Power Filter or Reactor?

[cravy]

Should i use a small power power filter to draw out the co2 from the diy co2 that is connected to it ? Or should i use a reactor to dissolve the co2 into the water?

Power Filter might create under water tubulance and if the plants are not planted properly may be uprooted. []

[geoffrey]

Don't know whether your powerhead will act like a vacuum cleaner, I suspect it may create a low pressure at the input tubing into it. Use with DIY, it may draw the sugar/yeast solution towards the powerhead.

[Plantbrain]

You can place the outlet for the CO2 gas about 2-3cm below the suction side of the pump. This will prevent the pump from sucking the DIY bottle up and into the tank resulting in the brew and yeast getting into your tank and causing you to do a 90% water change or more.
Also, use a rigid juice bottle instead of a thin soda bottle. These will not collapse. If you need more CO2 than this provides, you can use a Vacuum tube like the Krib.com design or a modification thereof.

If you own a canister filter:
http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

This is an easy to DIY CO2 reactor.

I cannot post Auto CAD but I had a dozen or so designs but the above is the basic design. Internal reactors work pretty good but folks often want the tube out of their tank. You can cut the Gravel vac tube down to about 10-15cm.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[DEA]

basically, what tom said
i much prefer external reactors though
you don't have anything going into the tank other than the normal inlet/output pipes

if you're thinking of using an internal reactor, go with the filter as a diy reactor
it's tried and tested, but sometimes you can hear the gases churning in the filter, the same as if you set the skimmer flow too low

[cravy]

is a surface skimmer good? what is the purpose of it? it is necesary to have one?

[anakin]

surface skimmers are good. I use them and they keep my water surfce clear of dead leaves. currently, I'm using Tom brand.