C02 DIFFUSER WHAT TO BUY?????? HELP PLEASE

[xrboy_85]

Hey guys

Just picked up a 2nd hand c02 set up and by the looks i need to buy a new diffuser, can anyone point me in the right direction Dupla, Sera, Online no name special??

TIA
Justin

[ILLUSN]

how big a tank are you using? small sintered glass diffusers reach their limit at about 80-100L dupla/aquamedic reactors are good but the 9mm hose is pain in the bum and a massive flow restriction on any pump. the best I've ever used for a big tank (400-800L) is the max mix Co2 reactor, it goes inline with your canister filter and comfortably handles 1200l/h of flow.

[xrboy_85]

Hi Illusion

Tank is 425ltrs, bottle is 1500g with reg solonoid and buble counter and 6mm hose connections. my lfs had reccomended a dupla 400?? which was like $95

[xrboy_85]

All fitted and flowing nicely, gee i had a mission trying to reduce the 19mm canister hosees down to the piddley little 10mm inlets for the reactor!!

when i first let it rip i was quit concerned with this noise like a overflow filter would make if the water level was to low.

but after about 2 hrs it had primed all the air out and was doing its job greately

cheers Justin

[ILLUSN]

yeah those hoses are a pain, keep an eye on your filter too, thast kind of restriction can put massive load on the moter and burn it out, you might be better investing in a second pump just to drive the reactor

[TW]

the best I've ever used for a big tank (400-800L) is the max mix Co2 reactor, it goes inline with your canister filter and comfortably handles 1200l/h of flow. Hi Jothy

Just googled this. I see there are 2 sizes, 1 being the "Max Mix CO² Reactor 2000L/H" and a smaller one "Max Mix CO² Reactor 2000L/H"

Is it the Max Mix CO² Reactor 2000L/H that you'd recommend for a tank up to 800L. Specs say recommended water flow = 1,000-2000L/H. Will have to check my filter (it's a Eheim Pro II 2028) to see if the flow is enough. If a filter doesn't run at least at 1,000L/H, does that do damage to the impeller design of the reactor? The small reactor has a recommended water flor of 360-1000L/H.

[ILLUSN]

I'm running the 2000L on my eheim 2228 which has the same flow as your 2028 of 700l/h (1m head height) it works great, with your 2028 you'll have to use the included adapters to fit the 16mm hose.

go the bigger one it give a longer reaction chamber.

[TW]

Thanks :)

[TW]

Does it do any harm to the filter, running the C02 through it. I remember reading somewhere, long time ago, that it did but I don't know if it's true or not.

[ILLUSN]

might on some other brands but my 2213 never had a problem, neither has my 2215 or or any of my 2217's, the ceramic shaft seems completly resistant to acid, other impellers that use stainless steel shafts might have a problem, basicly when CO2 enters the water it forms carbonic acid, if the filter can withstand discus water (pH as low as 4.0) it shouldn't have any problem with CO2, the impeller smashes any bubbles instantly so theres never any knocks.

I believe someone had problems with a fluval 403, but i cant remember who it was, in that case it would "lockup" from having too much gas in the impeller chamber, with the eheim classics the top of the impeller chamber is the output hose so lock ups dont happen.

[TW]

I have eheims, but not the classic. It's the eheim pro II (2028, I think - same as the one you lent me a while back). Do they have the ceramic shaft ?

[ILLUSN]

Yep all eheims have ceramic shafts with the exception of the compact and compact + pumps which use stainless steel shafts.

if your worried pick up a second hand 2213 off ebay, they go for under $50 and just use that.

[TW]

Thanks once again, Jothy, for all the help.

The fish cupboard is too full for a third filter (it is already running on 2 by 2028's). Plus there's a fairly large C02 cannister squeezed in there too.

So, I'd have to replace one of the 2028's with the 2213, if I did that, which isn't in the budget. (All my pennies are being saved up for wild discus, if I can ever find any again).

Would it be over kill to put 2 Max Mix CO² Reactor 2000L/H in the tank, one running off each filter. Tank is 138G, 7ft long & I am having trouble getting good distribution of C02 through the tank.

Sorry xrboy_85, I have hijacked your thread :oops:

[ILLUSN]

WAY OVERKILL!!!!!!!

one of these reactors at 3 bps can saturate my 6x2x2 overnight, you dont need 2, 1 will be plenty.

if you want better distribution add a small power head just below the surface to move water around.

[TW]

For the first time, plants in my 138G are pearling nicely. No new algae, either.

Because my C02 was distribution was insufficient prior to installing the Max Mix CO² Reactor 2000L/H, algae was getting the upper hand & I was experiencing plant death (from those plants that had a greater CO² need).

Glad I read this thread.

[ILLUSN]

glad alls working out for you robyn, maybe add a handfull of crushed coral to your filter to stop ph crashes.