Pressurized CO2 with Wet/Dry Sump.

[Snowh8er]

Hi. Anyone ever have any success running a fw planted aquarium with a wet/dry sump filter and pressurized CO2? I am attempting it (I know, not the ideal setup) and looking for some advice. I am running a Red Sea 500 reactor in the sump at around 4 bps. The sump is air-tight and the aquarium (90 gallon) is covered with glass tops. I can't seem to get my CO2 level to raise. My PH has only dropped from 8.0 to 7.8 and my KH stays around 10. I've been running the CO2 for about 2 months. Any help, suggestions or conversation about this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[fort384]

Is the inlet or outlet of the sump creating surface agitation in the tank or the sump? Is it an overflow?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Ziggy has a sump on his planted tank... http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/ziggys-corner-planter-135620.html

BTW, Welcome to AA

 

[Snowh8er]

Yes, it is a AGA w/built in Megaflow. The outlet from the durso overflow tube does hit a dual spray bar that spreads water over a media tray, that water than drips over bio-balls, and than it flows into sump area which than gets returned via a Panworld 100px external pump. The return is then split into 3 loc-line diffusers that are below the water line of the aquarium. There is quite a bit of splashing when the water go's to the filter, but my sump is completely sealed with low-adhesive clear tape. Wouldn't any degassing in the sump area get regassed because the CO2 would have no where to go but in the water?

 

[Snowh8er]

Wow, thanks for the link for Ziggy's tank! I just spent the last couple hours reading every post and admiring his pictures. I am gonna have to go back and click some of the links for other posts such as the DIY fertilizer dosing. I am glad that I have came across this site, but I must admit, it is a little intimidating because, well, some of you guys are really on top of your game. As for my CO2 problem, I think I will try turning the return pump down a little further and do a large water change. Hopefully that will help getting the CO2 level to rise. I was thinking that maybe I could run a T off of the CO2 outlet line and run a diffuser in the tank while leaving the reactor in the sump. Do you think this would help?

 

[fort384]

I think your problem is degassing. Running an overflow/sump/wet dry makes it difficult to get the co2 higher than equilibrium. There might be tape on the sump but I doubt it is 100% airtight. Adding an extra diffuser in the tank won't help if that is indeed the problem.

 

[BigJim]

+1 The splashing in the wet-dry off-gases your CO2.

 

[Snowh8er]

Thanks for the replies! Do you guys have any ideas how to possibly make it work without using a different filter configuration? I know it will never be effecicient with a wet/dry, but do you think I could use a different media other than bio-balls to lessen the off gassing?

 

[BigJim]

Raising the water level in the wet-dry would help, but you'd be removing much of the air-water interface that supports huge numbers of bacteria.

 

[fort384]

CO2+overflows a/o wet dry setups is really a difficult proposition.

You may get a little more diffusion if you actually put in a diffuser in the tank (like a ceramic/glass diffuser), but you are still going to be offgasing a lot of CO2.

 

[Ziggy953]

Have a look at my thread. If you have questions after that please let me know

 

[Snowh8er]

Thanks Ziggy! Took a while, but I have read your entire thread. Very informative and WOW! Nice aquarium! This is a little off topic but I do have one question for you... You mentioned that you used some screen to cover your overflow inlet grids to prevent shrimp from getting suck in, what exactly did you use and how did you attatch it? Thanks.

 

[Ziggy953]

Thanks Ziggy! Took a while, but I have read your entire thread. Very informative and WOW! Nice aquarium! This is a little off topic but I do have one question for you... You mentioned that you used some screen to cover your overflow inlet grids to prevent shrimp from getting suck in, what exactly did you use and how did you attatch it? Thanks.

I am actually using strips of "Marineland Rite-size" bonded filter pad wedged into my overflow. I'll get some pics of it so you can see what I am talking about.

 

[Ziggy953]

Here are a couple shots I just took of what I am doing to prevent my shrimp and smaller fish from ending up in the overflow.

 

[Snowh8er]

Thanks! That's a great idea. Do you shove it all the way down for the lower inlet slots on the Megaflow?

 

[Ziggy953]

Thanks! That's a great idea. Do you shove it all the way down for the lower inlet slots on the Megaflow?

No...only the top. The lower slots are only on the front face of the overflow and do not go all the way through....the water still has to flow up to the top and over.

 

[Snowh8er]

Okay, here is a quick follow up for people that have been following this thread. I purchased a cheap glass diffuser and placed it directly in the display tank and it is running at around 3bps... low and behold, I now have CO2 at a level around 21ppm. So, it looks like having a reactor in a sump is basically useless. I have been running it like this for a couple days and I am already seeing pearling and growth. I am sure that I will use more CO2 with this set-up vs. those of you with different filter systems, but for now, CO2 is still cheap enough (hopefully the oil industry doesn't figure out a need for CO2). Thank you all for the great comments and suggestions!

 

[Coleallensmom]

So glad you were able to find something that works, Jeff!