Review on 🐠 Sera Flore Active CO2 Reactor 1000 – Ideal for Aquariums Over 160 Gallons by Nicole Bass

I'm blown away by the low reviews because I felt it was 'not' made from cheap plastic. This product is made of "Acrylic" as stated in the description, which is relatively durable. The reactor looks like a high quality assembly. As for the CO2 connector, which is easy to break, I personally found it would take a lot of unnecessary pressure to break it. The CO2 line slipped slightly after being submerged in boiling water and as the CO2 line cooled it formed a very tight seal. Two weeks later I replaced the CO2 line as I was moving the reactor and the CO2 fitting did not break or crack because I cut the CO2 line with a utility knife rather than using excessive force to pull or bend to remove it. As I mentioned, once this CO2 line cooled, it created a very tight seal; So if you try to disconnect the CO2 line instead of cutting it, you will most likely damage the CO2 connector. As for the audio issue, the sounds of bursting CO2 bubbles can be heard; However, the noise can be greatly reduced to the point of complete silence. The instructions on the packaging tell you to turn the CO2 reactor 'UP DOWN' to expel any air bubbles through the outlet hose. This direction is also the reason I gave the reactor 4 stars because it is very difficult to do this when all the exhaust hoses are connected. Instead, I've decided to troubleshoot and hope the company can find a way to eliminate this important and highly recommended step with another means of releasing air bubbles. Finally, to completely shut down the reactor, make sure the reactor is in the aquarium body.1. Turn on the external filter2. Keep the reactor "SIDE" 3. Let the water fill the reactor4. After filling, put the canister down and let the air bubbles flow to the outlet tube5. Turn on the canister filter to remove air bubbles6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed. Another reason for the 4 star rating is that the exhaust hose connection is very weak. If the tubing kinks, which is critical for air bubbles to escape, the tubing may slip out of the fitting a little and allow water to drip. Please fix this issue. Also, I wish there was an added extra connector, like a much needed extended elbow to connect to the top of the reactor to reduce stress on the outlet hose bend when CO2 is placed under the aquarium cabinet. (I'll upload a picture to pinpoint the cause) Another note: I think the extra suction cup mount should just be ignored for the extra elbow mount. I can use velcro straps that can hold up to 10 pounds to hold the reactor upright under the aquarium stand and remove it when needed. Based on what was previously said about the noise, the suction cup is relatively useless. I know I started with constructive criticism, identifying bugs, and fixing problems. does a great job with 95% - 100% CO2 diffusion which I think will depend a lot on the amount of CO2 getting into the aquarium. It can also be easily unscrewed for maintenance. I hope this helps and I sincerely hope that the company will read and act on my review! If they do, the reactor will be much better!