Which CO2 delivery system to choose?

**vratenza** · 3rd Jun 2007, 17:22

I have a 6 ft tank. currently using an external reactor. but the problem is that 1 fine night, my whole house had a power outage... upon investigation, realised that my the cause is due to my co2 line slipping off the external reactor and the water is leaking from the external reactor cannister shorting my powerbrick.....luckily I was at home!
so now my tank is running wihtout co2 but seem like my plants are not flourishing as was before.... i am hesitant to reattach the external reactor with fear of another episode occuring......

Any suggestion of a setup that is good enough for my 6 feet tank without the risk of leakage?

Thanks~!

**BFG** · 4th Jun 2007, 00:05

Vratenza, do you have a pic of the failed part of the external reactor?

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 01:09

The red circle indicates the failed portion. the co2 tubing slipped off the plastic nozzle and water leaked from the nozzle! I probably can cut of the loosened Co2 tube and attached a fresh end... but it is a matter of time before it slip off again......

BTW should be placing the reactor standing on A or B end of the reactor?

Thanks!

**blackBRUSHalgae** · 4th Jun 2007, 12:00

I have tried many CO2 reactors/diffusers, be it off the shelf or DIY, all of them are either too much of hassle to maintain or not performing consistently untill I went back to one of the most basic form: glass ceramic diffuser (aka ADA beetle or ADA alike) The only maintenance I do is once every 2 months, where I rotate in another one and soak the dirty one in chlorine, and the process repeats itself every 2 months. The key is having a precise and reliable needle valve and positioning of the diffuser. I position mine in a back corner my my tank just next to my filter's intake, close enough where little or no bubbles are being sucked into the intake. My hi-tech 100cm tank is heavily and densely planted with high light requirement plants and with 2 x 150W HQI of 8 hrs photoperiod, and my CO2 is running 24/7 with 2~2.5 bps. CO2 supplement is never a problem anymore since I used the glass ceramic diffuser, small, simple and fuss-free!

When using reactors, not only I need to deal with more hardware, but also I need to clean them very often, else the reactor will get clod with bioslime and diatoms, which results in interruption of CO2 supply.

**oblivion** · 4th Jun 2007, 12:24

Originally Posted by vratenza

The red circle indicates the failed portion. the co2 tubing slipped off the plastic nozzle and water leaked from the nozzle! I probably can cut of the loosened Co2 tube and attached a fresh end... but it is a matter of time before it slip off again......

BTW should be placing the reactor standing on A or B end of the reactor?

Thanks!

you can try getting those metal rings with a tiny attached screw to secure the tube to the nozzle.
I'm just not sure if theres such a small size available

its the kind where people use to secure water hose to the bathroom tap
if it can tahan the big water hose from tap at full blast (i use to blast the bathroom walls when cleaning), i don't think it will have problems with holding a co2 tube

**AA24** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:14

Hello Vratenza.. you might just wanna change the type of tubing you use.. I find the black/green tubing used for pressurized CO2 to be good as it is not easy to deform.. cheers.

**quacks** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:17

Originally Posted by lee1224

you can try getting those metal rings with a tiny attached screw to secure the tube to the nozzle.
I'm just not sure if theres such a small size available

its the kind where people use to secure water hose to the bathroom tap
if it can tahan the big water hose from tap at full blast (i use to blast the bathroom walls when cleaning), i don't think it will have problems with holding a co2 tube

Dont think they make one in such a small diameter. Alternatively you can use those plastic zip ties / cable ties.

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:21

Originally Posted by blackBRUSHalgae

I have tried many CO2 reactors/diffusers, be it off the shelf or DIY, all of them are either too much of hassle to maintain or not performing consistently untill I went back to one of the most basic form: glass ceramic diffuser (aka ADA beetle or ADA alike) The only maintenance I do is once every 2 months, where I rotate in another one and soak the dirty one in chlorine, and the process repeats itself every 2 months. The key is having a precise and reliable needle valve and positioning of the diffuser. I position mine in a back corner my my tank just next to my filter's intake, close enough where little or no bubbles are being sucked into the intake. My hi-tech 100cm tank is heavily and densely planted with high light requirement plants and with 2 x 150W HQI of 8 hrs photoperiod, and my CO2 is running 24/7 with 2~2.5 bps. CO2 supplement is never a problem anymore since I used the glass ceramic diffuser, small, simple and fuss-free!

When using reactors, not only I need to deal with more hardware, but also I need to clean them very often, else the reactor will get clod with bioslime and diatoms, which results in interruption of CO2 supply.

thought about that, but i am afraid that distribution will be a problem as mine is 6 feet tank... almost 200cm..... so may not work as well as yours.

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:23

Originally Posted by lee1224

you can try getting those metal rings with a tiny attached screw to secure the tube to the nozzle.
I'm just not sure if theres such a small size available

its the kind where people use to secure water hose to the bathroom tap
if it can tahan the big water hose from tap at full blast (i use to blast the bathroom walls when cleaning), i don't think it will have problems with holding a co2 tube

Don't think they come in that size but then again, even if they do... i am afraid the immense pressure from the metal ring will crack the black nozzle.....by that time really jialat liao....

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:24

Originally Posted by quacks

Dont think they make one in such a small diameter. Alternatively you can use those plastic zip ties / cable ties.

tried cable tie..... sad to say..... i did a test "tug" and it came off pretty easily..... very risky siah...

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:25

Originally Posted by AA24

Hello Vratenza.. you might just wanna change the type of tubing you use.. I find the black/green tubing used for pressurized CO2 to be good as it is not easy to deform.. cheers.

hmmm....... maybe can try but anyone have actual experience using this with my type of reactor?

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:27

would changing to another brand or type of external reactor do the trick?
thinking of Aquamedic CO2 Reactor 1000.... expensive....

**oblivion** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:28

i think you can try change to those black co2 tubes then
i use JBJ brand ones (from yishun aquastar)
they are darn hard to fit in so i really doubt if they will come off once they are in snugly

i once tried removing the tube from a diffusor and ended up breaking the diffusor into two.
and the tube meanwhile still stuck there.
end up had to cut off and throw the broken diffusor away

some shops (y618 for one) do sell these kind of black co2 tubes in different diameters.
you can buy a smaller diameter one to get a tighter fit on the nozzle.

**oblivion** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:31

Originally Posted by vratenza

would changing to another brand or type of external reactor do the trick?
thinking of Aquamedic CO2 Reactor 1000.... expensive....

maybe the Ista brand MaxMix reactor
i've not used it personally but heard good feedback on it.

or you can try a co2 splitter with multiple diffusors around the tank

**bossteck** · 4th Jun 2007, 16:37

Hi,

Since you are worried about good distribution of co2 in your large tank, why not get a co2 splitter (2-way or 3-way) and switch to internal reactor (those with spinning bio-balls), you can place 1 at either end of your tank, using powerhead to power them if required, or like BBA mentioned, use glass diffuser?

I think a splitter is required because even if you manage to secure the current co2 tube for your external reactor, you will probably still find the distribution not good enough for your entire tank due to its size.

**vratenza** · 4th Jun 2007, 20:54

Originally Posted by bossteck

Hi,

Since you are worried about good distribution of co2 in your large tank, why not get a co2 splitter (2-way or 3-way) and switch to internal reactor (those with spinning bio-balls), you can place 1 at either end of your tank, using powerhead to power them if required, or like BBA mentioned, use glass diffuser?

I think a splitter is required because even if you manage to secure the current co2 tube for your external reactor, you will probably still find the distribution not good enough for your entire tank due to its size.

This is my co2 distribution setup...... notice that a single output of co2-enriched water is pushed through the row of rainbar located along the lower back......i think the flow is more than adequate using a separate eheim water pump.
comments?