Disolving Co2

[Samgoody]

Hi,

I bought a Hagen CO2 diffuser recently. it doesn't do very good.

Can someone tell me what kind of diffuser, reactor or ...... is most effective way

to dissolve co2 into the water? And where I can purchase this item?

Also, What is the best and economic ph and kh test kits I can buy?

thanks,

Samgoody

[Samgoody]

I am using an Aquaclear 300 for filtering. IS it an effecitve method to feed the co2 to the intake of the fiilter to break the co2 bubbles? How about just using a RENA micro bubble air stone?

How do you guys suggest?

Thanks,

Sam

[Milan]

Generally, diffusers are less effective than (power) reactors. Garhan pinned a very good article that very well covers your question.

I have not come across a good/reasonably priced reactor off the shelf. It is very easy and cheap to make your own (DIY).

Water tests, specially pH and KH/GH, are all pretty much the same. I believe it's a matter of personal preference which one you use. On the market you can mostly find AP (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) and Hagen. My preference goes toward AP, even for a couple of bucks more. There was a discussion on this in vendor review section.

I don't think that feeding the CO2 into AC's intake is a very good idea. First, you filter will become noisy, than it will affect (if not stall) the flow, the impeller will not like it ... and most of all it's efficiency in my mind is doubtful.

Along these lines, I would suggest keeping the water level in your tank as high as possible, to minimize the water agitation (degases the CO2) due to waterfalling.

Hope this helps ...

Edited September 11, 2005 by Milan

[Vallisneria]

I have a DIY setup and i found that when i used my AC to diffuse the bubbles it made it really loud and rattled around. I found 2 things that worked really well. The first is a wooden airstone(can't remember the brand) but it produced super fine bubbles you could barely see and worked great. The second is i tried one of those "step ladder" units for the hagen CO2 kit. IT also works great. You can actually see the bubbles getting smaller as they go up the ladder. I hooked 2 ladder units together and the bubbles are completely gone before they reach the surface.

Not sure if these would work for pressurized co2 though.

[Tanker]

I picked up the CO2 kit from Nutrafin and the bubble counter/diffuser is basically useless for all things intended. It collects the bubbles into one very large bubble before spewing it to the atmosphere without really adding to the experience in any way.

Last night I picked up a Sera counter... we'll see if that makes a difference. Otherwise, I'll be going to the powerhead style next and 'doing it right'.

As for runnning the CO2 to a filter intake I have several thoughts on this... first off, you'll run into the previously mentioned impeller nastyness... and there is also the fact that a filter is designed to suck... and you may end up basically drawing the mixture out of the CO2 canister and poluting your tank should you be producing the CO2 that method.

While I am all for innovation and the discovery of new territory in fishkeeping, I would suggest caution in this case as the mechanics are built against you.

[Samgoody]

I have the same experenice with the hagen diffuser. Bubbles keep accumulating and becoming a big bubble and gone out of the ladder rail and rise and get wasted.

I am going to return that piece of crap.

[Vallisneria]

I have the same experenice with the hagen diffuser. Bubbles keep accumulating and becoming a big bubble and gone out of the ladder rail and rise and get wasted.

I am going to return that piece of crap

Really, mine works great. Mine has done the "bubble getting suck thing" before but it was usually due to it being dirty(bubbles were getting stuck on something) or that the diffuser was tilted so the angle of the "ladders" was causing the bubbles to collect instead of flowing.

But i use mine all the time and never had much problems. I like it better then the airstone because when i used the airstone you could hear the bubbles coming out of it and that wasn't good as the tank is right next to the TV.

[Milan]

Just as a remainder, Nutrafin CO2 diffuser is good for tanks up to 20 g. That's what they claim ...

Further, ... I have not seen it yet disolving a bubble significantly (say 50-60%), before escaping the ladder. Piesces had one working on display few weeks ago, and it worked pathetic ..

I would assume, it's better than without it, but still ...

[Vallisneria]

Just as a remainder, Nutrafin CO2 diffuser is good for tanks up to 20 g. That's what they claim ...

Thats true but i dont' use the whole nutrifin kit. I just use the ladders which i attach to my DIY yeast jugs. I use 2 ladders one on top of the other so the bubbles have to go through both of them before reaching the surface. By using the 2 ladders in my tank the bubbles are just tiny specks by the time they reach the end.

Works great for me even though everyone else seems to hates them :P

[Milan]

I didn't know they are stackable. Still, two of them makes for $40 ... I can think of a more efficient reactor for about little more than half that price.

[andyg]

I use the Hagen ladder in both my 20 & 50. ( one in each ) They work great, bubbles usually shrink down to about 1/16" by the time they reach the top.

The drawback with them is that they have to be perfectly level to work properly.

Also the ladder has to be greased up usually with a slight film produced by either the CO2 of algae for the bubbles to flow smoothly. This usually can takes up a couple of weeks to happen. ( Before this you just get accumulating bubbles that suddenly release in one large burp )

As with Valerie, I use a couple of 2 1/2 liter jugs that I rotate every couple of weeks.

I had no problems maintainning 25-30 ppm CO2 in the 50.

Andy

[Milan]

There are numerous designs of reactors you can find on the Net. If it may help, this is what I built (sorry for the sketch, I didn't have camera at that time):

1. Gravel Vacum from WalMart (~$7)

2. Elite mini submersible pump from Pet Land (~$12)

3. Bio Ball from the above LFS (free)

4. Check valve

5. Air stone

6. Foam filter (Aqua Clear, ~$4)

6. Some tubing

CO2 is injected thru air stone under the bio ball. Some bubbles get trapped in the ball, some in the thin layer of gravel, and if anything gets above this, gets beaten up by the water coming into the reactor from the top. If anything gets carried bellow the air stone by the current (never happens) , gets trapped in the foam at the bottom. Bio ball also supports the gravel, so that the air stone is visible (kind of a bubble counter).

Literally, there are no bubbles escaping the reactor (100% efficiency).

Approx. cost is about $30, .. and about couple of hours to put it together

Hope it helps ...

[Garhan]

I myself have tried various styles of diffusers, reactors and other things to disolve C02 in the water colum. Bar none the Powerhead is by far the most effient and trouble free. It also will achieve the desired ppm level of c02 that you need to make your plants happy. I know this by not just my own expewrience, but also from several other very succesful plant enthusiasts results.

Wether you use a home made brew/reactor or a C02 bottle and regulator this Powerhead system is excellent and very inexpensive by comparisons to other systems.

[fish_man]

iv used the DIY method for about 3 months. it does stink after a wial but still works

[Vallisneria]

it does stink after a wial but still works

How do you mean it stinks? I"ve been doing DIY CO2 for a couple years now and never noticed an odor. The only time it smells is when i change bottles and dump out the old stuff. Even then it just smells like yeasty alcohol.