elwaine
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 174
Do they work in small tanks (mine is only 18 gallons)? Anyone out there have experience with them? I'm referring to this: Double Membrane Diffuser
CO2 Membrane Diffusers - do they work?
- Thread starter elwaine
- Start date
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elwaine
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 174
Many thanks fort. I was thinking of trying a membrane diffuser if my current experiment with running CO2 through my Eheim 2213 didn't produce satisfactory results. I was having a bit of difficulty until I figured out how to deliver the CO2 effectively. As it turns out, I'm now getting higher levels of CO2 using the filter as a reactor than I was with a ceramic bubble diffuser... and I'm using less CO2 to boot.
I'm not happy with ceramic bubble diffusers for a number of reasons: lack of effeciency; the need to clean the diffuser periodically; and finally, I don't like the way they look in the tank.
I know Tom Barr likes bubble diffusers. Tom once expressed concern that routing CO2 via one's main filter could compromise growth of beneficial bacteria. I don't think that happens - at least not to any meaningful extent. I didn't actually do bacterial counts, but my NH4 and Nitrites remain at zero in two different aquariums in which the only filter is used as a part time CO2 reactor. (I only run CO2 during the photo period.)
I'm not happy with ceramic bubble diffusers for a number of reasons: lack of effeciency; the need to clean the diffuser periodically; and finally, I don't like the way they look in the tank.
I know Tom Barr likes bubble diffusers. Tom once expressed concern that routing CO2 via one's main filter could compromise growth of beneficial bacteria. I don't think that happens - at least not to any meaningful extent. I didn't actually do bacterial counts, but my NH4 and Nitrites remain at zero in two different aquariums in which the only filter is used as a part time CO2 reactor. (I only run CO2 during the photo period.)
Yeah, I am not so sure using your filter as a CO2 reactor would have ANY effect on nitrosomonas, nitrobacter, or nitrospira. I would think in terms of an effect on any bacterial strain (particularly the gram negative strains in question), the largest factor CO2 injection would change is pH. There have been many studies done in which gram negative bacteria have survived in an environment with pH < 5.0. I doubt even with CO2 concentrated inside your filter you would see pH that low.
