Just thought I would share. Also posted this in the DIY section. I'm just so happy with it so far. Got some new plants to go with it. It's on my 30 gal. ENJOY!
My new DIY Co2....
- Thread starter uglyfido
- Start date
Yeah, I was really surprised by how well it works. I thought about the reactor thing, but decided that straight into the filter was cheaper.
In my experience, feeding co2 into the intake of a filter such as an AquaClear causes a die-off of the nitrifying bacteria on the filter media and a subsequent ammonia spike and algae bloom. Your filter may be different though.
I got one of these instead off of ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Nano-Co2-diffus...ryZ66795QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The thing shipped all the way from Singapore but it arrived intact. Charged less for shipping than a lot of domestic people do.
Presumably you would need the larger size, as my tank is a 10 gallon.
I got one of these instead off of ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Nano-Co2-diffus...ryZ66795QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The thing shipped all the way from Singapore but it arrived intact. Charged less for shipping than a lot of domestic people do.
Presumably you would need the larger size, as my tank is a 10 gallon.
I've never had a problem with ammonia or bacterial die off on either of my tanks when I ran co2 into the filter intake.
On my 32g, though, I've never been able to maintain enough co2 with only one bottle. Right now I'm running 2 - 2L and thinking of bumping it up to 3.
On my 32g, though, I've never been able to maintain enough co2 with only one bottle. Right now I'm running 2 - 2L and thinking of bumping it up to 3.
<running 2x1G DIY jugs for a 46G w/ canister filter (minimal surface agitation) - is barely adequate. HOBs cause loss of more CO2 than canisters do (generally).
Airline tubing leaks a fair amount of CO2. If you need more than a few feet of it, you should consider switching to something that's more CO2 proof.
Airline tubing leaks a fair amount of CO2. If you need more than a few feet of it, you should consider switching to something that's more CO2 proof.
Well, so far everything seems to be inline. The system is working and I don't seem to notice a loss of any Co2, but then i'm still a newb in that dept. Ralleh, I haven't had that problem as of yet and it's been on there for a few days. I will continue to monitor and test regularly though. Squawk, if you don't suggest airline tubing then what do you suggest? I went the cheapest road possible on this since it's my first time doing it and I wanted to see how it worked. I am looking into a diffuser for the future as the Co2 popping in the filter is driving my g/f insane. I used an 8 foot line but I can shorten it if I find it necessary. Keep the feedback coming guys. I like knowing that others are doing this as well. Plus, it gives me leverage with the g/f. :thm:
What worked well for me for both reducing noise and increasing efficiency, is adding an airstone to the line. What I did was remove the whole intake tube from the filter, shove the airline tube up through the slats until it came out the other end, and then installed an extra skinny airstone I got at my lfs (it was called a "diffuser" but it just amounted to a skinny airstone). Then I shoved the tubing back down in and installed the intake tube. This breaks up the bubbles into smaller ones that are both not as noisy and more efficient in dissolving the co2. I can't even hear my 32g tank when I'm sitting 10 feet away, unless the whole house is quiet and I'm trying to listen to it. That's with a constant stream of bubbles.
I fill mine almost up fuller than that and don't have a problem. You want it as full as you can to eliminate dead air space that you have to fill with co2, but at first it's good to err on the less full side until you get used to how much foam you end up with. Foam in the tank is not good (I know from experience).