Which DIY CO2 reactor?

[ZooTycoonMaster]

I plan on making a DIY CO2 reactor soon, but I'm not sure which one to make.

I want to make either this one or this one (just the DIY powered reactor).

They both look good, and I have the materials to make them, but I just don't know which one to make.

[fishman9809]

i have a great reactor for if you have a canister filter, basically, just a pipe with a hole on the side and you stick your check valve in there and voila, the canister diffuses it itself.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Canisters are too expensive All I have is an AquaClear 30

[fishman9809]

i guess that wont wrk then :/

[epicfish]

Originally Posted by ZooTycoonMaster

Canisters are too expensive All I have is an AquaClear 30

With either option, you'll outgas most of your CO2 with the HOB filter.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Originally Posted by epicfish

With either option, you'll outgas most of your CO2 with the HOB filter.

How's that work?

[epicfish]

Originally Posted by ZooTycoonMaster

How's that work?

Water turbulence and water splash from the HOB filter will cause the CO2 to be outgassed very rapidly. Unless you have pressurized CO2 where you can crank it up easily, it will be very hard to maintain optimal levels of CO2 with such a filter.

If you're doing DIY CO2, you can try 2x 3L bottles to see if it can keep up with CO2 loss via the filter, but I haven't done it myself so I can't say.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

I keep the water level high, so the output is directed on the top of the tank. Would that make a difference?

[epicfish]

Originally Posted by ZooTycoonMaster

I keep the water level high, so the output is directed on the top of the tank. Would that make a difference?

Yes, you can also have a piece of plastic that gently directs water from the filter to the tank.

I'd do at least 2x 2L with a Tee to keep the CO2 production high. Alternate switching them out every week to also keep the production stable.