CO2 with Bio Wheels???

[J Migidy]

I have a 55 gallon Angel tank with two penguin 350 bio wheels. I'm having some CO2 issues and right now the only source of carbon my plants are getting is from Seachem Excel. There has to be a better/inexpensive way without moving to a canister with a pressurized CO2 system? Any suggestions??

[SparKy697]

Everything I have learned so far about carbon is that you have two basic choices. Excel like you (and I ) are doing. Or co2 gas produced either by yeast or pressurized tanks.

The latter choice involves dissolving co2 gas into the water in the tank. You know what happens when you shake up a container of carbonated liquid? The same principles apply here, agitation causes the gas to come out of solution and escape into the atmosphere.

Bio Wheel filters do a fine job of aeration and unfortunately will do the same thing , only in reverse, with the co2.

[hashbaz]

Most people find that they can simply remove the biowheels from the filter without any problems. This will probably help. If you are really concerned about filtration you may be able to add a submersible filter.

Are you doing DIY CO2? It takes a LOT of bottles to generate enough CO2 for a 55.

[SparKy697]

I never thought about taking the wheel out.

I do get quite a bit of surface agitation just by the water falling into the tank though, wouldn't this be an issue also?

[Lonewolfblue]

The least expensive way, and the most effective IMO, is CO2 mist. This is where you run the CO2 into a powerhead, creating a mist of CO2 bubbles throughout the tank. I've had excellent growth this way. Now, if you are using a biowheel, I don't think it will have a lot of affect, as most of your CO2 is going to be via the mist in the tank. I run a lot more surface aggitation in my tanks than what a biowheel would do, and my growth is very good.

Basically, what you need is the CO2 source, CO2 line, and powerheads. If pressurized, you will need the tank and the regulator/solenoid/needle valve/bubble counter. This will then run through the CO2 tubing to the powerhead. And I personally use a Limewood airstone under the powerhead to eliminate the noise caused by the impeller smashing the bubbles. If you would like me to show a more detailed setup (both in my 29G and 75G), let me know and I can go over them with you. It's probably the cheapest way to do it as well.

Edit:
Here's my thread on it....
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=91515

[Purrbox]

Until you actually starting injecting CO2 via either DIY or Pressurized, the Bio Wheels and the splashing as the water returns to the tank is a good thing. They help return CO2 to atmospheric levels, which keeps the CO2 levels up in a non injected tank. Once you start injecting CO2, this becomes a bad thing since it means that they are helping to gas off the extra CO2 you're trying to add to the tank.

While you could put together a DIY CO2 setup for a 55 gallon tank, you'll probably find that it is one huge headache. You'll need to setup and regularly change out several bottles of CO2 mix (probably six 2 liter or three gallon bottles). Changes in the house temperature and other factors will affect the CO2 output and make it difficult to maintain a steady high level of CO2 in the tank. Further the amount of sugar and yeast that you will go through, would quickly pay for a Pressurized setup without even taking into account the cost of your time. Add in the cost of Excel, and that Pressurized setup will be paid for even sooner.