So I've finally set up my DIY CO2 and I have it running through an airstone right under the intake of my lame hanging filter. Very few of the bubbles are making their way into the filter and most just rise to the top. So my question is how do I get the CO2 to diffuse better? I've been looking at RedSea's mini reactor 500 or 200 and besides the fact that they're being sold at a wide range of prices ($30-$80), I'm not rightfully sure what it does, if I need it, and even if I can use it with my tubing. I've also been looking at glass and ceramic diffusers which are cheaper which makes me happy, but I also don't know if this is what I need. Could anyone who has or have had any of these things clue me in? Any suggestions?
C02 Diffusion
- Thread starter PerenGee
- Start date
I never bothered with anything fancy with DIY Co2. Instead of putting an air stone on the end of the tube and having it sit below the intake, I always used to shove the end of the air line IN the strainer part of the intake assembly so that all the Co2 gas would go though the filter. You don't need the air stone on the end if you do it like this.
Hmm, well I would do that except it makes a loud woosh sound everytime a bubble goes up and since my tank is litterally next to my pillow, I don't think I'd be able to sleep like that. Also, I'm thinking that what I have right now might be good enough since my pH has dropped dramatically from the high 7's or 8 down to 6. Still, I don't want to take any chances with my plants, they seem to be declining.
Tiny super efficient CO2 reactor - DIY Aquarium Projects - Aquatic Plant Central
This isn't quite as loud (well for me anyway, and the tank is right next to my bed), but very effective.
This isn't quite as loud (well for me anyway, and the tank is right next to my bed), but very effective.
I had my DIY CO2 running into the filter and I had the same problem where a very small amount was going into the intake and most would just go to the top. I ended up cutting one of the little pieces of the intake of my filter and shoving the air line up through that small opening and that worked great. All the CO2 went into the intake and the hole was still small enough where I wouldn't have to worry about any of my fish being sucked into it.
I have tried the glass diffuser, and I found that while it was very silent, it did not move the CO2 around the tank very well, nor did it dissolve the CO2 into the water very well. It also had a sound produced, like a high pitched chirping that, at night, you would hear for sure. Also, I think that it would be a poor choice for a DIY, as the pressure needed to push the CO2 through the ceramic plate is pretty high, and I would fear that your CO2 bottle or the lining or the seals or something would blow or leak or something before too long.
The mini reactor does an amazing job at producing a fine list of CO2 bubbles that get sent around the tank. The bubble sound is less than that of a full box filter, but is still audible in a quiet room. It is also more frequent that for a DIY filter- it is quieter because it 'sucks' smaller bubbles into the impeller than what the HOB filter would do, so you get more smaller bubbles getting chopped up.
Not sure what else to tell you. I used to have my tank beside my bed, with a DIY fed into the HOB filter. I annoyed the crap outta me. Then to solve the problem I would unscrew the lid of the bottle at night, but a lot of times I'd forget to screw it back on so I not only wasted materials, but I also wreaked havoc on my tank by giving black algaes a very favorable condition in my tank.
The mini reactor does an amazing job at producing a fine list of CO2 bubbles that get sent around the tank. The bubble sound is less than that of a full box filter, but is still audible in a quiet room. It is also more frequent that for a DIY filter- it is quieter because it 'sucks' smaller bubbles into the impeller than what the HOB filter would do, so you get more smaller bubbles getting chopped up.
Not sure what else to tell you. I used to have my tank beside my bed, with a DIY fed into the HOB filter. I annoyed the crap outta me. Then to solve the problem I would unscrew the lid of the bottle at night, but a lot of times I'd forget to screw it back on so I not only wasted materials, but I also wreaked havoc on my tank by giving black algaes a very favorable condition in my tank.
Ditto. That noise aggravated me more than the mini-diffuser/reactor. The mini-diffuser creates a finer mist of bubbles that'll stay in the water column for a longer time. What I did, was keep the sponge inside that filter, so that the co2 would have to break up some to make its way through the impeller, so the bubbles would be even smaller, and then I had another sponge on the outside, so the bubbles would be forced out at a high rate through the sponge, making the bubbles even smaller.
Thanks for the help! I went out and got one of those mini underwater filters and although it does indeed make a sound, it's not so bad and I was able to sleep last night. I'll give it a few days and see what happens. I'll have to try adding that second sponge and see if it does anything about the sound or bubble size, they're already super tiny. Also, I take it that it would be wise to position the filter near the intake of my normal filter so that the CO2 can circulate better. If there's no difference whether or not I place them close to each other then I might move the underwater filter because it's all out in the open, looking ugly right now.
On a related note, since adding the filter in, the plants have shot up in growth at a surprising rate. Very surprising actually. And they're all pearling like crazy too. So something's working for sure!
On a related note, since adding the filter in, the plants have shot up in growth at a surprising rate. Very surprising actually. And they're all pearling like crazy too. So something's working for sure!
That's good to hear 
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For placement, I would place it under to outflow of your filter so it pushes the bubbles down and around your tank, and keeps them away from the surface.
As for the sponges, good idea about keeping the one on the inside E.C.- I never thought of that. I had my sponge on the outflow, but I took it off the other day and I like the result I see much better. I might just try putting the sponge inside and seeing what happens .
. For placement, I would place it under to outflow of your filter so it pushes the bubbles down and around your tank, and keeps them away from the surface.
As for the sponges, good idea about keeping the one on the inside E.C.- I never thought of that
. I had my sponge on the outflow, but I took it off the other day and I like the result I see much better. I might just try putting the sponge inside and seeing what happens .