pressurized co2 confusion

matthewburk · 09-23-2005, 06:36 AM

I am setting up a new planted tank, my first serious attemp at it really. I am going to do a pressuried co2 system, I have a miluwakee something or other pressure gague that attatches to the tank and has a bubble counter and all that cool stuff, but am confused about 1 thing in particular. When I connect the tubing to my reactor, which will be DIY inline on the drain from my tank, what keeps water from filling the small c02 tube and getting to the gauge on my co2 tank. Also wouldn't connecting a tube about the size of a straw put large bubbles into the water, I thought the idea was to have small bubbles? I am confused and reluctant becuase of it, anybody care to explain?

istellas · 09-23-2005, 08:41 AM

Matthew hi,

I can assure you that if you have a pressurised CO2, the pressure is much more higher than the water flow. So, don't be afraid, it's not going to be any water to the small tube from where the CO2 comes out. Even when the CO2 is closed, the hose will be full of CO2 and no water can go up to your equipment. If it can make you feel more confident you can always put a non-return valve somewhere in your CO2 hose.
To your second question: if you use an air-type hose for injecting the CO2 the bubbles coming out of this would be about 3mm diameter, which is ok if you use a reactor. To not have CO2 loss, you must use a reactor otherwise the CO2 bubbles will come out of the surface of your aquarium without being desolved in the water.
I hope my answer helps you.

**SCMurphy** · 09-23-2005, 11:44 AM

Don't connect the CO2 tubing to your reactor. Have it bubble the CO2 into the intake in the aquarium, less chance of having a leak in your reactor if you don't drill a hole into it. The bubble size doesn't matter if you have some bioballs in the recactor to help break the bubbles up and force the CO2 to dissolve. Use a check valve to keep from having water back up into your regulator.

Make sure your reactor is mounted vertically!

The CO2 line WILL draw water when the CO2 pressure drops. The CO2 in the tubing dissolves and draws water up the line. I've seen this happen many times.

Georgiadawgger · 09-23-2005, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCMurphy

The CO2 line WILL draw water when the CO2 pressure drops. The CO2 in the tubing dissolves and draws water up the line. I've seen this happen many times.

Very good point. The positive pressure will allow water to back-up into the co2 line if the regulator/solenoid is turned off. Its similar to how the Eheim 2026 priming button is...it expells water first and then the positive pressure allows the tubes to fill up and a siphon is created.

matthewburk · 09-23-2005, 10:52 PM

I planned on running the co2 to the drain from my tank, underneath the tank, I'm going to put a pvc t-junction on, and put a barb on and connect the hose to the barb, it should be about 2 feet before it reaches my pump which will then push it through my ocean clear cannister filter. Is this a bad idea?

BlueRam · 09-23-2005, 11:44 PM

It sounds like you have an overflow with a sump. I would recomend injecting between the pump and the reactor (or into the ocean clear if gas does not assumulate). You could put it before the pump as mentioned too, but I am let to believe that it might be noisy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthewburk

I planned on running the co2 to the drain from my tank, underneath the tank, I'm going to put a pvc t-junction on, and put a barb on and connect the hose to the barb, it should be about 2 feet before it reaches my pump which will then push it through my ocean clear cannister filter. Is this a bad idea?

matthewburk · 09-24-2005, 06:24 AM

Actually it is going to be a closed loop, no sump, but it drains and returns from bulkheads in the bottom of the tank. If injecting c02 before the pump or filter is noisy i definetly do not want to do that, low noise is very important to me. Thanks for the tip.

09-23-2005, 06:36 AM	#1
matthewburk Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goodyear, AZ Posts: 133	pressurized co2 confusion I am setting up a new planted tank, my first serious attemp at it really. I am going to do a pressuried co2 system, I have a miluwakee something or other pressure gague that attatches to the tank and has a bubble counter and all that cool stuff, but am confused about 1 thing in particular. When I connect the tubing to my reactor, which will be DIY inline on the drain from my tank, what keeps water from filling the small c02 tube and getting to the gauge on my co2 tank. Also wouldn't connecting a tube about the size of a straw put large bubbles into the water, I thought the idea was to have small bubbles? I am confused and reluctant becuase of it, anybody care to explain?

09-23-2005, 08:41 AM	#2
istellas Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 47	Matthew hi, I can assure you that if you have a pressurised CO2, the pressure is much more higher than the water flow. So, don't be afraid, it's not going to be any water to the small tube from where the CO2 comes out. Even when the CO2 is closed, the hose will be full of CO2 and no water can go up to your equipment. If it can make you feel more confident you can always put a non-return valve somewhere in your CO2 hose. To your second question: if you use an air-type hose for injecting the CO2 the bubbles coming out of this would be about 3mm diameter, which is ok if you use a reactor. To not have CO2 loss, you must use a reactor otherwise the CO2 bubbles will come out of the surface of your aquarium without being desolved in the water. I hope my answer helps you. __________________ Ioannis Stellas Eheim Pimp Club #158 Visit my website

09-23-2005, 11:44 AM	#3
SCMurphy PT Biologist (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Maryland USA Posts: 3,197	Don't connect the CO2 tubing to your reactor. Have it bubble the CO2 into the intake in the aquarium, less chance of having a leak in your reactor if you don't drill a hole into it. The bubble size doesn't matter if you have some bioballs in the recactor to help break the bubbles up and force the CO2 to dissolve. Use a check valve to keep from having water back up into your regulator. Make sure your reactor is mounted vertically! The CO2 line WILL draw water when the CO2 pressure drops. The CO2 in the tubing dissolves and draws water up the line. I've seen this happen many times. __________________ Sean Aquascape? I'm a crypt farmer. It's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot. That IS an aquascape, it's titled "The Vacant Lot".

09-23-2005, 10:52 PM	#5
matthewburk Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goodyear, AZ Posts: 133	clarification I planned on running the co2 to the drain from my tank, underneath the tank, I'm going to put a pvc t-junction on, and put a barb on and connect the hose to the barb, it should be about 2 feet before it reaches my pump which will then push it through my ocean clear cannister filter. Is this a bad idea?

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09-24-2005, 06:24 AM	#7
matthewburk Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Goodyear, AZ Posts: 133	Actually it is going to be a closed loop, no sump, but it drains and returns from bulkheads in the bottom of the tank. If injecting c02 before the pump or filter is noisy i definetly do not want to do that, low noise is very important to me. Thanks for the tip.