Looking for a good CO2 diffuser/reactor

NJ Devils Fan -- I have my DIY CO2 set up ready with 2 bottles. I am now looking for a way to diffuse the CO2 into my water to the best capacity. :)

Well, I've done a quick bit of research on the Hagen 402. Sounds like a great powerhead! I'll give it a try with a DIY! Thanks for the ideas!
 
Most powerheads are fine, smaller generally is less obtrusive.
Most use those rio pumps since they are cheap and effective.
I've used Hagen's in the past.

My personal fav is the Maxi jets.

If you are cheap, you can use a 16 oz soda bottle and stick a pump on top of that and melt the plastic or add some vinyl tubing to squeeze the connection together. Cut the bottom off. Bubble the gas into the chamber.

Cost: just the pump.

Lots of folks simply bubble the CO2 into their filter.

G's design is simply the input tube on the canister has a 2"x12" PCV tube with a few bio balls in it and a 1/2" to 2" bushing to connect the filter tubing to and it hangs vertically going down into the filter.
No bubbles get into the filter since they are all caught in the larger diameter tubing before hand. The gas gets compelety dissolved. You feed the gas into the filter intake etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
One thing I forgot to mention is that where the air line goes into the bottom of the power head I use one of those disposable air "stones". It acts to distribute smaller bubbles into the power head for added absorption into the water. They come in coarse and fine.....get the fine. The reason I use the disposables is that regular airstones, in my experience tend to disintegrate over a short period of time when used with CO2
 
I really like my eheim diffuser. I just have it sitting right under the intake for my filter and I hardly ever hear it "burp" like I did befor I got it. I did however take that rediculous high pressure check valve off of it so that I could run at lower pressures.
 
Even the best experts and the most anal retentive people that check everything all the the time have lost entire tank loads of fish using Eheim disc.

I never lost any fish with them but I was lucky. I know of at least 7 personal instances where entire fish loads were lost as a direct result. Adding a needle valve to all gas systems is _mandatory_. Regular cleaning is also a must for good performance with any diffuser disc.

Those things have some seriously bad mojo.
I'll never use one of those as long as I live and breath.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
I don't see how it can be that different from a setup with a powerhead or a simple bubble to the intake method. I use a needlevalve, I took off the retarded high pressure check valve and added a normal one, and I change the tank before a it gets too low. I have used it for over a year now, and I have yet to lose a fish. I agree that running any pressure system w/o a needle valve is crazy, but i just don't see how my setup is any different w/the high pressure check valve and a needle valve attached.
 
Reactors and other method require needle valve. No other way.
Eheim Disc yes, they have that bad check valve also, but many folks used them without needle valves in the past. Those are the ones that lost their fish when the main gas tank lost pressure.
Dumps don't occur with needle valve due to the bottle neck effects of the device.

The disc needs maintained and cleaned in order to function well(ideally monthly) and use a needle valve if you use one. Do that, and they work pretty good.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
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