co2 advice

[SparKy697]

I have my tank, regulator,bubble counter, and solenoid valve. The only thing I can think of other than a pH controller is a diffuser.

I have found a number of different types but they all seem to have their pros and cons.

Can anybody suggest a good diffuser for a 29 gallon?

I don't have any problem with diy I just don't think I want to use a power head. I currently have a bio wheel filter and will probably be using it for a while (it was canister filter or co2 at the moment) so I can't use the filter as a method of dispersing gas.

Also, how risky is it to run a pressurized co2 system without a pH controller?

 

[JDogg]

I have my tank, regulator,bubble counter, and solenoid valve. The only thing I can think of other than a pH controller is a diffuser.

I have found a number of different types but they all seem to have their pros and cons.

Can anybody suggest a good diffuser for a 29 gallon?

I don't have any problem with diy I just don't think I want to use a power head.

dare that was going to be my suggestion, i think it works great

I currently have a bio wheel filter

you need to remove the wheels then, they out-gas to much of your CO2

and will probably be using it for a while (it was canister filter or co2 at the moment) so I can't use the filter as a method of dispersing gas.

Also, how risky is it to run a pressurized co2 system without a pH controller?

i think may do it, but i have not used pressurized so what do i know :?

 

[Purrbox]

There's nothing that requires you to use a pH controller with your CO2. It's one of those extras that gives you more control over the CO2 levels in your tank and will prolong the length of a CO2 refill. You could just as easily run your selonoid on a timer, run it 24/7.

As JDogg mentioned, you'll need to remove the BioWheels when you start injecting CO2, if you haven't already. They are excellant at gassing out CO2 and while you can compensate for this loss with pressurized CO2 it's very wasteful and will lead to having to refill your tank more often.

I would recommend going with a powered reactor or the mist method. A powered reactor can be bought from several vendors or DIY'd, and the mist method just requires a fine airstone and a powerhead. Most of these solutions involve a powerhead or waterpump, unless you're going to hook an inline reactor up to your canister filter.

 

[SparKy697]

I didn't think about the bio wheel. I have read that quite a few times too. So that's an easy trade, no controller = canister filter . For some unknown reason, the wife seems to think that I need some kind of budget imposed on me when it comes to my hobbies 8O

Ok, so without a pH controller, what will I be doing to make sure my pH does not go crazy? Just more frequent manual tests? Or will I be feeding less co2 so that pH does not get that high?

Much to read about and learn still about the tank chemistry. I still don't have my head around the pH-co2-hardness relationship yet.

 

[Purrbox]

Basically you'll just need to set the bubble rate at the appropriate level to ensure that you are injecting enough CO2 to achieve the desired levels but not so much that you put the fish in trouble. This will require some upfront tweaking of the bubble rate, monitoring of fish behavior, and testing of CO2 levels but should be relatively maintenance free once set. Once set you'll just need to glance at the gages regularly so that you know when the cylindar gets close to empty. At this point you'll need to keep a close eye on your bubble rate to ensure that there aren't any problems and arrange to take the cylindar in to be refilled.

 

[Zezmo]

Also, how risky is it to run a pressurized co2 system without a pH controller?

Running a Ph contoller may in fact be riskier than using simple timers to turn your CO2 on and off. With a controller you have to worry about calibration, cleaning the probe, and even potential probe failure.
As Purrbox mentioned, testing is used to determine the correct bubble rate for the tank. After that is set, then occasional testing to verify things are steady.

 

[SparKy697]

This is good news then.

Not that I'm put off over the issue of calibration and maintenance, I do calibrations of measurement instruments at work frequently. I do like the idea that this can be done with low tech as well.

I'm finding information on inline reactors for co2. It looks like I can place a reactor in line with the discharge to the tank.

Any red flags with doing that?