# Which Diffuser?



## TarkMalbot (16 Mar 2013)

I currently have a 3 in 1 plastic bubble counter, check valve and diffuser but looking at setting it up with seperates.






I have 165 litre tank and was wondering what size diffuser I will need as some seem to come in different diameters?  I will be running a pressurized set up but not sure how many bubbles per second and stuff yet until I get everything established.

I have looked at Nano & Rhinox glass diffusers but then also glanced at Reactors.









You can tell I am a newbie but happy to listen and learn.
Thanks.


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Mar 2013)

Rhinox are good, the 3000 or 1000 would do just fine however word on the street is the fluval diffuser is the dogs danglies, which are available from our sponsor... the diffuser that is 
http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/fluval-ceramic-co2-diffuser-88-p-6010.html


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (16 Mar 2013)




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## TarkMalbot (16 Mar 2013)

I take it the Rhinox is a copy of the ADA?  With it having 2 suckers at 90 degrees I guess it designed to go in the corner.  For a 165 Litre tank what Diameter disc would I need?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (16 Mar 2013)

Go with iain's suggestion, really good reviews from members. But if you want to go with a Rhinox, then go as big as you can


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## Iain Sutherland (16 Mar 2013)

Personally I'd go with the fluval but with rhinos don't go too big, the bubble size seems to degrade a lot quicker on the big ones.  The 1000 would probably be just fine. Buy 2 so you can clean alternately.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (16 Mar 2013)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Personally I'd go with the fluval but with rhinos don't go too big, the bubble size seems to degrade a lot quicker on the big ones.  The 1000 would probably be just fine. Buy 2 so you can clean alternately.



2 definitely makes light work of maintenance.


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## martinmjr62 (17 Mar 2013)

I'll second the Fluval.Really small fine bubbles and you can change the ceramic disc if it gets too clogged or dirty.

Cheers
Martin


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## TarkMalbot (17 Mar 2013)

The Fluval isn't the prettiest iof things but as it will be hidden in the tank and seems pretty functional I will give it a try.
Thanks guys


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## Martin cape (17 Mar 2013)

Go with a reactor running from your external filter if you can. I've used ceramic diffusers and reactors. Reactors all the way. No bubbles floating around in the tank and pretty much all co2 is dissolved in water before it enters the tank. As opposed to small bubbles of co2 popping at the surface being wasted.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (17 Mar 2013)

Martin cape said:


> Go with a reactor running from your external filter if you can. I've used ceramic diffusers and reactors. Reactors all the way. No bubbles floating around in the tank and pretty much all co2 is dissolved in water before it enters the tank. As opposed to small bubbles of co2 popping at the surface being wasted.



Im going back to the diffuser in tank. I must be weird but i like the bubbles in one corner


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## TarkMalbot (17 Mar 2013)

I must admit I like the dea of this:





No hose to run into the tank and maybe better efficiency?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (17 Mar 2013)

TarkMalbot said:


> I must admit I like the dea of this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes, thats an option, but If your wanting to go down that route, I'm sure an 'UP inline atomiser' would have less negative effect on the flow rate.

I just think that corkscrew is going to eat up a lot of your flow. Wheras the UPs version is like a continuation of the pipe, and fizzes in from around the outside of the tube, thus having a little  effect on reduction in flow.

Sound like I'm going flowing mad.


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## greenink (17 Mar 2013)

Even better, just put a t-piece that connects the CO2 directly to the pipe with no diffusion and run this straight into the filter. Never clogs, never slows down injection rate.


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## TarkMalbot (17 Mar 2013)




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## TarkMalbot (17 Mar 2013)

mikeappleby said:


> Even better, just put a t-piece that connects the CO2 directly to the pipe with no diffusion and run this straight into the filter. Never clogs, never slows down injection rate.


 
I will be using a Eheim 2217 (600) on a 165 litre tank so flow rate shouldn't be too much of an issue.  But I like your idea.  Put the T piece on the intake TO the filter and the Co2 gets diffused through the filter media.  It wont be enough Co2 for the Biological filter to be affected will it?

Any idea where to get a T piece with the correct fittings on for 16/22mm hose and 6/8mm hose (assuming I have those sizes correct)?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (17 Mar 2013)

TarkMalbot said:


> I will be using a Eheim 2217 (600) on a 165 litre tank so flow rate shouldn't be too much of an issue.  But I like your idea.  Put the T piece on the intake TO the filter and the Co2 gets diffused through the filter media.  It wont be enough Co2 for the Biological filter to be affected will it?
> 
> Any idea where to get a T piece with the correct fittings on for 16/22mm hose and 6/8mm hose (assuming I have those sizes correct)?



Smaller size i believe will be (co2 hose size) is 4/6mm which means the connection may be 5 or 6mm.

Nice idea mike.

Just make sure you have a couple of no-return valves on the co2 hose


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## TarkMalbot (17 Mar 2013)

Yep your right.  I got that wrong.  Its 4mm ID and 6mm OD.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (17 Mar 2013)

TarkMalbot said:


> Yep your right.  I got that wrong.  Its 4mm ID and 6mm OD.



Nobodys wrong, were a team here


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## Iain Sutherland (17 Mar 2013)

Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> Nobodys wrong, were a team here


Not true, im wrong a lot , Stupid matrix!


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## greenink (18 Mar 2013)

It's this one made by Aquamedic you need. Comes in all the sizes you could ever want.





Works a treat. There's a thread somewhere here about why CO2 in the filter is actually fine for bacteria - think Clive opined with wisdom as usual.



Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> Just make sure you have a couple of no-return valves on the co2 hose


 
You got that right! I've got one just by this T-piece, one just in front of the bubble counter and one just beyond it. Call me paranoid, but they're only cheap if you order off ebay and not having my tank empty into the CO2 canister!


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## TarkMalbot (18 Mar 2013)

Found them on eBay:

 AQUA MEDIC T CONNECTOR TEE PIECE - 22MM - 5MM | eBay


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## TarkMalbot (19 Mar 2013)

If I were to use a reactor in my larger 425 litre tank that uses two external filters would I be able to come from the regulator, through the bubble counter and check valve and then into a Y piece to split the Co2 and then through Two T pieces to send it through both external filters for better distribution through the tank?


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## greenink (19 Mar 2013)

Don't think needed as your filter will turn over entire tank in 6 minutes at 10x rule so gets evenly distributed almost instantly.


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## TarkMalbot (19 Mar 2013)

My external filters on the 425 litre tank are only a max of 800 litres per hour so total of 1600 so only turning the tank over of a maximum of less than 4 times an hour (3.76 to be precise) and that's assuming 100% efficiency of the pump.


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## Samjpikey (24 Mar 2013)

I have just bought the up aqua 4 in 1 super atomiser 
Cost me £8 new on fleabay , they are meant to be very good 

http://www.up-aqua.com/00-dm-page/00dm_co2-atm-big.jpg


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## TarkMalbot (24 Mar 2013)

That looks like the same design as the one I am replacing.  Only replacing it as I am wanting to keep the "kit" I remove whole.


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## Samjpikey (3 Apr 2013)

Very good as much as mine didn't work ..... Grrr the'0' ring failed instantly and it was leaking co2 from the top nut , so no co2 from the ceramic :/ , still have the diffuser if someone wants to buy it for spares , I'm sure the ceramic is fine , 
Maybe needs a new gasket . 
Got my cash bk and gone with a gla bazooka , 
See how that goes ,


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## andy (5 Apr 2013)

Just bought one of these....any opinions ?

 Aquarium Marine Fish Tank CO2 Carbon Dioxide Diffuser | eBay


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## TarkMalbot (9 Apr 2013)

I am trying out an inline reactor from Co2 Supermarket on my larger tank:





No idea how efficient it is but I can't see any bubbles coming out of the spray bar so it might be mixing them pretty well.

Slightly noisier with Co2 going through it mind you but its liveable.


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