# LARGE tank CO2 distribution techniques



## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

Please share with me how you are distributing CO2 in your large volume tank. Im talking in 100+ gallon range.

I am using the powerhead method and it just doesnt seem to be getting the job done in my tank. Not to mention the unsightly misting:icon_frow

Thanks


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Wouldnt a inline reactor work well?
what type of filter you running on it Chad?


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

hey H4n

i have an FX5. So its plenty to push a reactor

I was thinking about the rex reactor actually


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

in my current setup. my drop checker is on the opposite side of the tank than my powerhead and it never really gets green. more an aqua color.

today i moved the drop checker to the mid tank range and its green. so the PH isnt moving enough CO2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

add a powerhead ( or more powerful powerhead) and more c02.. its a. not getting distributed well. and once i does u will need more than ur current amount


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## inkslinger (Dec 28, 2003)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/165975-ext5000.html

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/110100-cerges-reactor-diy-inline-co2-reactor.html


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

You could go all out and do something like this!










This system feeds a multi-thousand gallon man made jungle lake. 









But for a 100g tank a good misting system of any kind such as diffuser,needle wheel pump should work fine.


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## NewPlanter2013 (Feb 8, 2013)

Chad,
I have a 220g tank with the same filter the return is on the far right side and a powerhead on the far left of the tank above the glass diffuser. My drop checker is on the far right side by the return hose and reads light green by the time it lights and co2 shut off at night. you may have to turn up your co2 a bit. the pictures below shows a 15 day difference after adding co2.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I have the returns and drains on the same end of the tank. Even with only about 8x flow the water runs along the top, hits the far end and flows down and back and up to the overflow box on this 6' 180 gallon tank. I am using a 20" Cerges reactor on a separate pump sitting in the sump so not to reduce flow on the main pump. If I decide to add more flow I will place the pump with a prefilter sponge at the drain/return end of the tank and put the return at the other end of the tank probably facing forward from the bottom rear corner. This would be hidden from sight except for the end of the return.


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## owens81jw (Feb 7, 2009)

is that DHG???

if so , WOW 15 days???


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## owens81jw (Feb 7, 2009)

is that DHG???

if so , WOW 15 days???


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

I run a mix max reactor inline with my cascade 1200. Its on one end going through the spray bar with a aqueon 700 cur pump in front of the bar. On the other end is my ph controller with the probe near the bottom. It distributes the co2 well and i have my sunsun spray on the same side as the ph controller to push flow back to the right side of the tank. Its in my 150 gallon thats 31" tall.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Cerge's style reactors are cheap and work well. You can still use mist to feed into a reactor, which will remove the mist haze effectively. 

Or double loop the gas pocket so the gas gets reworked back through the pump impeller feeding the reactor, this will purge the gas bubble inside the reactor and make it run better without much flow loss.

Mist is NOT attractive in larger tanks since water clarity is a bigger issue than smaller tanks.

You can still use extra flow inside the main tank or use a larger filter/pump etc.


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## Fishmommy (Feb 16, 2013)

I just locate the diffuser below the return flow and it mixes the water just fine.


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## NewPlanter2013 (Feb 8, 2013)

owens81jw said:


> is that DHG???
> 
> if so , WOW 15 days???


 

What is DHG???


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

NewPlanter2013 said:


> What is DHG???


Dwarf Hairgrass


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## NewPlanter2013 (Feb 8, 2013)

houseofcards said:


> Dwarf Hairgrass


 
Yes, I wasen't thinking.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Fishmommy said:


> I just locate the diffuser below the return flow and it mixes the water just fine.


That's pretty much what I do. Like most things there are several ways to do it, usually with a few adjustments. Even very large tanks can work with a simple ceramic diffuser, but nothing wrong with the inline method as well.


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## NewPlanter2013 (Feb 8, 2013)

I'm a little confused.....everyone talks about co2 reactos, extra canister filters....it seems to me that it's all additional money spent that is not needed. I'm getting great results without it. Is is because of the bubles???Does it bother people that bad to have a few bubbles in a tank?


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I have never had a large tank but I have seen two main ways. First is increasing the flow, which obviously will disperse the co2 more. The second is adding an extra diffuser or adding a canister and second reactor.


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## puopg (Sep 16, 2012)

NewPlanter2013 said:


> I'm a little confused.....everyone talks about co2 reactos, extra canister filters....it seems to me that it's all additional money spent that is not needed. I'm getting great results without it. Is is because of the bubles???Does it bother people that bad to have a few bubbles in a tank?


few bubbles = 5
mist bubbles = millions


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

NewPlanter2013 said:


> I'm a little confused.....everyone talks about co2 reactos, extra canister filters....it seems to me that it's all additional money spent that is not needed. I'm getting great results without it. Is is because of the bubles???Does it bother people that bad to have a few bubbles in a tank?


Mix max reactor is less than $20. It saturates the water column with co2 probably almost 100% with what is pushed inside of the reactor. I have no bubbles spraying out of my sprayer what so ever so there is no surface agitation to lose the co2 pushed out. A diffuser has bubbles breaking the surface. Those bubbles are made of co2 which means that much of the co2 is disbursed to the air rather than the water column. For this reason, my reactor allows me to run 4 bubbles per second into my 150 gallon and my 10# cylinder lasts a long time for my size tank. A$20 investment saves me $23 every 3 months and allows me to spend $23 every 6-8 months. Thats running my co2 24/7.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

If there's any doubt that a diffuser will work in a large tank. Take a look at these pics from the ADA Gallery. These I believe are 180cm (almost 6 ft). Notice the disk under the return on the left.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb9jemS3m91rhc6xpo1_500.jpg

Here's another

http://s.ytimg.com/vi/1xjV6_3Xgoc/0.jpg

As long as the bubbles are small enough and the diffuser is positioned correctly under the return (especially for a long tank) it will work effectively even in large tanks. This is not to say you can't use an inline just fine. It should also be noted that there are no powerheads moving the co2 from one side to the other. There are simply alot of ways to diffuse co2 if they are done correctly.


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## NewPlanter2013 (Feb 8, 2013)

boosted23 said:


> Mix max reactor is less than $20. It saturates the water column with co2 probably almost 100% with what is pushed inside of the reactor. I have no bubbles spraying out of my sprayer what so ever so there is no surface agitation to lose the co2 pushed out. A diffuser has bubbles breaking the surface. Those bubbles are made of co2 which means that much of the co2 is disbursed to the air rather than the water column. For this reason, my reactor allows me to run 4 bubbles per second into my 150 gallon and my 10# cylinder lasts a long time for my size tank. A$20 investment saves me $23 every 3 months and allows me to spend $23 every 6-8 months. Thats running my co2 24/7.


 
Awesome reply!!! I may rethink getting a reactor now. Any suggestions on what canister filter to use?


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

NewPlanter2013 said:


> Awesome reply!!! I may rethink getting a reactor now. Any suggestions on what canister filter to use?


One that would be able to push the reactor along with providing a good amount of flow. I would say nothing below 250gph for your size tank. They make a medium and large version of the reactors. I have a large being pushed by a cascade 1200 which is 384gph flow. For the large just check to see if the tubing that comes with the filter is 3/4". That is what my cascade is and with the inserts that come with the reactor, it fits perfect. 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Houseofcards, I am not saying that a diffuser wont disburse co2 well in a large tank, all I am saying that their is a more efficient way to utilize your co2 so that you are not refilling as much. Diffusers add a nice look and touch to a well done tank but isn't as efficient of dispersing almost 100% of co2 disbursed from it. 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

boosted23 said:


> Houseofcards, I am not saying that a diffuser wont disburse co2 well in a large tank, all I am saying that their is a more efficient way to utilize your co2 so that you are not refilling as much. Diffusers add a nice look and touch to a well done tank but isn't as efficient of dispersing almost 100% of co2 disbursed from it.
> 
> Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


So far no one has really taken the time to measure growth over say a 2 month period.
But many will attest as well as myself, plants generally grow just a wiii bit better with a mist than full dissolution.
Again it would take months to compare on the same setup assuming all other variables are the same. 
So efficiency may not be a factor here if plant growth is different.
I could run a reactor, but i dont, i deal with the mist because the plants truly seem to like it


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

boosted23 said:


> Houseofcards, I am not saying that a diffuser wont disburse co2 well in a large tank, all I am saying that their is a more efficient way to utilize your co2 so that you are not refilling as much. Diffusers add a nice look and touch to a well done tank but isn't as efficient of dispersing almost 100% of co2 disbursed from it.
> 
> Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


I've never really compared directly the co2 usage/need between the disc and an inline method. I know on my 72g I was able to utilize a 5lb cylinder for 6 months and the plants pearled like crazy so I know I had plenty of co2. Co2 is cheap, but I understand where you're coming from.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> So far no one has really taken the time to measure growth over say a 2 month period.
> But many will attest as well as myself, plants generally grow just a wiii bit better with a mist than full dissolution.
> Again it would take months to compare on the same setup assuming all other variables are the same.
> So efficiency may not be a factor here if plant growth is different.
> I could run a reactor, but i dont, i deal with the mist because the plants truly seem to like it


Interesting, I wasn't sure since I never did a fair comparison, I actually like the small bubbles in the tank. If the mist is really fine, it looks more like saltwater.


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## owens81jw (Feb 7, 2009)

NewPlanter2013 said:


> What is DHG???



dwarf hairgrass


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> Interesting, I wasn't sure since I never did a fair comparison, I actually like the small bubbles in the tank. If the mist is really fine, it looks more like saltwater.


The small CO2 bubbles in the tank also contribute to cleaner water. Fine particles in the water are attracted to the bubbles and form bigger particles that are more easily trapped by the filter or settle to the bottom of the tank.


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