Hello Welcome, Stendkerfan

[Stendkerfan]

Thanks! Was hoping I didn’t upset
(Complaint dept phone)
On my second day here lol
Thanks for insights on arranging the valves, never used push-to-connect plumbing before, on the co2 inlet looks like a restraining c-ring I’m assuming I pull that c-ring/clip off before inserting co2 line?
And yet the shut off valve has just a ferrule on each side and a “nut” that turns, I’m assuming just push co2 line in and turn nut?
The check valve that came with the reactor looks exactly like the cheap ones that come with sponge filters
I seen the stainless steel ones that GLA sells but like their regulators (where I bought mine) their pretty proud of them $$
I like BRS so will upgrade that
Will probably work either way, but planned on installing shut off valve so point (indicator) of shut off is pointing toward reactor?
Thanks again!

 

[Kwyet]

Oh, lol! I don’t know what you would have said to make you think that, but in general we’re pretty easy going here.

I wasn’t sure about the C-ring you mentioned. It looks like it’s still on mine. I breezed through their video, and he just pushed everything in firmly. The video is for the stainless steel one, but the push-to-connect fittings are the same. BTW, instead of using the tape they send, yellow plumber’s tape works much better.

https://aquarockscolorado.com/products/yugang-co2-reactor-stainless-steel?_pos=1&_sid=bfc482fdb&_ss=r&variant=45474422620408

Start a journal when you can!

 

[Stendkerfan]

Oh, lol! I don’t know what you would have said to make you think that, but in general we’re pretty easy going here.

I wasn’t sure about the C-ring you mentioned. It looks like it’s still on mine. I breezed through their video, and he just pushed everything in firmly. The video is for the stainless steel one, but the push-to-connect fittings are the same. BTW, instead of using the tape they send, yellow plumber’s tape works much better.

https://aquarockscolorado.com/products/yugang-co2-reactor-stainless-steel?_pos=1&_sid=bfc482fdb&_ss=r&variant=45474422620408

Start a journal when you can!

Yea seems pretty nice here, I’m an admin in a Facebook group, amazing how brazen people get behind their keyboards!
I took that c clip out, I’ve never used push connect fittings before
( I’m a painter not a plumber)
With yours and others help here, everything’s hooked up and no leaks!
Hardest part was getting the OE vinyl hoses off the Oase “connection disk”
I bought new silicone pipes and never did get those back on & had to use hose clamps
Tomorrow will start playing with co2 and run for a couple hours
Will be awhile before a journal
Got to take care of my bba and get some new plants
Mine will be a simple fish-centric scape, I’ll share a pic of where I got inspiration from
(Artists name is on the pic)
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Kwyet]

Sounds great!

 

[*Ci*]

It’s because she keeps discus and uses the Yugang reactor. She’ll know and be able to address your concerns.

I do have discus and am using a Yugang Open Flow reactor, here:

CO2 Spray Bar - a summary

So, I don’t have much to offer regarding the in-line version. I keep my Co2 at less than a 1pt pH drop (about .7-.8, don’t know the ppm) and the discus are fine with that. I keep my temp. at 81F and run air stones only at night. My plants are potted crypts and swords, and have been doing very well for the past year.
My journal is linked below (A Symphysodon Symphony)

 

[Stendkerfan]

Thanks Ci!
Got everything hooked up yesterday
Trying to dial in co2 today
It’s a 75 gallon Discus tank with 5 adults (5-7 1/2”) and numerous dithers
This morning before powering the co2 up I had about a 1” ribbon of air running along the top of the reactor
Wanted to start conservatively my working pressure is around 22psi
And started dispersing 1 1/2 bps
After about two hours the “ribbon” has gotten a little wider, but hasn’t reached the top of the outlet hole yet so I just upped it to 3bps
It’s being run by my Oase biomaster 350 thermo(also running a fx2 seperatly)
I’m only looking for a .4-.5 ph drop wanting to achieve 15-20ppm co2 I have the Hanna co2 kit to verify
The Oase is at max and i see flow in the reactor, don’t know how long to give it at 3bps?
Any thoughts on bps for a 75 gallon?
Thanks
I’ll read your info on your co2 spray bar when I have a minute

 

[Stendkerfan]

I think you’ll just have to try it out, and adjust as needed. The size of bubble inside the reactor won’t change whether you can use overflow mode or not, as far as I know. It’s more determined by how fast the CO2 enters the reactor. If it enters a little faster than it’s used, then the excess bubbles out, and you have overflow mode.

So I can’t adjust the flow at mercy of the Oase (no bypass)
I’m on the uppermost position of the outflow, this am before firing up co2 I had about a 3/4” wide ribbon of “air”
Again wanting to be conservative ran for 2 hours at 1 1/2 bps, didn’t do much , upped it to 3bps ran another couple hours the “ribbon” got a little wider (1-1 1/4”) still never burped co2 into overflow, so I’m assuming I’m not in “overflow mode” the water is about 1/4” above the overflow flange
At what point do I stop increasing the bps and adjust the overflow outlet down a notch from 10-11 o’clock to 8-9 o’clock ?
Will that make it take less time to fill “bubble”
Thanks much!

 

[Kwyet]

Adjusting to 8-9 o’clock will take longer and end up with a higher concentration of CO2 because it will be a bigger bubble. What I do is turn the CO2 flow high enough at first to fill the bubble in the reactor quickly and start overflowing, and then turn it down so that overflow bubbles are only coming out once every 30 seconds or more. Then monitor over the next few days and adjust as needed at the regulator. Bubble counts aren’t really useful except as a comparison for you in particular because it’ll be different for everyone depending on their set-up.

 

[Stendkerfan]

Adjusting to 8-9 o’clock will take longer and end up with a higher concentration of CO2 because it will be a bigger bubble. What I do is turn the CO2 flow high enough at first to fill the bubble in the reactor quickly and start overflowing, and then turn it down so that overflow bubbles are only coming out once every 30 seconds or more. Then monitor over the next few days and adjust as needed at the regulator. Bubble counts aren’t really useful except as a comparison for you in particular because it’ll be different for everyone depending on their set-up.

Thanks much!
I’ll try that tomorrow
My mistake was starting at the 1 1/2 bps, to know how long would take to fill it
Tomorrow I’ll do like you said and fill to overflow first
Thanks so much!

 

[Stendkerfan]

Adjusting to 8-9 o’clock will take longer and end up with a higher concentration of CO2 because it will be a bigger bubble. What I do is turn the CO2 flow high enough at first to fill the bubble in the reactor quickly and start overflowing, and then turn it down so that overflow bubbles are only coming out once every 30 seconds or more. Then monitor over the next few days and adjust as needed at the regulator. Bubble counts aren’t really useful except as a comparison for you in particular because it’ll be different for everyone depending on their set-up.

Your instructions helped a lot !
Got the reactor filled, adjusted to a little burp out intake every 45-60 seconds
Got a ph drop and double checked with my Hanna test kit ,check verified with ph/kh chart, check

Two hours after filling and adjusting went from 7.5 to 6.9ph (max I want to go)
Will run again tomorrow and note how long it takes to fill reactor so I can use to set the timer
If ph wants to drop below 6.9 tomorrow I can only think of a couple options
1) remember reading in yugang’s thread about floating styrofoam on top of water to reduce contact point between water & co2 ?

2) remember reading raising outlet side of reactor 1-2mm so bubble is even smaller and quicker to release a bubble in overflow mode?

3) this seems to be the most straight forward, just run in “regular mode”
Relying on the GLA regulator & bubble counter?
Your thoughts?
Thanks much!

 

[Kwyet]

Great! I haven’t ever tried the styrofoam trick. Raising the end a bit works well for me. If it’s just a small tweak that you need, you can probably do that by lowering the pressure just a bit and still maintain overflow mode. That’s worked fine for me too, instead of messing with the over-reactive bubble counter.
If you try the styrofoam, let us know how it works for you.

 

[Stendkerfan]

Great! I haven’t ever tried the styrofoam trick. Raising the end a bit works well for me. If it’s just a small tweak that you need, you can probably do that by lowering the pressure just a bit and still maintain overflow mode. That’s worked fine for me too, instead of messing with the over-reactive bubble counter.
If you try the styrofoam, let us know how it works for you.

If I try I’ll let you know, seems to be a fine line between getting a bubble from output every 45-60 seconds to not getting any (from oe Oase Lilly pipe) from my research before finding this forum I thought the GLA was good equipment?
Don’t look forward to pulling the reactor down to raise those screws a little,
Might just settle for regular mode for now

 

[Kwyet]

GLA is good. I just meant that any bubble counter is a little difficult to fine-tune. Some people here use flow meters instead, and they love them.

 

[Stendkerfan]

Interesting!
Thanks again!

 

[Chimera]

Hey Stendkerfan,

I think option 2 is your way to get the fail-safe benefits from your yugang reactor . By raising the outlet and further reducing bubble size, you remove potential for variation in CO2 input due to needle valve inaccuracy/drift or end tank dump.
I have to caveat this by saying I have not set mine up yet, I have the small stainless unit waiting to go on a
245L tank soon. I have however spent a lot of time working in science and biology as well as diving so the gas exchange principles and systems are familiar.
I purchased the unit for this reason, I can eliminate variables and create physical fail safes.

 

[Stendkerfan]

I’m sure your right, not looking forward to removing reactor to just move the screws up
Might try to “shim” temporary to see if it will do it
As I recall from the other post a mm or two is what I recall?
Another concern about trying the styrofoam any piece small enough to fit in the inlet holes has potential to block output hole
Unless I took a end cap off and put in a bigger piece
Thanks for your reply!

 

[Stendkerfan]

Great! I haven’t ever tried the styrofoam trick. Raising the end a bit works well for me. If it’s just a small tweak that you need, you can probably do that by lowering the pressure just a bit and still maintain overflow mode. That’s worked fine for me too, instead of messing with the over-reactive bubble counter.
If you try the styrofoam, let us know how it works for you.

New to pressurized co2, so excuse the rookie question, so lowering the working pressure might help? I’m running 20-22 psi now

 

[Kwyet]

Yes, that’s about where mine is though. I don’t know what the lower limit is before it stops doing any good.

 

[Stendkerfan]

An update
I raised the outflow side 1/8-3/16”
Gave me about a 8-9” tapered bubble I’m in overflow mode, but ph still hits 6.8 would like to target 6.9
So need to keep playing with working pressure &/or bubble counter
In the mean time, this morning before powering up my working pressure was down to 2-3psi with chat & some liquid soap found a leak where bubble counter base goes into manifold GLA is sending a new one today or Monday
Thanks again for your help!