best method for dissolving CO2

[ShaunRowley]

Right now I've got a DIY yeast based CO2 system hooked up to a basic fluval co2 diffuser and I have it right underneath my circulation fan so that it blasts co2 around my tank. It's pretty effective at getting the co2 dispersed around the tank. But that's exactly my problem, the diffuser I have will produce fine bubbles that are still very visible and it really makes the water quite ugly and unpleasant to look at. Right now I have a power filter that hangs off the back of my tank but I plan to eventually replace it with a canister filter. My plan is to buy an Inline co2 diffusion system that I can hook up to the exhaust tubes of the canister filter. I wanted to know if there's any better methods of fully dissolving co2 before I go through with this.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

There is a cheaper, although not as pretty way. When you get your canister filter, you can feed the CO2 line into the intake of that. The propeller of the canister filter will then chop the CO2 bubble down into smaller bubbles that dissolve quickly. Results in almost 100% CO2 absorption and no bubble flowing around.

 

[ShaunRowley]

Wow I never actually thought about that, ill give it a try as soon as I get my filter. Thank you very much

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Wow I never actually thought about that, ill give it a try as soon as I get my filter. Thank you very much

Not a problem! Works like a charm in my tanks

 

[aqua_chem]

That will work better with top-loading filters like Fluvals or Filstars than it will with bottom loaders like an Eheim.

 

[Billbug68]

Look up the Griggs reactor. It goes inline on the intake side of your canister. I just built mine last week and its working great.

 

[ShaunRowley]

I actually built one of these last week as well except I ran into a problem when sealing everything together. I bought the wrong PVC cement so basically everything just scraped right off. But I saw online something called the Ista max mix CO2 diffuser it has a rotating propeller like thing on the inside that helps break up bubbles into small particles and i was thinking about getting one

Here's a picture of my DIY CO2 diffuser you can see how bad the sealant is. It was quick drying so it was already too late

 

[aqua_chem]

The Ista Mix Max works fine, but you can probably make a new RG reactor for the price of one.

 

[Billbug68]

Yeah, I didn't bother using the clear tube. I used cristy's red hot PVC cement. The same stuff I use on my sprinklers... Haha. Maybe have another go at it? The theory is quiet simple. The co2 floats up while the splashing water into the larger size tube dissolves the bubbles. The rest I assume gets dissolved through the filter. Mines working great. I get a blurb through the filter ever 10 or so minutes when a larger bubble makes it to the filter, but otherwise, no fine bubbles make it to the tank.

 

[phin]

Look up the Griggs reactor. It goes inline on the intake side of your canister. I just built mine last week and its working great.

Built my own griggs as well. 100% diffusion, no bubbles in the water. Perfectly quiet. Before I had my reactor I put my CO2 into the intake of my canister. It would still result in bubbles, as well as noise. CO2 would pool up at the top of the canister, before it would get chopped up by the impeller.

Reactor works best. PVC+bioballs. $20.