Help still cant get my co2 working :(. :(

[jwh0818]

I turned it off I'm concerned my black ghost is just lying on the rocks breathing heavy!!!! I had a bubble counter but it had a leak so I removed it I have a drop checker I just haven't set it up yet :s
Should I do a water change?

WC wont do too much. Turn the co2 off until you get this sorted out. Dont risk your fish lives while doing so. Until you get it working properly, id leave it off.

For now, turn the tank lights off
Set up an airstone in the tank with an air pump to help gas the co2 out of the tank and just dont turn it on until resolved. It seems like an easy fix but im a hands on person and couldnt even begin to explain. Id undo everything and start over making it a bit more neat for us to be able to help some more. To me those pics make me wanna scream ( no offense to you) cause im a neat freak!

 

[Dizzydea]

Not sure how to make my pics cleaner, it's a basic reactor co2 goes into the top of the reactor, as well as water from my maxijet 600 pump. Then the mixture comes out the bottom and is directly put into my sump pump with a ventri method. The reactor won't fill all the way I feel like the pump isn't strong enough for the 1/2 inch hose I'm using. The water just dribbles in and when the co2 comes out Into the main tank it's still quite bubbly and floats to the top, rather than be dispersed throughout the tank.

 

[Dizzydea]

My tank and regulator

 

[Dizzydea]

Type of diffuser going into the sump pump

 

[Dizzydea]

My maxi jet

 

[20cc]

your not describing your setup very well because from what i understand you saying is that you have a maxijet pumping water into a c02 reactor mixing with co2 and then the water goes into another pump and then it goes into a diffuser and into your tank and you still get bubbles.

if thats true then at least one of your items is redundant.

the setup should go maxijet pump-->reactor-->tank

what you have is maxijet pump-->reactor-->sump pump-->diffuser-->tank

if your using a sump then you would put the reactor in the return line after the sump

 

[Dizzydea]

your not describing your setup very well because from what i understand you saying is that you have a maxijet pumping water into a c02 reactor mixing with co2 and then the water goes into another pump and then it goes into a diffuser and into your tank and you still get bubbles.

if thats true then at least one of your items is redundant.

the setup should go maxijet pump-->reactor-->tank

what you have is maxijet pump-->reactor-->sump pump-->diffuser-->tank

if your using a sump then you would put the reactor in the return line after the sump

No what I have is maxijet pump-->reactor-->diffuser-->sump pump-->tank
As I said earlier

 

[jwh0818]

You should have it going directly into the tank. Id skip putting it in the sump

 

[Dizzydea]

You should have it going directly into the tank. Id skip putting it in the sump

I tried that, the co2 would float up and go into the overflow. Then I was told that direct diffusion into the sump pump was the way to go.

 

[jwh0818]

I tried that, the co2 would float up and go into the overflow. Then I was told that direct diffusion into the sump pump was the way to go.

Get a small powerhead that allows it to be broken up into small micro bubbles. Done right there shouldnt be much bubbles. With it going into the sump you lose a big portion of your co2

 

[Dizzydea]

Get a small powerhead that allows it to be broken up into small micro bubbles. Done right there shouldnt be much bubbles. With it going into the sump you lose a big portion of your co2

I know it's unusual to do co2 on a tank with a sump and that it inevitable that some co2 will be lost but I'm determined to make it work. The co2 is fed directly into the sump pump intake, I'm hoping that I don't loose too much.

 

[jwh0818]

I know it's unusual to do co2 on a tank with a sump and that it inevitable that some co2 will be lost but I'm determined to make it work. The co2 is fed directly into the sump pump intake, I'm hoping that I don't loose too much.

If it is fed ( injected) directly into the pump thats pushing water back into the tank then you aren't losing much if any but if its just in the water that is around the pump that pushes water back in the tank then yes your gonna lose a big ammount. I would drill a small hole into the pvc of the pipe that sends water back to the tank and put the airline there since the diffuser breaks it up to begin with.

From the looks of the pics, something seems to be a bit off or your pump isnt functioning properly (maxijet) and I would pull it off the lines and see if its runnkng properly.

Your best bet is to break it all down and reassemble it making sure things are exactly where they should be

 

[Billbug68]

Okay so the main problem is the pump is not filling up the reactor, correct? Could the diffuser you have on the output be restricting the flow? Have you tried running it without it to see if it'll fill up? Also, how are you measuring co2 in the tank? Do you have a drop checker?

 

[Dizzydea]

If it is fed ( injected) directly into the pump thats pushing water back into the tank then you aren't losing much if any but if its just in the water that is around the pump that pushes water back in the tank then yes your gonna lose a big ammount. I would drill a small hole into the pvc of the pipe that sends water back to the tank and put the airline there since the diffuser breaks it up to begin with.

From the looks of the pics, something seems to be a bit off or your pump isnt functioning properly (maxijet) and I would pull it off the lines and see if its runnkng properly.

Your best bet is to break it all down and reassemble it making sure things are exactly where they should be

So put the reactors out flow directly into the pipe, that terrifies me a bit but makes sense. Ya the out flow of the reactor is going directly into the pump, not the water around it. The pump functions fine when not hooked up to the reactor :s

 

[Dizzydea]

Okay so the main problem is the pump is not filling up the reactor, correct? Could the diffuser you have on the output be restricting the flow? Have you tried running it without it to see if it'll fill up? Also, how are you measuring co2 in the tank? Do you have a drop checker?

Yes that was also a problem I tried 3 diffuser before I found the right one. Yes I have a drop checker with dkh solution. I haven't set it up yet because I was waiting till the reactor was functioning properly

 

[Dizzydea]

And thanks for the help everyone it's much appreciated!!!!!!!

 

[Dizzydea]

Waiting on a pump from eBay, hopefully the answer to my problem