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Fallen Tree

If you are happy with a mist then could probably ditch the diffuser & just feed straight into the external pump.
You could of used a needle wheel pump & that would of bee a totally maintenance free & reliable method of getting a mist.
However most guys get fed up of the mist eventually anyway.
The type of diffuser you are using can cause a few issues but with a bit of luck you should get it going... what is your working pressure at the moment?
 
foxfish said:
If you are happy with a mist then could probably ditch the diffuser & just feed straight into the external pump.
You could of used a needle wheel pump & that would of bee a totally maintenance free & reliable method of getting a mist.
However most guys get fed up of the mist eventually anyway.
The type of diffuser you are using can cause a few issues but with a bit of luck you should get it going... what is your working pressure at the moment?
Click to expand...
One gauge is reading 900 psi, the other one 30 psi....how should I read this??
Just realised that a needle wheel impellor in my circulation pump, with CO2 supplied via a venturi would have been a much simpler solution :facepalm: !! Might try and retro-fit this....
 
Alastair said:
Might have to keep the zenkeri trimmed to keep its leaves close to the substrate mate or it will head strate for the surface.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
I know mate - it's my favourite plant, and there is a "mini" cultivar I've seen with much smaller leaves which looks as though it grows quite dense, with just the occasional leaves heading for the surface... I could also move it out a bit more into the mid-foreground...
 
Plunket said:
One gauge is reading 900 psi, the other one 30 psi....how should I read this??
Just realised that a needle wheel impellor in my circulation pump, with CO2 supplied via a venturi would have been a much simpler solution :facepalm: !! Might try and retro-fit this....
Click to expand...
£30 psi is about 2 bar off the top of my head, possibly not enough, the more standard UP requires more like 3 bar to work well!
I ran NW pumps for many years, including some really big tanks, once set up they require no adjustment for years...
Tom Barr also uses NWs for many of his tanks.
 
If you consider that in your set up, the inlet is at the bottom of the tank, that is were you want your gas to get too!
Rather than direct it up perhaps direct at a low level.
I could imaging a rotating head about one third up would really do the job but might not look to good?
 
foxfish said:
£30 psi is about 2 bar off the top of my head, possibly not enough, the more standard UP requires more like 3 bar to work well!
I ran NW pumps for many years, including some really big tanks, once set up they require no adjustment for years...
Tom Barr also uses NWs for many of his tanks.
Click to expand...
Hmmm...the pump I'm using is a V2 Powerpump - rated 2000 LPH - must say I've had to restrict it slightly, but it's good and quiet. Just been looking at Alastair's home-make pipe reactor (see above) and think this will work better - also won't need much working pressure....new territory for me, but will integrate into my plumbing arrangement really easily.
 
foxfish said:
If you consider that in your set up, the inlet is at the bottom of the tank, that is were you want your gas to get too!
Rather than direct it up perhaps direct at a low level.
I could imaging a rotating head about one third up would really do the job but might not look to good?
Click to expand...
Yes, been thinking about this too...trying to get some surface movement, but have some flow at the base as well - have gone through about 3 meters of acrylic pipe today, trying various designs...and still not there :banghead: - still got work to do on this....
 
Alistair's reactor thread is a great guide, personally I would try your hardest to obtain clear tube & understand the longer the bubble contact time the more efficient the reactor... in other words you need a long tube!
As you appear to be pretty handy, you might want to attempt to get the water inside the tube to spin as this will obviously increase contact time tenfold.
 
Plunket said:
Thanks very much. Yes, have thought about putting the diffuser before the filter....would be reasonably simple to do, but always worried about unseen build-up of CO2 inside the filter - I assume you've don't have this issue?
Click to expand...

No, no, never had this issue. Although my diffuser is after my filter ;)

I have been using a Mixmax Co2 reactor which has worked fine for me and keeps the bubbles very small, my outlet is also just above the gravel at one corner blowing a fair current across the plants, if you watch a bubble it seems to dissolve before reaching the surface.
 
Monk d'Wally de Honk said:
No, no, never had this issue. Although my diffuser is after my filter ;)

I have been using a Mixmax Co2 reactor which has worked fine for me and keeps the bubbles very small, my outlet is also just above the gravel at one corner blowing a fair current across the plants, if you watch a bubble it seems to dissolve before reaching the surface.
Click to expand...
After all that, I'm actually going to take the diffuser off completely and try using a reactor instead :)
 
OK, so just to make things interesting....and as if my cabinet wasn't cluttered enough.....:banghead:
Decided to switch from an inline diffuser to a CO2 reactor. Having checked out Alastair's thread on the subject (Co2 reactor build for Fluval FX5 | UK Aquatic Plant Society), I put this together...
QsEmmXm.jpg
and managed to fit it into the cabinet like so....
V467dP0.jpg
Unfortunately, I rushed it a bit, and one of the joins hadn't cured, so leaked quite dramatically - cue scramble for extra towels :eek:
Had to disassemble, apply extra solvent weld and refit - just giving it another couple of hours before I wet test again....never a dull moment!
I've added a bleed-valve on the top of the reactor so that trapped air and any surpluss CO2 can be vented....
cfMqqGM.jpg
 
foxfish said:
Alistair's reactor thread is a great guide, personally I would try your hardest to obtain clear tube & understand the longer the bubble contact time the more efficient the reactor... in other words you need a long tube!
As you appear to be pretty handy, you might want to attempt to get the water inside the tube to spin as this will obviously increase contact time tenfold.
Click to expand...

Sorry - just saw this now - I've got limited cabinet space, so the most I could get is 62cm (including the fittings at each end. Gone for 2" pipe to increase the volume of the reactor as much as possible. Good suggestion on the clear pipe...I was in a hurry and had an old piece of white plumbing spare, so am using this for now. Managed to use clear pipe on the inlet and outlet, so I can at least see what's exiting the reactor and if there's any gas backing up towards the pump.
 
Alastair said:
Looks the business now its inside the cabinet. Very well done mate. Shame about the leak though. Pvc cement usually bonds in minutes and should have been a tight seal after ten. Unusual

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Yes I know - very strange. It leaked where I'd put in a reducing bush to come down from 2" to 1.5", and I did not they were quite lose, so I guess I should have used more glue :banghead:
 
Quick update - been an eventful week....
First, major issues with algae, completely my own fault :banhappy: Forgot to reset my photo period after the dry start - thought cranking it back to 50% max would be ok, but 12 hours total in the first week CLEARLY too much :facepalm:
Doing 30% water changes daily with a 70/30 blend of RO and tap - TDI going in is 75. Surprised that my ammonia is 0ppm - I guess it leached out in the dry start and my water changes have flushed it? Dosed with Flourish Excel which has definitely helped, and today added 6 Ottos, the 4 adult Amanos from my old tank and a bunch of Cherries. Happy to see that they were all munching away happily today and plant leaves are already looking much cleaner. Not 100% sure what I should be doing regarding dosing and CO2...at the moment I'm not dosing at all and pulled CO2 and lighting right back - lights are on 12 to 5, but ramping over 3 hours and max brightness is 30% - any advice on this?

Happier news is that my CPD breeding program is yielding good results :).
sqykRCD.jpg
Set up on 9th November with 4 females and by best 2 males - saw first fry on Fri evening, so removed the adults and today counted 20 swim-up babies, and another 20 or so amongst the marbles on the bottom that still have their egg sac - all being well, should have a good crop for the new tank. Sorry for the C****Y pics - the best I can manage with the iPhone....
TzEsEq0.jpg
DwIQEZm.jpg
I really do have to sort out my camera work and get a decent camera - any suggestions? I've heard that you can buy a decent SLR cheaply second-hand, but wouldn't know what to buy :crazy:
 
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