# Best way to diffuse Co2??



## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Depends on how you define best. What do you value more, efficiency, low cost, ease of installment, minimal equipment? For the most efficient I think, a reactor would be best, though it can be bulky and needs some work to install. It can be dirt cheap if you make a DIY one. A ceramic diffuser is definitely easy, relatively cheap, and get get moderate efficiency depending on setup, it does need good pressure to work though. Some people just use an air stone. The limewood ones are nice, but I know some people even shove a broken chopstick up an airline and voila, instant diffusion.


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## new2aqua (Apr 19, 2012)

True there is many factors to consider, I would just like to hear peoples own opinions based on which ever factors they deemed important and have decided on and why they chose it. Some may have found that certain things worked better than others for them and it could help others to decide on which way to go. I am planing on using a reactor linked to my filter to mix the aquarium water with the co2 then taken through a small internal filter to further diffuse the co2 before spitting out the water back into my aquarium. Or possibly just the reactor and a glass diffused.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

I have an aquamedic 1000 reactor. Got it for a great deal on craigslist so price wasn't any problem. It works wonders for me, even though you need pretty high flow rate. The tank is a 75 gallon with HOB's at the moment so the high efficiency works out great. However I have a sera mix max on my other tank and it's not that great. It has a little spinning wheel at the top that's supposed to chop up the bubbles but it gets clogged easily and it kills the flow rate. You can get those super cheap green reactors from ebay that are from china. I used those for a while before I upgraded and they worked decently except for the fact that the plastic is cheap crap and will crack and leak on you. After using tons of plumber's tape and super glue, I was barely able to keep the thing together, but once I did it worked well. 

Tom Barr has instructions for a DIY reactor that is similar in function to the aquamedic but much much cheaper. If you are good at that type of stuff, I would recommend trying your hand out at that first.

I think the next best option is an inline atomizer. They can get pricey though. I am planning on replacing the mix max I have currently with one. Hopefully


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## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

I prefer my inline diffuser to any diffusio method i have tried because of its efficiency and speed. I have tried a standard glass internal diffuser, a internal atomic difuser, and am now on to the inline diffuser. I have it currently on the output of the canister.

I experimented with putting the diffuser on the input of the canister and didn't like it. It took about two hours to bring things up to proper leels, then took at least 3 hours for all the Co2 built up in the canister to fully disperse. Being unaware of this during my experimentation, i woke up one morning to a dead amano colony of 14. Gladly i didn't lose any fish but im sure they werent happy that night. With it being inline on the output, it diffuses efficiently enough that i get very little if any micro bubbles in the tank and it takes 45 mins to an hour to get levels up to 30+ ppm. Then when it turns off an hour before lights out the drop checker is blue-green when the lights turn out. The only co2 left in the sytem after the solenoid turns off is whatever is already diffused in the water.

The above method as i understand it essentially turns the canister into a reactor. I can't imagine an actual reactor would behave much differetly, so i haven't tried one of those out because i didn't like the results i got.


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## new2aqua (Apr 19, 2012)

Thanks takadi, great info. I have seen those cheap green reactors all over eBay, Iam glad you mentioned that, hopefully that will save a lot of people the hassel of having to repair and deal with one if these. I think I will make my own like you mentioned. Very helpful usefully info there speicially for inexperienced newbies like myself. Keep the good info and advice coming guys.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

samamorgan said:


> The above method as i understand it essentially turns the canister into a reactor. I can't imagine an actual reactor would behave much differetly, so i haven't tried one of those out because i didn't like the results i got.


The reason why using a canister filter as a de facto co2 reactor is not very effective is because, one, the flow rate isn't high enough to break down enough of the bubbles and push it out before new bubbles come in and result in a build up of gas. And two, there isn't any mechanism to release that gas once it has built up. 

The aquamedic and Tom barr's DIY model both have an excess gas release mechanism which you can turn into a venturi loop to recycle the gasses back into the reactor.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Has anyone had experience with the CO2 reactor 500?

powerful vortex reaction chamber dissolves 99.5% of co2


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## D3monic (Jan 29, 2012)

I have the http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3747+24117&pcatid=24117 It works ok I guess, the biggest down side is it makes priming the eheim pro 3 even harder because if air or co2 builds up in the reactor the filter will not catch prime. You have to pull the airline off and let the reactor fill back up with water and bleed any air out of the return lines before it can catch...not really a reactor problem. More like crappy filter flow problem. 

Produces some micro bubbles but I do get decent diffusion at around 1-2 bbs for a 75gal.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

I honestly just use a cheapo up!aqua in-tank glass/ceramic diffuser. Works better than my cerges ever did and my fish act a lot better. Plants are responding better too.


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## AUvet14 (Apr 11, 2011)

I just got the GLA 60mm atomic diffuser for my 30 gallon. I couldn't be happier with it. Works great. I tried the UP Aqua atomizer but did couldn't put out enough CO2 no matter how high i turned up my needle valve. I also tried the UP aqua Spiro class ceramic diffuser but the disc wasn't seated right and there was a leak, so i sent it back and got another one which ended up having the same problem, but worse. That's when I sucked it up and ordered the atomic diffuser from GLA. Works like a charm. I would highly recommend it. If you're not sure which size to use for your tank, just give them a call. That's what I did and they were extremely helpful. Very good customer service in my experience.


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## pandacory (Apr 18, 2011)

acitydweller said:


> Has anyone had experience with the CO2 reactor 500?
> 
> powerful vortex reaction chamber dissolves 99.5% of co2


I have the one that looks exactly like that that came with a redsea all in one co2 kit.

Seemed to work well, but it is the only co2 method I've ever used so I don't have anything to compare it to.
Only have a few gripes:
1. It is extra equipment in the tank, and noticable at that. In my current project I will be placing it in the sump pointed directly at the return pump.
2. It is kind of awkward to prime. You have to turn it on, then let a bubble form, then tilt it to get the venturi started, so I stopped ever turning it off.
3. The suction cups on it are worthless which won't matter once its in the sump.

Other than that, good distribution and it dissolved well. It was decently easy to clean since it comes apart and can add a little circulation. I once hooked up the venturi part to another circulation pump and it worked well, but I replaced that one with a much smaller korellia nano so ended up back with the pump it came with. Only thing is with no micro bubbles it will burp maybe once a day. I was told by a redsea rep that it was the other gasses in the tank that were not dissolving. Incidentally, I did try a tank of medical grade on his rec, and never saw this again. Didn't care enough for the extra expense though.


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