DIY CO2

[black hills tj]

Okay everyone...really debating CO2 right now. Producing the CO2 and building the DIY CO2 kit is the easy part. Now I need to figure out a way to diffuse it. I don't have a canister filter so some inline reactor is not an option. Could I just run an airline from the CO2 bottles to an airstone that would be right at the outlet of my powerhead(maxijet 400)? Would this be a sufficient way of diffusing the gas throughout the tank without wasting too much?

[neilanh]

Actually you could run it to the input of your PH. This blows bubbles accross the tank, known as the misting method.

[black hills tj]

Originally Posted by neilanh

Actually you could run it to the input of your PH. This blows bubbles accross the tank, known as the misting method.

The powerhead actually powers my UGF. Now...my AC 70 does get here in the mail today, but I think I will just leave the UGF running for the time being instead of tearing my substrate out to remove the UGF. Would it work fine right now if I ran the co2 to an airstone right at the outlet of my pwrhead though?

[Purrbox]

Actually the Inline CO2 Reactor is still an option. You would just need to power it with a small waterpump or powerhead. I used an Inline CO2 Reactor on all three of my tanks very successfully using a waterpump.

[black hills tj]

do you have an example of a setup with a water pump and inline reactor that I could see or could you link me to directions for how to set one up at all?

[Purrbox]

Basically you would have your water pump in the aquarium. Run a hose of the appropriate diameter (helps if both the waterpump and Inline CO2 Reactor need the same size, but reducing connectors can be used if not) from the waterpump out of the tank and to the top of the Inline CO2 Reactor. Run a second line of hose from the bottom of the Inline CO2 Reactor back up and into the tank. You can attach this to a spraybar, nozzle, or just leave the bare hose for the water return. The CO2 is plumbed into a small connector on the side of the Inline CO2 Reactor towards the top to maximize contact time.

These Instructions are the ones that I based my Inline CO2 Reactors (pictured towards the bottom) off of.

[black hills tj]

Which water pump would you suggest I use if I go with an inline reactor? Keep in mind I'm on a small budget here.

on another note, my powerhead runs my UGF(secondary filtration at this point in time as I just setup the AC 70 that came in the mail today). Neilanh suggested I run the CO2 to the intake of the powerhead. The powerhead's intake is inside a tube that runs down beneath the UGF plate. Would it be possible to simply drill a small hole in the tube(just big enough for some air tubing) and glue the air tubing from the CO2 source to the tube so that the CO2 is sucked into the intake of the powerhead and misted into the tank?

[Purrbox]

I used the ViaAqua 180 on a 2.5, 5.5, 10 gallon aquarium. It was probably right on the edge of being enough flow on the 10 gallon. I'd probably use the next size up for a 20 gallon. So really the size of your tank would be the deciding factor on which waterpump you'd want to use.

[black hills tj]

Do you think this would work alright?

http://pet-king.stores.yahoo.net/6903718745.html

What kind of tubing would I need to pickup at a lowe's or something?

How affective is the mist method compared to an inline reactor?

[Purrbox]

What size tank are you going to be using it on? If it's a 20 gallon then I would guess that it would be perfect.

You can just pick up the vinyl tubing (black or clear) at Lowe's or another hardware store. The 1/2" will work with that pump, so as long as you use 1/2" fittings on your Inline CO2 Reactor you wouldn't need and adaptors.

The mist method when done properly is more effective than an Inline Reactor, but has the drawback of tons of tiny bubbles floating around your tank. Either should be more than sufficient for most aquariums.