CO2 dispersion through canister filter

[Shiv]

hello everybody,
recently i bought a fluval 204 canister filter for my tank. previously i used a fluval internal filter for co2 dispersion. now since i have a canister filter i have decided to remove the internal filter. for co2 dispersion i have stuck the co2 outlet pipe near the canister filter suction so that the co2 bubbles are sucked in the filter. the bubble flow rate is about 12 bpm so i dont think there is a chance of the filter sucking too much gas & losing suction. after i switch off the filter the co2 bubbles just rise to the surface & disperse to atmosphere so that i dont require to use a solenoid valve to control the flow at night when the filter switches off on timer.

what i want to know is whether this method can be used for co2 dispersion? please help!!!!

[|squee|]

In the long run it's said to increase wear and tear on your cannistor filter motor.

Imho there are much more effective ways, like diffusing it through a ceramic diffusor and letting the filter current blow the bubbles around the tank.

[richietay]

agree upon squee's comment, else consider get an external co2 reactor, .

[Shiv]

thanks a lot squee & richietay. i understand that the wear & tear must be because of the gas bubbles striking on the impeller. but i tried it coz i have seen many new filters/power heads in the market here in India which have the diffusing line before the impeller. normally in the older versions the diffusing line used to be given after the impeller in the outlet line. i wonder why the difference in the designing?

[|squee|]

I've no idea on that. However, there is a method to dissolve CO2 by feeding the CO2 tube into the intake of a standalone powerhead and letting the mist of bubbles blow around the tank through a rainbar placed horizontally at the back bottom of the tank, described by Tom Barr.

[Shiv]

thanks for your quick reply squee. now i am using a power head (it belonged to a ON TOP filter) to disperse co2 as described by you. actually i was trying to cut down on too many equipments in my tank so thought of the canister dispersion method. anyway thanks a lot.

[valice]

Shiv, currently, I am using my canister filter as my reactor as well... My bps is about 3, no shwossing sound in the filter so far... Meaning that there is no airlocking... And the bubbles coming out of the rainbar is so fine that it is doing a great misting effect as the powerhead method...

I feel that as long as there is no airlocking of your filter, it should not pose too much an issue... Moreover, after a few years, if your impeller dies, guess, it is worthwhile to change it anyway...

[Shiv]

Valice,
Thanks a lot for your comments. now i am using a seperate power head for co2 dispersion but very soon i am going to make an internal co2 reactor at home. initially i used my canister filter to disperse co2 just as u described it but as suggested by squee & richietay it may lead to problems in longterm with the gas bubbles imploding on the impeller. for me replacing parts is not an easy job as they are generally not available in India. i am a marine engineer and i work on ships so i do most of my aquarium shopping in whichever ports i get to go out.
anyway thanks again for your suggestion & keep replying.
this forum is an excellent place to keep exchanging ideas
keep up the good work.

[FC]

At 12bpm, I doubt your canister filter will have airlocks at impeller. As such, it will not quicken the wear of the impeller and its' shaft which need very little water there to be lubricated. You should just use this method (to minimise equipment in tank, I advocate such). However, I would not encourage switching of the filter as this will deprive the filter media's bacterias of oxygen and kill them.

[Shiv]

hi Freddy,
thanks for the suggestion.
it actually never occurred to me that switching off the filter will deprive the aerobic bacteria of the oxygen thereby giving rise to anaerobic bacteria. thanks again.
Shiv.

[Ibn]

Use an external inline reactor myself. Real easy and quick to build, plus the diffusion rate is great while getting the equipment outside of the tank for aesthetic reasons.