into the inlet of my skimmer.

Edit: Hopefully I don't sound too forceful. Just want to bring in some new ideas on positioning of rain bars. As more people I see place rainbars horizontally.

[BFG]

Hi Mafia!

For Eden 501, I doubt it can power an external reactor. A ceramic diffuser might be needed. You could place the diffuser in front of the rainbar to help the co2 being distributed in the tank.


Hope this helps!

[mafia]

would a eheim 2232 be a overkill for a 30 litre tank? it's good for up to 100 litres, and the 2232 will be a 3 times over capacity. perhaps the 2232 will have sufficient power to drive the reactor?

eheim 2232, tanks up to 100L, 400L/H

eden 501, tanks up to 60L, 300L/H

[mafia]

should a co2 reactor be before or after an external filter?

[Aquaculture]

I believe it should be placed after the filter. Allow the filter to 'cleanse' the water before it reaches your reactor.