As far as the AM 1000 reactor, well, that's just one brand, I do all my diffusers DIY or maybe a glass Rhinox off the ebay thing.
They(Rhinox) look and work as good as the ADA models for the most part.
20$ or so for a 5cm version.
I also made a dual venturi style Reactor, works better than the AM1000, but the dual venturi loop can be added to an AM1000 also.
A simpler idea is to use say a Rio 600 or so, cut the impeller blades and bubble the CO2 into this, so called needle wheel powerhead diffuser. Very easy, never clog, cranks a ton of ultra fine CO2 mist into the aquarium with a very small foot print.
Search various threads using "CO2 needle wheel" on my site, The Planted Tank and here.
Very simple and effective.
Cost; 15-20$ for the powerhead, vs say 70$-80$ for AM 1000.
Depends if you want in line with the 2217 or if you want a small internal, once plants are grown in, then it's easy to hide a small powerhead.
Then there's is of the filter, I'd add at least 2 of the Ehiem's on a tank this size. More is always better than less.
You can add more current(the rio would help there), and if you use an in line AM 1000, if the filter clogs, so does the CO2.........so both are reduced and drop should you not to remember to clean regularly etc.
And you will forget........and when CO2 goes down........you will get algae and poor plant growth, but most try to blame it on nutrients......
Always suspect CO2 issues. Nutrients are farther down the line.
Light, once set, is very stable.
CO2 moves around much faster and causes a lot more issues.
Adding it during the day only allows you to have more wiggle room and add more, since it's a temporary "burst".
If you are adding something that if you mess up= dead fish........then it's much better to only add it when you need it.
The 24/7 crowd often have poor efficacy for their diffusion methods, and need a long response time to have it build up enough. Or often times: DIY yeast CO2 which is often hard to get enough CO2(again, a band aid CO2 issue, not doign the CO2 right and effective from the start).
Still it can work for some, mostly lower light or DIY folks, but does nothing good for fish, some do not care as much about the fish also. So it may not matter much for them. Some say it's easier, like this is some horrid trade off or something => adding a timer or a solenoid???
Right.......
But the ethics of stressing fish and I guess is small price to pay for not being able to buy a timer......??
I fail to see the logic.
It's 2/3's of the day I do not have to worry at all about gassing the fish. It's 2/3rd's of WASTED CO2 also. Since PPS likes to make a big deal about waste and excess, adding just enough why is this overlooked as well as light intensity?
If you go with a general philosophy, stick to it.
I guess I'm just not as selective in my logic when it's convenient.
If you buy into it, go whole hog.
Regards,
Tom Barr
They(Rhinox) look and work as good as the ADA models for the most part.
20$ or so for a 5cm version.
I also made a dual venturi style Reactor, works better than the AM1000, but the dual venturi loop can be added to an AM1000 also.
A simpler idea is to use say a Rio 600 or so, cut the impeller blades and bubble the CO2 into this, so called needle wheel powerhead diffuser. Very easy, never clog, cranks a ton of ultra fine CO2 mist into the aquarium with a very small foot print.
Search various threads using "CO2 needle wheel" on my site, The Planted Tank and here.
Very simple and effective.
Cost; 15-20$ for the powerhead, vs say 70$-80$ for AM 1000.
Depends if you want in line with the 2217 or if you want a small internal, once plants are grown in, then it's easy to hide a small powerhead.
Then there's is of the filter, I'd add at least 2 of the Ehiem's on a tank this size. More is always better than less.
You can add more current(the rio would help there), and if you use an in line AM 1000, if the filter clogs, so does the CO2.........so both are reduced and drop should you not to remember to clean regularly etc.
And you will forget........and when CO2 goes down........you will get algae and poor plant growth, but most try to blame it on nutrients......
Always suspect CO2 issues. Nutrients are farther down the line.
Light, once set, is very stable.
CO2 moves around much faster and causes a lot more issues.
Adding it during the day only allows you to have more wiggle room and add more, since it's a temporary "burst".
If you are adding something that if you mess up= dead fish........then it's much better to only add it when you need it.
The 24/7 crowd often have poor efficacy for their diffusion methods, and need a long response time to have it build up enough. Or often times: DIY yeast CO2 which is often hard to get enough CO2(again, a band aid CO2 issue, not doign the CO2 right and effective from the start).
Still it can work for some, mostly lower light or DIY folks, but does nothing good for fish, some do not care as much about the fish also. So it may not matter much for them. Some say it's easier, like this is some horrid trade off or something => adding a timer or a solenoid???
Right.......
But the ethics of stressing fish and I guess is small price to pay for not being able to buy a timer......??
I fail to see the logic.
It's 2/3's of the day I do not have to worry at all about gassing the fish. It's 2/3rd's of WASTED CO2 also. Since PPS likes to make a big deal about waste and excess, adding just enough why is this overlooked as well as light intensity?
If you go with a general philosophy, stick to it.
I guess I'm just not as selective in my logic when it's convenient.
If you buy into it, go whole hog.
Regards,
Tom Barr
. Anyway, you live and you learn, and I dont think any tank can be setup perfectly without glitches and without having to buy more stuff. Again, luckily for me, I can just cry to my boss and spend a little more company money. Of couse, this has it's limits. If I dont have an AMAZING tank mostly done in the next month, people are going to start asking questions and wondering where the hell all the money went. 
opcorn: for all my fans, it is going to be a long wait...
