CO2 injection

[corrosionjerry]

I need a little help here... Am I correct in assuming that a person doesnt need to buy the CO2 reactor that they try to sell.... and that a power head will suffice... if this is correct what size of a power head should I be using for a 75 gallon tank?

I am sure I am going to have other questions in a couple of weeks.... I have the equipment but one of the gauges came faulty... the outlet 1-15 lb gauge that sits in the glass gauge is warped... I have all the luck...LOL getting use to this sort of thing....................grrrrrrrrrrr

[byte]

I am sure I am going to have other questions in a couple of weeks.... I have the equipment but one of the gauges came faulty... the outlet 1-15 lb gauge that sits in the glass gauge is warped... I have all the luck...LOL getting use to this sort of thing....................grrrrrrrrrrr

I think a welding supply shop should be able to get a new gauge for you. The guage must be for either C02 or argon, but not oxygen. They use CO2 or CO2/argon mix of gases in mig or tig welders. I think the regulators from a welding shop "might" be just as good as the aquarium type ones.

Edited January 18, 2008 by byte

[Vallisneria]

No you dont' have to use a CO2 reactor, a powerhead will work just fine. It also doens't have to be a big powerhead. A small GPH will also work.

I actually use a Elite mini filter for my Co2. Its a little filter/pump that costs about 10$. and works great for breaking up the CO2 into a fine mist. I use them with my cannister CO2 and my DIY.

[werner]

A powerhead breaks the CO2 into tiny bubbles, which dissolve into the water as they rise to the surface. However, CO2 is wasted when the bubbles reach the surface and escape to the air. Ideally, you should try to 'blow' the bubbles across the tank with a current so they don't rise as fast.

A reactor dissolves the CO2 into the water as it passes through, so it's much more efficient. It's pretty easy to build your own reactor. Also, I think I have an old Aquamedic 500 reactor around if you want it- you'd still need a pump, though.

[jvision]

The reason I use a powerhead to create a fine mist is that recent studies have shown that plants react better to having the mist come in contact with their leaves than completely dissolved CO2.

So, what I do is place the powerhead low in the tank, and blow it mostly across the back, maybe a little toward the front. I also aim the spraybar on my canister filters mostly down, but toward the front a bit... probably on a 160* angle. I find this combination keeps the mist suspended in the tank almost indefinitely - when the bubbles get really small they're not as bouyant.

[corrosionjerry]

Thanks for the advice people... and thanks for the link and offer of the reactor werner! This hobby is expensive enough without being to generous with ones equipment... I should be able to build something!

Thanks

[Shai]

The reason I use a powerhead to create a fine mist is that recent studies have shown that plants react better to having the mist come in contact with their leaves than completely dissolved CO2.

So, what I do is place the powerhead low in the tank, and blow it mostly across the back, maybe a little toward the front. I also aim the spraybar on my canister filters mostly down, but toward the front a bit... probably on a 160* angle. I find this combination keeps the mist suspended in the tank almost indefinitely - when the bubbles get really small they're not as bouyant.

I don't have my CO2 hooked up to my powerhead yet, so maybe this question will answer itself when I actually do, but... When I first got my powerhead I tried positioning it low in the tank like you mention here. I noticed that the lower I put it in the tank, the less air was sucked through the tubing into the powerhead, until none at all was drawn in. I suspect too much pressure from the surrounding water was to blame. How then will the CO2 get drawn into the powerhead?

[jvision]

I use presurised CO2, so it's always going to be pushed through. And, I pump it into the powerhead's intake - if you just use the venturi, the bubbles don't get small enough.

[corrosionjerry]

What size of a power head are you using Jason?

I want to use mine in a 75G so I am worried about distribution.... or would something centrally located in the back centre of the tank work regardless of the tank size... I want to hide whatever way I go with drift wood etc... so there will be lots of difflection...

[jvision]

Flow is generally pretty good for a planted tank - not quite like a SW where they seem to say that there's no such thing as too much flow! In my 90 gal tank, I have and XP3 and XP1 with an Aquaclear 201 (I think). I have used the large WalMart powerhead, and a mid-range MaxiJet as well.

Like Val said, it doesn't really matter what size of powerhead, as long as you move the CO2 to the other side of the tank.

[corrosionjerry]

Flow is generally pretty good for a planted tank - not quite like a SW where they seem to say that there's no such thing as too much flow! In my 90 gal tank, I have and XP3 and XP1 with an Aquaclear 201 (I think). I have used the large WalMart powerhead, and a mid-range MaxiJet as well.

Like Val said, it doesn't really matter what size of powerhead, as long as you move the CO2 to the other side of the tank.

I see .... oddly enough in the tank that I am going to do this in ... I have an XP3 running with a BIO wheel rated for a 40G so I its simular to your filtration setup.... I just have to settle on what power head to use or reator.... I am leaning to the Power Head ...

I saw a PH the other day that actually swivels back and forth.... Maybe that would even be better then stationary ... What do you think?

[jvision]

pH swings every day when adding CO2. It does that in nature, too. During the day, the pH will go down b/c CO2 creates a weak acid; however, during the night, when no CO2 is being add, the pH usually rebounds. Actually, now that I think about it, I may have it backward b/c all day the plants are consuming the CO2, and at night they're producing it... Anyway, you get the idea (and I don't own a pH test kit anymore!).

I would ditch the Biowheel - they drive off a lot of CO2. The plants will handle any bioload you have in there, and the XP3 will do a great back-up.

[corrosionjerry]

pH swings every day when adding CO2. It does that in nature, too. During the day, the pH will go down b/c CO2 creates a weak acid; however, during the night, when no CO2 is being add, the pH usually rebounds. Actually, now that I think about it, I may have it backward b/c all day the plants are consuming the CO2, and at night they're producing it... Anyway, you get the idea (and I don't own a pH test kit anymore!).

I would ditch the Biowheel - they drive off a lot of CO2. The plants will handle any bioload you have in there, and the XP3 will do a great back-up.

I really did want to ditch that BIO Wheel.... nothing but a pain in the you know what.... Thanks for that advice Jason

Do you have your Powerhead on a timer to shut down the co2 dispertion at night?.... or is that a waste of time

[Vallisneria]

Do you have your Powerhead on a timer to shut down the co2 dispertion at night?.... or is that a waste of time

Not sure about your co2 regulator but mine has a solenoid valve that I plugged into my timer. It shuts off the co2 bottle at night when the lights go out.

IF yours doesn't have that then you can always turn off the powerhead if you are noticing your fish gasping at night.

[corrosionjerry]

Do you have your Powerhead on a timer to shut down the co2 dispertion at night?.... or is that a waste of time

Not sure about your co2 regulator but mine has a solenoid valve that I plugged into my timer. It shuts off the co2 bottle at night when the lights go out.

IF yours doesn't have that then you can always turn off the powerhead if you are noticing your fish gasping at night.

Yes you are correct my regulator has a solenoid.... not sure what I was thinking.... I havent set up my injection co2 yet as I am waiting for a replacement part that was damaged during shipping..

Was trying to figure that part of the apparatus out.... that amongst a few other things that I will touch on in a few days once I get my replacement gauge...

So as I understand it now .... I pug the solenoid plug that is part of the regulator into my lighting timer equipment and voila solenoid shuts off and co2 stops is this correct?