Injected CO2 help

[beeritself]

I got a great deal on a full 20# lb cylinder, regulator, solenoid, tubing, and diffuser - the whole shebang. I didn't plan on going the co2 route yet, but I couldn't pass up the deal, so please excuse the ignorance. I would really appreciate it if someone(s) could answer a few questions.

Do I need to run a circulation pump to distribute my bubbles?

Do I modify my daily dosing of flourish excel?

I'm sure I will have more questions later, I just want to get it right before I subject my fish to it. This is going in a discus tank.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[beeritself]

Also, my water params are all good and I am running a 48" Finnex Planted+ for 6-7 hours a day.

 

[fish wrangler]

You can use your filter to distribute the co2. I have my diffuser directly under my filter intake so I get 100% diffusion.

AFAIK excel is liquid carbon, and with pressurized co2 you won't need the excel. You will need to increase your fertilizer regimen.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[beeritself]

You can use your filter to distribute the co2. I have my diffuser directly under my filter intake so I get 100% diffusion. AFAIK excel is liquid carbon, and with pressurized co2 you won't need the excel. You will need to increase your fertilizer regimen. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

You have it under your intake or you output?

 

[fish wrangler]

Intake

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Mebbid]

Personally, i would keep using the excel as well. Its not expensive and is a good algaecide so theres really no detriment to using it.

You can use a piece of bamboo chopstick to diffuse the co2 into your tank, its best to diffuse it under the intake of a filter.

 

[beeritself]

It doesn't get off gassed? Please forgive my stupidity, hard for me to wrap my head round this. I am running a Fluval 406. I should put it under the intake, so it circulates through my canister and shoots out the output nozzle?

 

[Mebbid]

It doesn't get off gassed? Please forgive my stupidity, hard for me to wrap my head round this. I am running a Fluval 406. I should put it under the intake, so it circulates through my canister and shoots out the output nozzle?

Off gassed means losing it to the atmosphere. The bubbles of co2 dont fully dissolve in the tank water and you waste co2 because of it.

And yes, let it circulate in your filter.

 

[Reefer James]

I got a great deal on a full 20# lb cylinder, regulator, solenoid, tubing, and diffuser - the whole shebang. I didn't plan on going the co2 route yet, but I couldn't pass up the deal, so please excuse the ignorance. I would really appreciate it if someone(s) could answer a few questions.

Do I need to run a circulation pump to distribute my bubbles?

Do I modify my daily dosing of flourish excel?

I'm sure I will have more questions later, I just want to get it right before I subject my fish to it. This is going in a discus tank.

Thanks,
Jeff

You will put the ceramic diffuser at a low spot in your tank so the bubbles can diffuse even more before reaching the surface. Some aquarist put a circulation pump here to catch the micro bubble and send them off to diffuse further. I personally just use a reactor and get it all diffsused 100% before it's in the display.

You can dose Excel still and receive benefits. I would drop it back though.

 

[beeritself]

Okay. That makes sense now. I'm glad I didn't dive right in. I see a lot of you tubers just send the bubbles into the tank, that's why i was asking. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Delapool]

Personally, i would keep using the excel as well. Its not expensive and is a good algaecide so theres really no detriment to using it.

You can use a piece of bamboo chopstick to diffuse the co2 into your tank, its best to diffuse it under the intake of a filter.

I've settled on that. CO2 injection is running but still dose excel or similar which has gradually reduced the BBA.

 

[coralbandit]

What size tank?
Do you have a drop checker or away to keep track of how much you are injecting?
IMO an inline reactor would be a good choice since you're running a canister.
Almost any other DIY(not a reactor) will leave you micro bubbles in tank,
which besides being unsightly is a waste of co2 if it hits the surface(outgasses).
A circulation pump may still be a good idea as lack of proper circulation is often mentioned for several algae issues that you may encounter.

 

[beeritself]

What size tank? Do you have a drop checker or away to keep track of how much you are injecting? IMO an inline reactor would be a good choice since you're running a canister. Almost any other DIY(not a reactor) will leave you micro bubbles in tank, which besides being unsightly is a waste of co2 if it hits the surface(outgasses). A circulation pump may still be a good idea as lack of proper circulation is often mentioned for several algae issues that you may encounter.

I do have a drop checker. I believe an inline reactor would make the most sense. I just need to research what fits a Fluval 406 best.

 

[PerfectDepth]

Until you figure out a solution, there's nothing wrong with running it into your filter intake in the meantime. Most canisters make great reactors on their own. The only drawback is that the co2 could eventually affect your impeller, making the plastic more brittle, but I think it might depend on the type of plastic.

Watch out, some of the inline reactors you can buy are ridiculously expensive for some reason. There are a few options for DIY inline reactors. If you're interested in saving a lot of money and building one yourself, look for instructions for a Cerges style, which uses a household water filter, and a Rex Griggs style reactor, which uses PVC pipe.

 

[coralbandit]

Until you figure out a solution, there's nothing wrong with running it into your filter intake in the meantime. Most canisters make great reactors on their own. The only drawback is that the co2 could eventually affect your impeller, making the plastic more brittle, but I think it might depend on the type of plastic.

Watch out, some of the inline reactors you can buy are ridiculously expensive for some reason. There are a few options for DIY inline reactors. If you're interested in saving a lot of money and building one yourself, look for instructions for a Cerges style, which uses a household water filter, and a Rex Griggs style reactor, which uses PVC pipe.

THIS^^
Good post .
TPT has many threads on DIY cerges or Rex griggs reactors.
Don't spend to much as there is no moving parts in many designs that work very well(just a space to dissolve the CO2).
Enjoy and pay attention for first week or two just for safety.
Do you know about End of Tank Dump(ETD)?
learn about that also!!!

 

[beeritself]

Thanks. I have read of the horrors of ETD.

 

[Reefer James]

I wouldn't inject a gas into the canister. This will create an air pocket which will probably lead to air. All the CO2 will not be utilized either. Inject it on the return line. or just use your ceramic diffuser.

 

[fish wrangler]

I wouldn't inject a gas into the canister. This will create an air pocket which will probably lead to air. All the CO2 will not be utilized either. Inject it on the return line. or just use your ceramic diffuser.

If the water is moving there won't be an air pocket. The canister acts like a reactor to use 100% of the c02.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Reefer James]

If the water is moving there won't be an air pocket. The canister acts like a reactor to use 100% of the c02.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Even in reactors there's air at the top buddy.

Sponges are also counter intuitive to releasing co2 in the display.

 

[PerfectDepth]

I'll admit that I don't have experience with injecting co2 into a canister, but I do know that other people have had success with that method. There might be some canister filter designs that allow the possibility of co2 gas building up to the point that it causes an air-lock in the pump, but I don't know how likely it is. It would depend on a few things, like the concentration of co2 already dissolved in the water for example. It seems to me that generally the co2 concentration would have to be really high before that would happen. Anyway, with many canisters, if the a gas bubble makes its way to the impeller, it's just going to proceed to escape through the output anyway.

Sponges are also counter intuitive to releasing co2 in the display.

Why?