Injecting DIY CO2

B

blankenship

AC Members
Sep 27, 2004
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Quick question....

To inject my DIY CO2 I can either connect the tube from the 2 liter bottle to an air diffuser attched to the inside of my tank, or I can take the tube from the 2 liter bottle and put it in the intake tube of my HOB filter. Correct?
 
I'm using DIY CO2 in my tank, I didn't want to try injecting it via a filter so I decided to use a 4" bubble wall (started out with an airstone, bubbles were way to large) and it's working very well for me. The diffuser you found looks like it will work really well.
 
I injected CO2 through the intake of my HOB for years with no problem.
Just run it into the intake of the siphon. It will be drawn up into the impeller and dispersed into the water table.
Doing it that way, you can also see the bubbles going up the tube, and they can be counted if you turn off the filter temporarily.
Then you want your filter to create as little surface disturbance as possible. This is accomplished by cutting a piece of filter sponge the width of your return ramp and then putting a slice across it to fit it over the lip.

Using an air stone or similar creates back pressure which, IMO is not a good idea.

Len
 
Len, would you mind explaining about the back pressure? I'm using several bottles in a chain, one airline and one 4" bubble wall - am I asking for trouble here? I just bought a canister filter and I'm planning to remove the two HOBs I'm using right now, once the new filter is established. Should I direct the airline into the canister below the tank (not sure how) or into the uptake inside the tank?
blankenship, sorry to jump on your post, I hope you don't mind since the advice might help you as well.
 
Most porous materials such as air stones have a tendency to load up with a sort of gunk type residue over time when used as vehicles for dispersing DIY CO2. This residue clogs the pores that the gas escapes through. As they clog the back pressure created can cause DIY bottles to explode.
Whereas, when using a filter the gas is 'drawn' up the tube and into the filter.

BTW, unless you are using a very fine stone they are not very efficient, by comparison to many other methods.
Some people will put tubes into the intakes of cannisters, but some cannisters get 'air locks' when used this way. Best method with a cannister is to inject into a chamber located on the out flow of the cannister. These are widely used, not very expensive to make........and generally very effective.

Len
 
I tried it on my cannister filter intake but it was noisy and trapped gas pockets. You could try a cigarette butt. It's actually quite effective.
 
There are many designs of reactors for cannisters, made up of PVC pipes and connectors that can be picked up at Home Depot for less than $20 and they are very efficient.
rieverix's reply is just what I was talking about when you inject into the intake side of a cannister.

Len
 
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