CO2 idea

[imafloormatt]

So I am working on building a wet dry filter into a 10g tank ( like this person did but I plan to change it up a bit: http://www.danoreef.com/DIY_5.5.htm) and I have just about figured out how I am going to do it when I realized I wont be able to defuse CO2 using a canister filter because I wont be using one. I was thinking I could still use something like this: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/65191-my-diy-co2-reactor.html except use a powerhead rather than a filter. I was thinking it would be something like this:



Any ideas? Will this even work?

 

[Nolapete]

you can make it work, but not like you have it plumbed.

Put a T where the blue CO2 is with a piece of pvc up with an endcap on it. Feed the CO2 into there. The water will contact the CO2, but the bubbles won't just flow into the tank. That's what will happen with the way you have it now.

 

[coach_z]

Food for thought before you continue:
if your wet/dry is not sealed closed it will gass off all of your co2 rendering any dispersed co2 useless.

your design should work as long as water is flowing down at some point and the co2 is injected at 'the top'

 

[imafloormatt]

like this,Nolapete?
Will I need some way to let the extra gas out if it builds up?

Coach: The CO2 being add is the last thing before it is sent back into the tank.

 

[dundadundun]

i wouldn't put it there. i'd replace a 90 elbow with it.

 

[imafloormatt]

What if I made that DIY reactor into the plumbing?
I was thinking it would work like this and the CO2 gas would float up rather than be pushed into the tank:

 

[jmhart]

Check out my plumbing:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2264527&postcount=52

The MD7 is the pump feeding my inline reactor. CO2 is fed into the line directly before the pump, which chops it up and sends it into the reactor. Then, there is a line from the top of the reactor back upstream in front of the pump, so any co2 that's not dissolved is just fed back into the pump.


You can do something a little like that.


However, Coach Z is right, you'll lose a ton of co2 with the wet/dry unless you figure out a way to seal it off.

 

[coach_z]

JM that is a heck of a setup you have there....

i am glad that you 2nd'd the possible difficulties of a co2 injected tank with a sump.

 

[jones57742]

if: put the CO2 injection in front of the powerhead.

The impeller will diffuse the CO2.

TR

 

[schaadrak]

:iagree:

Some PH's also have a venturi hole that your CO2 can be run to, but the impeller will do a better job of mixing the CO2 into the water.

Also agree with the W/D filter de-gassing the CO2. Even if its sealed off, it will take quite a while for the CO2 in the water to reach an equilibrium with the CO2 in the air inside the filter, and then you have CO2 saturated air interfering with the way the W/D is supposed to work. I would trade the W/D for a canister if I were you.