Questions on DIY cfl lighting and C02!

sCeRaXn said:
thrak76- So one HOT is barely enough for your 29gal? If thats the case then im gonna get a larger canister filter because using two Magnums will be over $100 more than running a single large filter.
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I ended up ditching the HOT as a solo for the 29g and going with a Marineland c-220, with the HOT as a backup/polisher, on the same tank. The HOT was sufficient for awhile, until i added more fish, and then plants.
The c-220 is performing very well though, and has even more options for customization, due to the 4 stacking media trays.
 
Cool deal, thanks for the help man. Im going to Petsmart in a few minutes and im gonna look at their filters. They had Marineland and Rena's on sale for a good price so i might pick one up. Is there anything special i need to look for when buying a new filter? Should i get one thats much larger than the aquarium its going on? The one i was looking at the other day was a Rena made for a 70gal...will that be enough?

Thanks again for the help everyone!
 
I love my Rena xp3 canister filter. Runs so quiet and keeps my water crystal clear. I currently have one XP3 on my 127g turtle tank with fish and it's perfectly clear. I'm going be ordering 2 more XP3's soon, one for a 75g tank and then the other for the 127g just so I don't have to clean it as much.

But I highly recommend the Rena canister filters.
 
Well thanks to everyones input ive started my new filter setup. I went with the Rena XP2 and a Magnum HOT for polishing. I bought the xp2 today and just got it set up. So far im loving how quiet and simple it is. Im still running the Top Fin 60 until im sure the biofilter has been established in the new canister. I turned it off for a second and without that loud ******* the tank is completely silent. Its only been up and running for about 30min and i can already tell a difference.

Hopefully i can have the c02 up and running in a few weeks. Ive read that its possible to inject it into a canister filter, but i havent found any detailed descriptions/how-to's on how to do it. Does anyone have any tips or links on this subject? Also, would it be best to run it through the xp2 or the HOT?
 
I believe that for canister co2 diffusion, you just need to stick the output airline tube of the co2 generator near or in the intake for the canister. You can force the tube between the screen of the intake, or use suction cups and place the end near the intake screen, or however you come up with to keep it there.
I've no experience with the xp2, but i wouldn't try direct co2 injection with the HOT. I tried that, and within minutes the HOT was gurgling and spurting, as if there were huge air bubbles in the canister. I reset and tried it again with the same results. Try the xp2 injection, and skip the HOT!
 
thrak76 said:
I believe that for canister co2 diffusion, you just need to stick the output airline tube of the co2 generator near or in the intake for the canister. You can force the tube between the screen of the intake, or use suction cups and place the end near the intake screen, or however you come up with to keep it there.
I've no experience with the xp2, but i wouldn't try direct co2 injection with the HOT. I tried that, and within minutes the HOT was gurgling and spurting, as if there were huge air bubbles in the canister. I reset and tried it again with the same results. Try the xp2 injection, and skip the HOT!
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Thanks for the input. Im thinking about slash cutting the tubing and inserting it into one of the spare extender tubes for the intake, that way ill get a venturi effect. The only thing im worried about is the xp series filters supposedly evacuate any air/gasses that get into the filter so that it wont burn up the motor.

Has anyone tried c02 injection through an xp series filter? If so, have you had problems with the filter seperating the c02 and not allowing it to dissolve properly inside the canister? I guess the only way to find out is to try it. Im getting an adapter machined that will allow me to use the standard regulator on a paintball tank, so i wont have it up and running for a few weeks. Im also getting a bubble counter machined from aluminum...im gonna use a threaded glass tube from a water seperator for a compressor as the viewable portion of the bc. Im pretty excited about it.
 
SMinNC said:
I think your Pacu is going to love the plants.
In a bad way.
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Ive purposely raised this Pacu on a mixture of live food and blanched zuchinni. So far he hasnt paid any attention to any of my plants. He gets fed well at the exact same time everyday which helps too.
 
What do you mean? Hell thrive happily in that tank for years, and when he outgrows it hell be transfered to my dads 125gal. Trust me, his health comes before the tank. Hes extremely healthy and happy right now and hes one of the most vibrantly colored Pacu ive ever seen. Usually at his size most of the red on his belly and sides wouldve faded a little, but hes actually more red now than when he was young. 1/3rd of his body is bright red. Everyone comments on his colors...even my dad who has 20yrs experience with Pacu.

Or did you mean the plants have a death sentence?
 
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