aquamedic reactor 500

[kagentx]

ok this is going to be quite tough to explain but i'll give it a shot
this reactor is a spiral structured reactor where CO2 is entered in the middle chamber onto the top of the spiral. There it gets aired out by the powerhead. My problem is that after awhile, i don't see the bubbles spiral anymore. Instead, i see Co2 pushed down half way in the middle tube and stays that way. The co2 are suppose to come out one by one and get diffused by the current in the middle before hitting the spiral stairs. Will the Co2 still be supplied even though i don't see any co2 running down the stairs? The tank is definitely on though... i hope you guys understood that

its so annoying because everytime i clean it and release the CO2 from the reactor, it works efficiently for about 4 days and it goes back to that stage above. anyone with this problem also? :?

 

[Toirtis]

Never had that happen, but then my reactors are DIY...I have never used that brand.

 

[malkore]

Sorry I never used those, but I guess I assumed the CO2 flowed UP, not Down, that spiral. But I've never seen one in real life so it's totally a guess.

 

[Robert H]

The bubble travels down this spiral, and while it is doing that it is coming into contact with the water. The water comes out the bottom enriched by the C02 bubble, even if the bubble stays there. The way to really see if it is working is by your pH. If your pH has gone down, then there is C02 in your water and it is working. If your pH is the same as it is when the C02 is not running, then it is not working. That is really how you should be measuring your C02 anyway. You may need to increase the flow of gas to compensate. Do you have a bubble counter hooked up before the reactor? Some regulators have a drop in pressure or it "drifts", which means the needle valve is not holding a consistent pressure and needs to be constantly re ajusted. But keeping an eye on the pH will tell you if this is happening. During mid day, every day the pH should be the same. If it is going up and down then the amount of C02 in your water is going up and down. This is the advantage of pressurized gas over yeast. You should be able to hold the C02 at a constant level.