# Needlewheel CO2 diffusion



## zig (1 Mar 2009)

Just wondering if anyone has tried Needlewheel CO2 diffusion and what equipment/pump did you use? how successful was it etc.

Not sure if anyone here has tried this method yet but it looks very interesting and should work very well, a good alternative to an inline reactor (which slows down my filter thats why I want to try a needlewheel pump) instead you put the pump inline with your filter, this pump has a special impellor which chops up your CO2 bubbles into a mist and then it enters your tank through your filter spraybar/outlet. So you dont lose any flow, actually you can increase flow if you want with the pump that you choose. A good few people over on Plantedtank forum are using this method with good results. 

Im mainly trying to source a decent pump to try it with, there seems to be lots available stateside which wont work here obviously, not for long anyway, anyone know a range of pumps I could try it with that wont break the bank, I think Eheim do one but its too expensive, any others out there?


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## Steve Smith (1 Mar 2009)

I gave it a try last year in a more DIY way.  I tried using an internal power head with a diffuser beneath, and drilling small holes in the impellor blades to give the needle wheel effect.  I think others tried it at the time.  Mine was never very successfull 

With an additional pump inline, do you not potentially put your filter under stress?  (I honestly don't know the answer to that!)


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## zig (1 Mar 2009)

SteveUK said:
			
		

> I gave it a try last year in a more DIY way.  I tried using an internal power head with a diffuser beneath, and drilling small holes in the impellor blades to give the needle wheel effect.  I think others tried it at the time.  Mine was never very successfull
> 
> With an additional pump inline, do you not potentially put your filter under stress?  (I honestly don't know the answer to that!)



Hi Steve, Not totally sure tbh, I presumed the pump was plumbed inline after your filter, I dont think you could get CO2 mist into your tank if it went through your filter after going through the pump. I would need to check though how its plumbed in but I believe its pretty straightforeward. 

I know when chooseing the pump to use you rate the pump the same as the output of your filter, the true rating that is, after all filter media is included, so for instance take a Tetratec EX 1200 filter rated at 1200lph, when we add the filter media to this filter the output is reduced to about 500lph, so we would choose a pump rated in and around the same rating ie. 500lph. When I say you could increase the flow using the pump what I mean by that is you could use a 600lph pump which could give a little extra flow. People using the pumps report a nice increase in flow going into the tank by just using the nearest rated pump to your filter so any extra I guess is a bonus, I would probably pick a pump as near as possible though to the filter rating.

Actually thinking about it I suppose what people are experiencing is that the pump will output constant, while your filter flow ouput will decrease as it builds up dirt over time, maybe this is where they see the increased flow, its just the actual filter output has slowed. Anyway some extra ponderings there as I go along


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## GreenNeedle (1 Mar 2009)

I did an internal one too.

The powerhead I used was the maxijet MP400 and I put holes in the impellor blade.  I found having the diffuser underneath it worked much better than feeding the line into the intake.

Worked quite well but not as well as having the Boyu 'external' joined to the intake.

And in turn neither could match the Koralia blowing the length of the tank above the diffuser.

I thought you were happy with your external Boyu into the jet pipe?

AC

AC


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## zig (1 Mar 2009)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> I did an internal one too.
> 
> The powerhead I used was the maxijet MP400 and I put holes in the impellor blade.  I found having the diffuser underneath it worked much better than feeding the line into the intake.
> 
> ...



Happy enough with that method alright but thats on a tank under 100l, this idea is really for a bigger tank circa 200l, atm Im useing a DIY pipe reactor on that tank and its reducing the flow of the filter. The maxijet is just an ordinary powerhead isn't it? I would prefer a dedicated needlewheel pump with the impellor already modified.

I will look over on some of the marine forums those boys use needlewheels on Skimmers.

Cheers Andy


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## GreenNeedle (2 Mar 2009)

Tom Barr had some links for this sort of setup.  There was a great pic on there of a marine one where the water looked white rather than clear from the mist  lol.

I think it was this pic using this 'mesh' wheel (I actually know it was these because I posted them into the thread. lol:








AC


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