The affects of the restriction of air to skimmer and Co2 scrubber

[Dryanimtt]

I've been searching the forums but I haven't really come across anything that addresses the issue. I have a brs co2 scrubber. I have a maxspect jump skimmer (recent upgrade from a reef octopus). The issue is it seems the co2 scrubber is restricting the air flow far too much and I'm not getting a good air to water flow in any skimmer I've tried. Which results in less frothy foam and hardly any skimmate. I basically have to raise the water level in the skimmer to near the top of the neck to get any skimmate. I've changed the Inlet elbow on the scrubber to 1/4in to 3/8in outlet instead of the 1/4in straight elbow that comes with it. When I disconnect the skimmer from the scrubber the water level in the skimmer drops way down and starts working as it should. Do I just need to get a co2 housing which has bigger Inlet and outlet sizes? Has anyone else have a similar issue? And what did you do to fix it?

 

[sawdonkey]

I’ve definitely thought about this and unhooked my scrubber/outside airline to check it out. There is a slight difference, but not extreme. I think your idea should work.

 

[Dryanimtt]

I'm just surprised noone else seems to be having the same issue. Wanted to see if someone came up with a solution for it. Since I already spent the money on the brs scrubber, want looking to spend more money on another media housing.

 

[ReefBeta]

I'm using Maxspect AD600 with Phosban reactor for CO2 scrubber. It's intake is 3/8 I think. Big enough to not show any restrictions to the skimmer.

But I'm also running it at 6, to have it produce more consistent foam head. Water level gate is wipe open. I adjust the recirculation ratio to adjust water level, have it right above cup neck. More air is not necessarily better.

 

[stacksoner]

I have a jumbo scrubber and this issue was very evident in my case.

I got an Alita vacuum in-line air pump which sucks air through the C02 scrubber and channels it into the skimmer, which solved the problem.

 

[Dryanimtt]

I'm using Maxspect AD600 with Phosban reactor for CO2 scrubber. It's intake is 3/8 I think. Big enough to not show any restrictions to the skimmer.

But I'm also running it at 6, to have it produce more consistent foam head. Water level gate is wipe open. I adjust the recirculation ratio to adjust water level, have it right above cup neck. More air is not necessarily better.

Yeah I was running mine at 70 but had to lower to 60 cause it would overflow when wide open since it's pushing more water than air. While I do agree more air is not necessarily better but I know with this setup in not even getting the minimum required.

 

[Dryanimtt]

I have a jumbo scrubber and this issue was very evident in my case.

I got an Alita vacuum in-line air pump which sucks air through the C02 scrubber and channels it into the skimmer, which solved the problem.

This is great! But I wonder what the cost difference is between getting an in-line air pump vs a different reactor head with larger port holes.

 

[Dryanimtt]

Guess I could have just looked it up lol. But the alita is about 130$. I could get another reactor as reefbeta did, biopellet, with a larger port for 50$. I still didn't want to spend an extra, even, 50$ on it. Maybe I could just find a different head piece or bore out the existing one and tap it.

 

[ReefBeta]

I have a jumbo scrubber and this issue was very evident in my case.

I got an Alita vacuum in-line air pump which sucks air through the C02 scrubber and channels it into the skimmer, which solved the problem.

Interesting. Didn't know this kind of air pump exist. How noisy is it? Is it more close to a DC pump or more close to a typical air pump?

 

[stacksoner]

Interesting. Didn't know this kind of air pump exist. How noisy is it? Is it more close to a DC pump or more close to a typical air pump?

Surprisingly it's completely silent if you'd believe it

 

[ReefBeta]

Surprisingly it's completely silent if you'd believe it

This might just be the missing piece for the sodium hydroxide CO2 scrubbing reactor I was trying about. $150 upfront investment for $100+ media saving per year could be worth it.

 

[stacksoner]

This might just be the missing piece for the sodium hydroxide CO2 scrubbing reactor I was trying about. $150 upfront investment for $100+ media saving per year could be worth it.

Sodium Hydroxide reactor!??!

 

[1guydude]

Ive used those big air pumps on an old school style air stone skimmer. 12" diameter like a 5g bucket. Worked. Lol. Took a little while to build foam head but worked.
Whats a c02 scrubber and why do you run one? This increases ph?
Ty
D

 

[ReefBeta]

Sodium Hydroxide reactor!??!

Basically use sodium hydroxide solution to remove CO2 instead of soda lime used in typical CO2 scrubber.

 

[Dryanimtt]

Ive used those big air pumps on an old school style air stone skimmer. 12" diameter like a 5g bucket. Worked. Lol. Took a little while to build foam head but worked.
Whats a c02 scrubber and why do you run one? This increases ph?
Ty
D

Yeah, helps with my ph, if I don't use it my ph gets down to 7.3 to 7.4ish.

 

[ca1ore]

Seems odd. I can certainly see how a very large skimmer would fail to function properly with one of those CO2 scrubbers, but 3/8" is a decent sized hose. Have you tried blowing through the unit to see if there is some kind of obstruction?

 

[stacksoner]

Seems odd. I can certainly see how a very large skimmer would fail to function properly with one of those CO2 scrubbers, but 3/8" is a decent sized hose. Have you tried blowing through the unit to see if there is some kind of obstruction?

Hooking up the soda lime canisters makes many skimmers look like they're drinking a milkshake with a straw.

 

[Dryanimtt]

Seems odd. I can certainly see how a very large skimmer would fail to function properly with one of those CO2 scrubbers, but 3/8" is a decent sized hose. Have you tried blowing through the unit to see if there is some kind of obstruction?

Yeah, it's basically brand new. I've taken it apart multiple times. @slewrock1 has the best analogy for it. Couldn't of said it better myself.

 

[Bryknicks]

Interesting, I've always wondered this as well and the main reason I never hooked up a CO2 reactor until recently. My skimmer runs great like nothing changed as far as the skimmate produced. But every 2-3 days my skimmer makes this loud whining noise. I put my hand by the water intake and it feels like no water is being pulled in. I turn the skimmer off for a quick second and the noise is gone. The only thing that has changed is the addition of the CO2 scrubber so I'm assuming its the culprit. I'm also using the BRS scrubber with 3/8" tubing and its set up right on top of the scrubber with only a 1-1.5 ft. airtube.

 

[Dryanimtt]

Yeah, seems like the only real legit way to run a co2 scrubber would be to do what @slewrock1 does and have an inline vacuum air pump. Because going through the reactor with any size port will always impede air flow due to pulling from a confined space (negative pressure/vacuum) rather than ambient air.