Generic Sub pump as 2213's inflow mouth - Equipment

Ahura-sama · 11-12-2009, 04:49 PM

Like title. I plan to have a Generic submersed pump as the inflow instead of Eheim's standard stick. My concern is that would the pump interfere w/ the filtration??

Pic of pump and its guard/filter.

Thanks

ghengis · 11-13-2009, 03:29 PM

Hmmm...I would wonder if there would be issues with the two motors (the sub and the canister) not being matched. ie, if the sub flows less than the canister, the canister motor may end up being "choked" and have to work over time to draw the water thru. On the other hand, if the sub is more powerful, the canister may cavitate from having an excess of water pushed past the impeller blades. Just a thought... But I'd reckon you'd want them to both be pretty evenly matched and take into account concessions for head height, gravity (siphon) etc...

Either way, make sure you post the results!!

Ahura-sama · 11-13-2009, 09:15 PM

Ah well, I think it's an abandon ship stage now.

My reason for such a set-up was to alleviate the eheim's pump water-pulling so that it could push more. It was struggling rrly bad pushing water through w/ my DIY inline reactor so I though maybe the sub pump would help.

ghengis · 11-14-2009, 05:12 PM

I wouldn't write your idea off entirely... I just thought there might be a few issues to address. Give it a go if you want, nothing wrong with experimenting!

But as I say, make sure you post the results, so we can all learn someting new

Just curious. How long is the reactor and how many bio-balls (if any) do you have in it? There could just be alot of back pressure on the filter, and modifying the reactor might be just the fix you need...

Ahura-sama · 11-14-2009, 10:57 PM

A foot long of clear pvc 1 1/2". W/ the caps and the 90 degree turn, it is close to 20" end-to-end; 10 bio balls inside; 3/8 npt intake and out.

I decided on an alternative solution. Let the pump at the end so it could pull.

I didnt grasp how big 1 1/2 at a foot long was until firing it up for the first time. That and w/ the twist n' turn, it was straining on the eheim's pump; at least to my feeling.

ghengis · 11-15-2009, 01:00 AM

OK, a couple things. Yeah, that thing looks waaaaay too long (although, I really am no expert in these things)... Also, I think you have your canister output going into the wrong end of the reactor. The canister should flow into the top, along with the CO2, this is what keeps the CO2 suspended in the water so it can dissolve properly, with the balls helping to churn it all up. Speaking of bio balls, you could probably get away with quite a few less of those.

Ahura-sama · 11-15-2009, 11:29 AM

Wouldnt the bubbles go w/ the flow and exit instead of trap in the chamber??
Originally that was my though, but then that above so I went w/ the current. I'll try the original and crank up the bubble to check.

Im doing like 1-3 bubbles a sec and apparently that set up dissolve them quite well. No output micro bubble as far as I know.

Cant shorten it. Glue has been long cured.

ghengis · 11-15-2009, 01:31 PM

Bubbles naturally float up. So, by having them come in at the bottom, you risk the CO2 being pushed straight thru the tube and out the top. The thing you have going for you is the massive amount of balls stemming the flow and keeping the bubbles in place. Side effect of that is that the filter motor is being overloaded, trying to push the water past the balls.

All you really need to do is stand the thing up the other way (except that might kink the "out" hose a little, but you could work around that), then the bubbles will always float up, against the flow of the water. If you can work out a way to open the reactor, you could toss half those balls, as well, and take the load off your pump (I'd just cut the reactor with a hacksaw, leave two or three balls in there and add new fittings to the cut end).

Ahura-sama · 11-15-2009, 06:18 PM

I wonder if a straight path into the chamber instead of the elbow improve my dissolution. Get the bubble to rise and actually trapped in the chamber instead of the 90 part.

Usually up to how many bubble per sec for an inline set-up before it cant keep up anymore??
Mine only get up to 1-1.5 per sec before spitting bubbles out the wazoo.

ghengis · 11-15-2009, 07:45 PM

It might help with your flow, but I still think you should concetrate on reducing the overall restriction thru the unit. And give it a go with the water flow/CO2 coming in at the top. You will find the bubbles acting against the water flow, rather than going with it, will give much better dissolution...

And there will be no bubbles spitting out the "wazoo" either