Looking to add a co2 reactor to my planted tank.

[Gold]

I was looking to add a co2 reactor to my planted tank and was wondering if I had to go out and buy a diffuser or could I use a bubble wand(curtain) to diffuse the co2 in the water.

 

[Andy91]

You could use a bubble/air stone but the co2 bubbles might be too large to be broken down before it hits the surface and co2 is lost. If you are making a reactor and putting the bubble/air stone inside the reactor I think it should be okay because your reactor will break down the bubbles even more if not completely.

 

[bosoxlobsterman]

You could always get a cheap CO2 reactor online. Drs Foster and Smith Aquatics have a couple for about $12; I got the smaller version for my 40B and it's been working great

 

[Gold]

I may have used the wrong word there I am just attaching a colony of yeast in a bottle to my tank through the bubble wand.

 

[tim_s]

I may have used the wrong word there I am just attaching a colony of yeast in a bottle to my tank through the bubble wand.

The advice will be the same, you will still need a proper diffuser - the bubbles coming out from the bubble wand will only rise to the surface and leave the body of water.

diffusers are cheap.

Generally a "reactor" is a tool to increase surface area in this case to allow better saturation of Co2 into your tank water before being dispersed around the tank!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi.. I use DIY CO2 on one of my tanks.. I'm using the Fluval Co2 ceramic disk diffuser without problems. It creates a very fine mist of bubbles once the pressure builds enough for it to work.

Another option that I've seen that works well with DIY (and you don't have to wait as long for pressure to build) is to get a Hagen mini elite filter (i believe it's only $10 bucks) and mod it to be a power diffuser. Check out YouTube, there's a bunch of how-to's on it there.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Here's my DIY co2 working with the Fluval diffuser:

Fluval CO2 Diffuser - DIY - YouTube

Here's the mini elite:
hagen elite co2 mod - YouTube

Great video on how to assemble the DIY system.. This guy is also using the mini elite as a diffuser..
The best DIY Aquarium Co2 System with bubble counter and recipe - YouTube

Good luck!

 

[Gold]

Thank you for the info I will post pictures of the finished product when it is done. I think it will be nice it is a multistage bell diffuser using old pop bottles.

 

[Gold]

Here are the photos I promised thank you for your help