Journal Miotke 120cm CO₂ Horizontal Reactor Setup

[Jeff Miotke]

So I made a video journal on my 120 and after all these years switched from an inline ceramic diffuser to the Yugang Horizontal Reactor.



I'd love to hear from y'all about where I can improve my system as this is the first time I've made changes in so long I can't remember. Did I get the install right? Is there anything I didn't understand correctly?

I'm planning on doing this on two other aquariums and sure could use the help before I triple up.

 

[gnatster]

Watched the video, thought it was very well done. I learned quite a bit.

I admit to not reading the entire thread on this site about the reactor. It's a neat bit of kit, doesn't fit my current use case.

One thing you touched on briefly was setting the internal CO2 area by varying the location of the output. As I understand that the "setting" would be in relation location of numbers on a clock. In this case, only 12-6 or 6-12 are necessary. Tossing the outliers of 12 (outlet at the top, ~100% water) and 6 (outlet at the bottom, ~100% CO2).

How is the outlet location determined?

What sort of change does a degree or 5 make?

These last 2 are mere curiosity

Did you mark the location of the ends and main cylinder with a witness mark in order to line the inlet/outlet in the proper locations?

What about using a bleeder-type valve at the top of the main cylinder to purge air?

 

[Kwyet]

It’s my understanding that the amount of CO2 going into the water depends on the area of the interface between the water and the gas pocket, so the highest setting would be with the outlet just below the 3 position.
You don’t need to purge air if it’s set to overflow mode.

 

[Art]

No one better than @Yugang to help with dial in, I think.

 

[Kwyet]

I just watched the last 2 videos. I appreciate how thorough and detailed the reactor video was. It’ll probably help a lot of people.
I was rather concerned in the previous video when you climbed onto the top step of the ladder, no way I would ever do that, lol!

 

[Pepere]

The adjustability is in the quarter circle. It changes the location of the overflow to limit ow wide the gas pocket is..

You can always throttle back the gas feed to lower the pocket below what the maximum is You dont need to operate in overflow mode.

To my mind the adjustability primarily works to be a safety limiting capacity to a level that prevents over gassing occupants.

With a diy built horizontal reactor you adjust the capacity by determining the length of the pipe. Safer is certain respect as it provides an hard limit to how much co2 can enter the water.

 

[Yugang]

What a great video @Jeff Miotke !

The reactors can be adjusted by a factor of 2, and while I believe the larger version tuned down will work for you I agree that the smaller version could have been the better choice. Sorry for that.

I have been helping ARC on a friendly basis, have no commercial interest. I am always happy to support hobbyists and manufacturers, and I appreciate that @Naturescapes_Rocco @Unexpected and a few others now also understand it very well and help a lot.

I initially suggested Aquarocks Colorado to carry four versions, covering a range of tank sizes. Initially, they started with only two due to understandable logistics reasons. The largest version is quite large because it was assumed that especially in America, it would be used for large tanks. The reactor’s power can be reduced by about a factor of two from its maximum:

How is the outlet location determined?

The easiest is to calculate the target reactor surface area (tank surface / 17.7 for a 1.5 pH drop, tank surface / 35 for a 1.2 pH drop). Reactor surface area equals length * width. When target width has been calculated, rotate the outlet as per above graph and use a ruler to adjust it to the target width.



Note: some further background can be found here:

Post in thread 'Horizontal CO2 Reactor - Yugang 鱼缸 Reactor'

May 21, 2024

This is my recommendation to AquaRocksColorado, posted with their permission as it would be good to have some feedback from the members of this forum. I am doing all this as service to the community, have no financial/commercial interest, and believe it is also good to have this information transparent on this forum so that anyone can benefit.

First, a detailed drawing of the end of the reactor, with the water exit calculated such that by rotation of the end cap we can tune the reactor down to 50% of its maximum power. AquaRocksColorado are planning all reactors with a 100mm diameter, and...

• Yugang

• 

 

[Unexpected]

I get you will have to pay shipping, but overflow mode is the game changer with Yugang's reactor. If you are getting the drop you want, but not able to hit overflow mode, I'd highly recommend getting the size you need. Never worrying about killing your fish is worth it.

 

[Jeff Miotke]

Watched the video, thought it was very well done. I learned quite a bit.

I admit to not reading the entire thread on this site about the reactor. It's a neat bit of kit, doesn't fit my current use case.

One thing you touched on briefly was setting the internal CO2 area by varying the location of the output. As I understand that the "setting" would be in relation location of numbers on a clock. In this case, only 12-6 or 6-12 are necessary. Tossing the outliers of 12 (outlet at the top, ~100% water) and 6 (outlet at the bottom, ~100% CO2).

How is the outlet location determined?

What sort of change does a degree or 5 make?

These last 2 are mere curiosity

Did you mark the location of the ends and main cylinder with a witness mark in order to line the inlet/outlet in the proper locations?

What about using a bleeder-type valve at the top of the main cylinder to purge air?

Thank you! Yea the size of this thing was a deal breaker for me until I just went all out for it and added the pump and the disconnects and all that tubing to get it into the closet. Originally that was my plan 15 years ago. Have everything back there and nothing on display. So its been wonderful actually realizing the vision. Also its dead quiet now. Between no mist and silence it is now a completely different experience. Now I just need to aquascape it.

You are correct by rotating the outlet through the clock positions it changes the gas pocket size. Basically between 12 and 3. Yugang has already explained it better than me here.

Just rotating so far seems to make very little difference until I get more extreme. If I give it a tiny rotation it doesnt seem to do much. Im not sure why and am still playing.

I did mark the position of the reactor for now. I used a wire to lock it into place. I still need to play with the whole thing. The first two days were very intuitive. Today It seems to be struggling to get to the same pH value as previous. Not sure what is happening yet.

Others responded that purging air is not necessary in overflow mode which is what Im shooting for now.

 

[Jeff Miotke]

I just watched the last 2 videos. I appreciate how thorough and detailed the reactor video was. It’ll probably help a lot of people.
I was rather concerned in the previous video when you climbed onto the top step of the ladder, no way I would ever do that, lol!

No kidding. Yea when I realize Im doing something stupid...its really stupid. Thanks for watching!

 

[Jeff Miotke]

What a great video @Jeff Miotke !

The reactors can be adjusted by a factor of 2, and while I believe the larger version tuned down will work for you I agree that the smaller version could have been the better choice. Sorry for that.

I have been helping ARC on a friendly basis, have no commercial interest. I am always happy to support hobbyists and manufacturers, and I appreciate that @Naturescapes_Rocco @Unexpected and a few others now also understand it very well and help a lot.

I initially suggested Aquarocks Colorado to carry four versions, covering a range of tank sizes. Initially, they started with only two due to understandable logistics reasons. The largest version is quite large because it was assumed that especially in America, it would be used for large tanks. The reactor’s power can be reduced by about a factor of two from its maximum:


View attachment 9083


The easiest is to calculate the target reactor surface area (tank surface / 17.7 for a 1.5 pH drop, tank surface / 35 for a 1.2 pH drop). Reactor surface area equals length * width. When target width has been calculated, rotate the outlet as per above graph and use a ruler to adjust it to the target width.



Note: some further background can be found here:

Post in thread 'Horizontal CO2 Reactor - Yugang 鱼缸 Reactor'

May 21, 2024

This is my recommendation to AquaRocksColorado, posted with their permission as it would be good to have some feedback from the members of this forum. I am doing all this as service to the community, have no financial/commercial interest, and believe it is also good to have this information transparent on this forum so that anyone can benefit.

First, a detailed drawing of the end of the reactor, with the water exit calculated such that by rotation of the end cap we can tune the reactor down to 50% of its maximum power. AquaRocksColorado are planning all reactors with a 100mm diameter, and...

• Yugang

• 

I really appreciate it! I'm glad you liked it because It was tough trying to figure this all out on the fly and make the video. I wish I had this diagram for the video! But Im pretty sure I verbally got the point across but my channel is all about showing instead of telling.

I need to circle back to Tommy over at AquaRocks for sure.

Thank you!

 

[Jeff Miotke]

I get you will have to pay shipping, but overflow mode is the game changer with Yugang's reactor. If you are getting the drop you want, but not able to hit overflow mode, I'd highly recommend getting the size you need. Never worrying about killing your fish is worth it.

Yea exactly. And it being so dam big. But I have it in overflow mode by doing the rotation thing. Or is that psuedo overflow mode?

 

[Unexpected]

Yea exactly. And it being so dam big. But I have it in overflow mode by doing the rotation thing. Or is that psuedo overflow mode?

That works!

 

[Koan]

The reactor’s power can be reduced by about a factor of two from its maximum:

The easiest is to calculate the target reactor surface area

Hey @Yugang, do you think you could convince AquaRocks to include this graphic and bit of information on the home page for the reactor?

This is graphic is by far the simplest and most clear explanation of how the reactor works, and how to adjust the power, I have ever seen!

 

[Yugang]

Hey @Yugang, do you think you could convince AquaRocks to include this graphic and bit of information on the home page for the reactor?

This year my time for the hobby is really limited, but let me see what I can do. I believe the reactor thread has become very long, and maybe hard to digest if you're not really interested in the detail and just want a solution that works.

It could be good to have a 2-3 page pdf, that includes the working principle as well as user instruction, but again my time is really limited. Perhaps an article here in ScapeCrunch that can be updated from time to time.

 

[Koan]

Honestly if they even included just that explanatory graphic with the line of pics of the reactor, that alone it would be huge.

For me visualizing how to adjust the power was by far the hardest part, and this makes it so clear

 

[Pneumonicsonic]

Honestly if they even included just that explanatory graphic with the line of pics of the reactor, that alone it would be huge.

For me visualizing how to adjust the power was by far the hardest part, and this makes it so clear

As someone who recently bought one from ARC, and I’ve read every thread on the reactor here, I agree this graphic is clutch and at the last minute this weekend helped me feel confident in my outlet position.

 

[Art]

I've reached out to Tommy to see if he minds linking over to the graphic and the thread to help customers understand how to set it up.

 

[Jeff Miotke]

So quick update. Tanks are looking on point. I don't think they have ever looked this good. Plants were all almost dead a month ago. I believe they are reaching thriving. All due to massive inbalance. A faulty par meter had me over shooting my lights by 200%. And CO2 issues had me most likely somewhere between 10 and 15 ppm. Put those together and you get failure. Thanks to @Naturescapes_Rocco for inspiring me to make the equipment changes and then hanging with me throughout the process. It was certainly a challenge to tackle all the issues and fill in a couple gaps in my understanding (which I bet there are a lot of hobbyists with the same issues). Thanks again for connecting all the dots for me. My confidence level is high as the proof is evident first in my 120cm and now in my 90cm. Im back to growing healthy plants and algae is in the rear view mirror.

Im debating if I should make a video sharing my journey and the gaps in my understanding even after doing this hobby successfully for so long. Maybe Ill just stick to making videos on the art of aquascaping.

Here is a photo update since I made the video on July 4th.

 

[Pepere]

Im debating if I should make a video sharing my journey and the gaps in my understanding even after doing this hobby successfully for so long.

I would vote yes…. I love it when accomplished people are transparent and sharing their struggles and how they were resilient and found a solution…. I find it so much better than putting out an aura of invincibility…