Best Co2 Diffuser?

[mrjezzi]

I've got a 31 galon tank which I did have heavily planted with fast growing plants but is now full of slower growing plants and less light. I've found that I have to up the pressure of my pressurised co2 feed to make my diffuser (glass and ceramic with spiral up the centre) work properly but then I think I am getting too much co2 into the tank and my co2 measuring thingy (technical hey!) goes yellow - it is using 4dKh water so I think there is too much co2. I don't seem to be able to get this right. I've taken the diffuser out to clean it with a little bleach as I think the algae growth is what is stopping the co2 coming out properly. While its out I've rigged up a co2 ladder I got with a DIY kit.


Does anyone think I could just use the ladder as it appears to work better? Am I wrong? What do people recommend? Any help appreciated!

 

[Themuleous]

When you say its not working right, what do you mean? The bubbles only come out of a small area on the ceramic diffuser? Whats wrong with that. If you have a drop checker with the 4dKH water and its green then surely that means the diffuser is working right? Sounds like you don't need to change anything!

Sam

 

[SuperColey1]

I agree with Sam.

People see the pics on the adverts of huge streams of bubbles coming out of the diffusor and gues what. If you put the CO2 up to ridiculous levels you get the pic for advert and it looks great. Dead fish the next morning don't look so great and empty CO2 cannisters aren't much use.

DC = yellow = too much CO" which means the diffusor is either working or you have magic water.

DC = Green = perfect CO2 ----"----- -----"-----

There are loads of threads with people saying my diffusor isn't working and in all of them they say their DC is green or yellow which means it is working incredibly well!!!!

If it produces 1 stream of bubbles and that sends the DC yellow (assuming th DC is not too close to the diffusor) then it is doing what you bought it for which is to provide you with the 30ppm of CO2 you wanted.

If you want the aesthetics of a mass of bubbles streaming out then you need to buy a diffusor that is much smaller or lose the fish.

Sorry if the answers aren't what you want to hear.

Andy

 

[mrjezzi]

I think I didn't explain it quite right... I have to turn the pressure up to get the diffuser to work and then the DC goes yellow so too much co2. Any by "work" i don't mean lots of bubbles but a trickle of bubbles and bubbles moving up the spiral in the diffuser. If I then turn the pressure down a little to reduce the amount of bubbles and make the DC go green the issue is that the following day nothing happens until I turn it back up again. By increasing the pressure I mean keeping it at 1.5 bar as Sam has said in a previous topic and opening the taps a little more on the low pressure side. The diffuser has been sitting in a bleach solution all night and all the algae on it has gone so I'll soak it in water today to make sure the bleach has all gone and put it back in.

The only other thing I'll add to see if anyone has any ideas is that I have to run a bubbler at night or the DC is very yellow in the morning and there are expensive fish expired... There are a lot of plants and quite a few fish but I wouldn't say its overstocked, is there something else that needs addressing? Thanks again for any help.

 

[Themuleous]

Right I get it, basically in order to get the diffuser to work, you have to have the needle valve set so high that the amount of co2 released gases the tank?

Sounds like a dodgy diffuser or one that is the wrong size for your tank, although looking at it the spiral one should be ok for a 31g.

To be honest Ive not really heard of this problem before. If there is any pressure build up in the diffuser I would think it would 'have' to work, if you see what I mean, as the Co2 has no where else to go.

Perhaps try a new diffuser? Use the ladder for the time being that would just be able to cope with a 30g

Sam

 

[SuperColey1]

OR what I think is more likely is there is a leak probably in the hose somewhere. When the pressure is low it nearly all escapes and therefore in the morning all the pressure is gone.

Meaning you are needing to blast the CO2 so that some gets through and a modicom of pressure is maintained.

Its the only thing I can think of if the diffusor works when blasted but not when set to normal.

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh you could be right there Andy.

Sam