Improving Co2 Diffusion With Juwel Internal Filter

[nry]

I have a Juwel Rekord60 (54litres) aquarium - in it I have a D-D pressurised CO2 setup connected presently to a Dymax Ceramic Atomiser. My drop checker uses 4dkh water and bromo blue.

In order to reach 30ppm I need to run ~60bpm (counting via D-D supplied bubble counter) - the recommended bpm count for my tank size according to the instructions is 4bpm.

I am fairly convinced that the high bubble count required is related to the internal filter - there is not massive surface agitation but there is some. I have tried with the atomiser placed in numerous places around the tank and it doesn't affect CO2 levels noticeably - currently it is placed directly below the filter outlet grill so bubbles get pushed a small way across the aquarium. I have also tried ceramic diffusers such as the Rhinox 1000 and they all have the same results.

The D-D kit was supplied with a powered diffuser pump, but this is pretty big and would take up quite a bit of space given I already have a big Juwel filter in the tank already. Can anyone suggest anything I can try to make a more efficient use of my CO2? I wondered whether I could somehow stick the CO2 straight into the Juwel filter sponge somehow so water is pulled over the bubbles but am not sure if/how well this would work. I've also wondered if I could somehow doctor the filter outlet tube (which I don't use presently as it really agitates the water surface) to include a home-made reactor of sorts but I think the increased surface agitiation from the tube woulld probably negate all efforts.

Suggestions welcome

 

[Themuleous]

You could try getting the filter to suck the CO2 bubbles in, but it sounds like you've got fairly good diffusion anyway. Have you thought that the D&D instructions could be wrong? My 24 nano runs at around the 60bps mark.

BTW do the instructions really say you only need 4 BPS? That's very low.

Sam

 

[Rob.S]

According to the instructions, I should run 8 bps - but the drop checker tells a different story, I run at about 60. So maybe the instrucions are a bit out?

I have the filter outlet tube pointing directly at (and quite close to) the ceramic diffuser, which blasts the bubbles across the tank. Can you do this with your Rekord? (I'm not familiar with the Rekord filter). The Rio filter outlet has an elbow tube, and I use this to direct the flow downwards; there is no surface agitation at all (good or bad idea???).

 

[zig]

The instructions don't mean anything n reality go by the drop checker.

Rob s has the right idea, the reckord 60 also has an elbow tube coming out the top of the filter/powerhead stick a tube over this elbow and direct the water flow into the tank an inch or so below the surface of the water, this stops most of the splashing etc which will lose you most of the CO2, although tbh the filters in these tanks are pretty useless, better off ripping the thing out and installing an external filter, this is what I ended up doing with my reckord 60. If you are trying to run a highlight CO2 injected tank with the filter as it is you are going to struggle IMHO.

Another idea would be to run PPS Pro as a dosing method on this tank as this requires less levels of CO2 to work successfully than say running EI method.

 

[nry]

Apologies, I've been away so have not been able to reply - I just figured that 60bps was quite high. Personally I love the Rekord filter, it has a whopping capacity for an internal (the sponges wouldn't fit into a Fluval 3 Plus which is rated for a larger tank) though I am debating an external purely to allow for more scaping options , possibly the Tetra Tec EX600.

I don't use the outlet tube on the filter for the reason you mention (splashing, lose more CO2 etc) but I think it may be a really good idea to extend it with some tubing and blow the CO2 bubbles down a bit and along the back of the tank more - that is perhaps the best suggestion Still, given I am planning on pretty much starting from scratch in a month or so, I may try to sort the external filter out now and let it settle in before ripping out the Juwel one.