CO2 & Circulation

[Sierra]

Tank is 20 gallon planted (snails & shrimp)- no fish right now

1) What is the deal... are power filters with trickle/waterfall output bad for inserting your DIY CO2?

Will my power filter create to much current?? Loss of CO2?

2) Is it more efficient to put my fine pore air stone under where the filter output is creating circulation or insert the CO2 into the filter input? (keep in mind type of filter?^^)

OR

3) turn off the power filter (have sponge filter) and leave the fine pore air stone running as is? ..it puts bursts of small bubbles every few seconds...but they just float to the surface

I do feel like with just the sponge filter there isn't much circulation in the tank and it won't be efficient in dispersing CO2 or oxygen when I add fish. I would like to create optimal conditions somehow with what I have.

[gBOYsc2]

Using a HOB filter with CO2 is fine. You will have a little more degassing then otherwise but the only thing I would worry about is putting the CO2 into the filter intake as co2 bubbles could get caught in the filter and cause it to dysfunction.

You could possible try a powerhead to help circulate the water, however I don't know of any that are small enough for a 20g. You could also try this http://www.aquaticpl...o2-reactor.html .... It is used as a diffuser and will also help aid in circulation.

[Sierra]

Yes I wanted to set up the hagen mini elite but they discontinued it ..so the pet stores tell me. Although I think you can still get it online. Anyone heard of this?

[jvision]

That's exactly what Valisneria uses on her tank. There are lots of small powerheads that you can use - I put my CO2 into the INTAKE of a powerhead, which creates a fine mist of CO2.

[Vallisneria]

I love the elite mini filters. I use them with my co2. I run the co2 line into the air tubing hook up. Creates a fine co2 mist. I bought mine from pj's pets in Mayfield common a few years ago so I dont' know about them being discontinued or not. I remember last year someone was looking for them and not all the pj's had them.

But i've also used small powerheads and they work the same, just with a little more flow. So if you can't find a elite mini try a small powerhead.

I never had luck with having my co2 run directly into my HOB filter's intake. The bubbles caused the filter to have issues(noise, and once had the filter stopped). For a short while, i had the co2 tube with a airstone on the end which I put a few inches below the filte rintake. The airstone created fine bubbles, which the filter sucked up. It worked ok but then i bought the elite mini instead because I was tired of dealing with the airstones. They would get plugged up and covered in white stuff(bacteria?).

For a while i had a 15g with a powerhead running a sponge filter. Then I had my DIY co2 attached to the powerhead airline tubing connection. This setup worked well for a small tank.

[gBOYsc2]

Yes I wanted to set up the hagen mini elite but they discontinued it ..so the pet stores tell me. Although I think you can still get it online. Anyone heard of this?

I don't think so. I purchased mine from a petsmart a few months ago and I recall seeing one at the calgary trail petsmart in the past week or so.

If you have a fine mist bubbler and it is breaking up the bubbles to a very fine mist you should not need anything else. I have a glass ceramic diffuser from GLA and that is all it does. Breaks up the co2 and they just float to the top. The double drop checker reads spot on all the time.