View Full Version : Would this work for injecting C02?
Mooch28
01-29-2005, 1:12 PM
Hey guys,
I asked a simular question before and i got a lot of help from here, but that one involved using a hagen reactor as well as a zoomed pump, but now im wondering if this would work.......
Ok so i take the line (tubing) from my C02 regulator and put it straight in the Venturi aerater on top of my pump which sits just above the power head (clear white tube). This way the C02 would go straight into the pump, and be minced up by the propeller and thrown out in much smaller bubbles that could be asorbd by the water easier. Having the pump, i would save atleast 20+ bucks doing this and not having to buy a additional reactor, but would this work? Id probably have drop the pump to the bottom of the tank, but that can be done as the pump is submersable.....anyways, heres a pic of the pump i have, which is capable of pushing 270 GPH.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idProduct=MZ3117
Mooch28
01-29-2005, 2:49 PM
Would this work......
http://www.pricenetwork.ca/gallery/albums/userpics/10007/jan.jpg
The bubbles would basically go into the filter, throught the media, be chopped up and come out in fine bubles. Am i dreaming? :idea2:
Lots of folks feed CO2 into their canisters, using them as reactors - your situation should be similar. I have not done this myself, but many planted tank folks do with success.
If, by the 'venturi aerator' you mean the small tube that sits on top of the water return
then the answer is no. The gas will not go into the power head impeller that way.
You need to feed the gas into the bottom of the pump where the water intake is. It will then be sucked up into the impeller, chopped up and pushed out into the water table as a fine mist.
The lower you place the power head in the tank, the more absorption you will get, because the mist coming out will have further to travel in the water before hitting the surface to gas off.
In your picture it looks to me like you are running the tubing into the correct spot on the uptake tube of the filter or power head. Venturi aerators are typically located on the return of the power head.
Len
Mooch28
01-30-2005, 8:16 AM
If, by the 'venturi aerator' you mean the small tube that sits on top of the water return
then the answer is no. The gas will not go into the power head impeller that way.
You need to feed the gas into the bottom of the pump where the water intake is. It will then be sucked up into the impeller, chopped up and pushed out into the water table as a fine mist.
The lower you place the power head in the tank, the more absorption you will get, because the mist coming out will have further to travel in the water before hitting the surface to gas off.
In your picture it looks to me like you are running the tubing into the correct spot on the uptake tube of the filter or power head. Venturi aerators are typically located on the return of the power head.
Len
Thats actually not my tank, but rather a pic i found on the net of someone doing it that way. I here your canister filter can get real noisy though. Ill probably have to try the small water pump method first as you suggested too me.....
That is why I do not use that technique - I am neurotic about noise. Plus I would worry about air-locking the impeller.
Mooch28
01-30-2005, 8:28 AM
That is why I do not use that technique - I am neurotic about noise. Plus I would worry about air-locking the impeller.
Ya, ive heard the horror stories or read up on them. Last thing i want. I can stand a 50 dollar pump going down, but not a bilogically set canister filter which costs much more.........
djlen
01-30-2005, 10:00 AM
AC 402 power head.....about $15 at Big Al's. It will do a nice job and circulate the tank nicely as well. A very strong pump.
I don't think there would be much noise in a cannister, but the gas/air lock risk is a strong possibility when feeding on the intake side. If you ever decide to inject in conjunction with your cannister, do it with an in-line reactor on the return end.
Len
Watcher74
01-30-2005, 12:18 PM
I saw a set-up somewhere(maybe here) where a guy made a diffuser out of PVC pipe filled with Bio-Balls and placed it on the outtake of his canister filter. It was placed so the water would push down at about a 45 degree angle and then up to the tank.
He stated it was very quiet and he got 100% mixture of the CO2 into the tank water.
That technique I do not mind at all. It works fine, no downside so long as the reactor is suitably sized for the water flow and CO2 addition rate.
reiverix
01-30-2005, 5:48 PM
I saw a set-up somewhere(maybe here) where a guy made a diffuser out of PVC pipe filled with Bio-Balls and placed it on the outtake of his canister filter. It was placed so the water would push down at about a 45 degree angle and then up to the tank.
He stated it was very quiet and he got 100% mixture of the CO2 into the tank water.
I wonder if that's the one I made your talking about there. I've since made a new reactor that screws apart so I can clean it out if need be. I also cut down on the number of bio-balls from 10 to just 5. I still get 100% CO2 dissolve so I'm questioning if the bio-balls even do much, considering that the CO2 mix is carried about 4 feet before going into the tank.
Watcher74
01-30-2005, 6:10 PM
reiverix,
Yeah, you are the one I was talking about!
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39318
I don't suppose you have a list of items to get and directions on how you made it do you?
Because of that post I have purchased some bio-balls and left extra slack in my outtake on the eheim so I can do the same thing.
reiverix
01-30-2005, 7:29 PM
I don't have any of the individual parts laying around so here's the best I can do until I head back to Lowes.
A) Is 2 inch PVC tubing. About a foot long. I wish you could get clear stuff as it would look kind of neat to watch it in action.
B) One end is PVC cemented onto part A. The other end has a thread (female).
C) This screws into part B. Use plenty teflon tape.
D) Is cemented into part C. I think it is a 2 inch to 3/4 inch reducer. My Fluval 304 tubing fit nicely into it. I also used some silicon for a bit extra safety. You might want to take a short length of your cannister tubing with you to make sure you get the correct reducer size.
There's 5 bio-balls in there. I did find that it reduced the water output but I also have a 204 in there so it's no big deal.
I spent $25 on one of those fancy ceramic diffusers from Japan. This costs less that 10 bucks, is way better, and one less thing in the tank.
Hope you find this info handy.
http://www.truescotland.com/reactor.jpg
The main purpose of the bioballs is to produce turbulent flow to better dissolve the CO2. Laminar flow is the last thing you want in such a reactor. The bioballs are cheap insurance.