Optimum DIY CO2 airstone location?

[JRagg]

Ok, so now that I've got my Hagen system working properly (with the nice "little" ladder) I figured out what was the problem with my DIY generator. I had an air leak in my "water catching" bottle, so I've since bypassed that and I'm getting good generation from both the Hagen and the DIY. The reactor for the DIY is just an airstone, which I know doesn't do a lot but I'm short on space and don't want anything elaborate.

My question is this. Where is the best place to put a CO2 airstone? I have a HOB filter (just a 10 gallon). I would think that the best places would be either under the discharge of the HOB so that the bubbles get tossed around in the current for a little longer, or under the suction (trying that now). Under the suction would let the impeller mash the bubbles pretty well, and it's a little noisy, but will I lose CO2 in the filter? Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this.

TIA

 

[rich311k]

What kind of filter? You could just put the hose in the intake of the filter if it is an Aqua Clear.

 

[travis74]

I put mine into the intake of my penguin 330. 27ppm. No real noise to speak of. good luck.

 

[JRagg]

It's a penguin. So putting into the intake works well. I may just drill a hole into the side of the intake and put the tube directly into it then. Right now about 90% of it is going into the intake anyways, but if it works that well (27ppm) then putting it directly in sounds good.

What does the aqua clear have over other HOB filters? I see lots of reccomenations for them. I really just use the penguin for mechanical filtration (It's what I already had and I know it's reliable so I saw no reason for replacing it).

 

[rich311k]

I just think they are great filters. Good motors and no cartridges just sponges and room for extra media. Almost never need to buy new media.

 

[JRagg]

Gotcha, I would agree that there isn't any room for extra/alternate media with the penguin. I actually had to cut the carbon out of a regular filter just to get mechanical filtration.

 

[azn_fishy55]

If you get annoyed easily by the noise made form the filter with the CO2 running through it)like me =])you can put the airstone by a water current so the bubbles are streaming through the water.

 

[travis74]

In retrospect would def have gone with ac for all the stated reasons. With the penguin, cartridges became such a rip off to replace. So I just DIY the frame with new floss and rinse. I figure the bacteria that builds up there is a positive anyway. JRagg, do you have your water level raised to reduce gas off? That is a major help too.

 

[JRagg]

Yeah, I've got the water level so that there isn't a ton of disturbance. I get a good deal of evaporation so I have to top it off every couple of days. If I end up buying a new filter at some point I'll do the aquaclear, but for now I've already spent too much money (aquariums are money traps!).

My CO2 levels were at about 15ppm earlier today, but a few hours after I put my new lighting kit on they were down to about 9.5. I guess my plants were just sucking it up, and I don't think my current airstone placement is very good. Putting it in the intake should help out.

Is it safe to assume that KH won't change day to day? I don't need to do that every time I check my CO2 levels do I?

 

[azn_fishy55]

If you are planning on getting a new filter I reccomend the Eheim Aqua Ball submersible filters,they have a place where you can connect the CO2 airline ot the out flow so it becomes a stream of bubbles churning in the water.Since it is also a submersible filter is doesn't make any surface disruption decreasing the CO2 from escaping.

 

[7Enigma]

Yes it is safe to assume that KH does not change day to day. Over the course of a couple of weeks if you didn't do a PWC, then yes it could be a factor, but not a couple of days. I also use the CO2 line directly into the intake and have had great results (though the noise is somewhat annoying). If when you put the air stone directly under the waterfall and most of the bubbles get pushed down, it very well might be as effective as the intake method with the benefit of no noise. Small bubbles like those from a fine airstone should dissolve their CO2 in under 3 seconds (basing this on a LOT of work done on another forum), so even though the bubbles don't dissapear, the CO2 in them has dissolved in the water.

 

[JRagg]

Well I ended up piping it directly into the intake of my filter. It was a lot easier to do than I had thought it would be. The Hagen CO2 system has taken off well too. The bubbles are almost gone by the time they get to the top of the ladder. I was up to 23ppm around the same time I put the DIY into the filter suction. I’ll check again tonight to see if there is any increase.

The airstone I had wasn’t very fine at all and most of the bubbles made it to the top. The water from the filter didn’t push them down either since my water level is so high to prevent gassing. In any case I’m happy with 23ppm and that in combination with a new lighting kit and the addition of macros have slowed algae growth already (from what I can tell). The true test will be if any algae has taken hold this time next week.

 

[7Enigma]

Update?

 

[JRagg]

It was sticking around 23ppm for a while, but then my DIY mixture quit working. It went for about a week before it stopped producing, though during that week it was pushing out a good deal of CO2.

It's at about 19 now (just from the hagen), and I need to toy with some different mixtures I've found on this forum to get a longer lasting DIY setup. Two to three weeks is acceptable, but one week just isn't nearly long enough.

 

[mr funktastic]

i put my hagen system under my AC filter so all the bubbles get diffused but the ladder then any bubble that is left gets sucked up by my filter. complete diffusion. i am running 1 2 litre bottle right now but i will be running 2 bottles connected by a t splitter both going onto my ladder. then again any extras get sucked up by the filter. and the bubble is pretty small when it leaves the ladder so the noise made by the filter is very minimal. it is set up like this. i cant wait till the plants fill in a little so it covers up the ladder and everything.

 

[JRagg]

That's a pretty good idea. I'd give it a shot if it would fit. I've got a 10 gallon tank for now until I can set up my new 90g (will be a while). The bubble ladder pretty much goes from the bottom to the top of my tank. I think I'll be pretty good once I figure out what mixture works best in the DIY setup. The hagen's bubbles are very small by the time they get to the top, so I've probably got close to 95% diffusion just off of the bubble ladder alone.

I'm going to be out of town this weekend, so I'll have to toy with it next week.