Hi there,
1) Fill the nutrafin canister as normal to the first line with sugar, then put in a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, a teaspoon of Alisons yeast (or any other good bakers yeast), then fill the canister about 1cm short of the normal second line. I would also use some sort of a collection bottle inbetween just incase it bubbles up.
2) Anywhere you fancy just make it look neat and tidy. With the ladder, position is not that important since the bubbles are dissolving in the water as they go up the ladder. Position is more critical when using a ceramic style diffuser
3) No shorten the tubing to the length you desire. Increased tubing length means a decrease in pressure and hence lower bubble per minute count. Plus, a longer tube will only give you another few extra minutes should it bubble up. What you need to do, is with the extra tubing that you cut off, make a collection bottle. Basically attach and in and out tube into the top of a coke bottle and screw the bottle in series with the tubing from the canister to the ladder. It takes a little longer to start bubbling since it has to build up the pressure in the bottle as well.
I am chatting away here, yet a made a thread on the forum:
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=137345&hl=
4) I do not believe in the need for airstones. I would run my CO2 24/7. I never have any problems.
In my opinion the airstone aerates the water for the fish but causes a large and sudden pH shift which could easily shock them.
It is no benefit to the plants.
Its completely up to you.
Thats my opinion but i know lots of people use them, who i am sure are ready to jump at this post.
To the answer the question tho, once again its the action of actually bubbling through the water that aerates it, so position, just like the ladder, is not important.
Hope that helps
Chris
