CO2 Injection

J

Jaykit

Means To An End
Feb 4, 2009
953
0
16
Alberta
I just finished setting up my 34 planted tank with new lights and CO2. The lighting is 4x34w with individual reflectors and the CO2 is pressurized from a 10lb cylinder. Heres a link to tank shots:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188504

I have the CO2 diffuser placed right below the intake for one of my HOB AC30 filters. I am wondering whether or not this will be enough to circulate the CO2 around the whole tank? Let me know what you think of the set-up and if I should be changing/modifying anything as this is my first high-tech set-up. Here are some more tech pictures of the CO2:

Under tank: CO2 bottle and prepared ferts for the week.
34GallonFishTankPics001.jpg

Close-up of the CO2 regulator and plumbing down to tiny needle valve.
34GallonFishTankPics002.jpg

Stuck the bubble counter to the side of one of the filters. Works quite well.
34GallonFishTankPics003.jpg

One last shot of the tubing. Still waiting on the check valve so I routed the tubing like a sink drain to prevent water backing into the rest of the tubing.
34GallonFishTankPics004.jpg
 
The first thing that struck me about your description of your setup is the fact that you are bubbling CO2 in to the intake of an HOB filter. The filter might gass off your CO2. I can't see the pictures from the computer that I am using (Fed. Govt.) so I can't see if your filter returns are above or at the level of your tank water. If your return stay below the water line, it might do a good job. If not, it's likely that you will lose a bunch of CO2. Typicall people bubble in to a canister intake since the return is below the water line and the CO2 remains trapped in the canister until it is absorbed into the water.

Best wishes!
 
Yes, I try and maintain the water level about 1" below the top of the tank. The returns are usually below or even with the water level for the most part. It sometimes gets down below inbetween waterchanges/top-ups but never allowed to gurgle the water back into the tank.
 
what kind of diffuser are you using, did you say? Some people say that running co2 bubbles through a filter can lock it up, but you are using a hang on back filter which is not a good idea for co2 injection. I would get a canister filter (Rena XP3 is not overkill trust me) and place your diffuser under the outflow of the filter so that it blows all the chopped up bubbles all over. Plus with a really powerful filter in a smaller tank you get really good dispersed co2 bubbles to all the plants.

I put a Rena XP3 on a 29 gallon heavily planted and it does a great job of circulating water. All the planted sway nicely. You have to ditch that filter for a canister.
 
Right now I'm not really injecting enough to cause a lock up, but when I get it all running at full capacity I will make sure to watch it and maybe move it under the output instead of the intake. The 2 ac30s will have to work for now and money isn't growing on any trees around me and university is taking most of what i do have. I will when I can get a canister and rework the system so it fits.
 
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