• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Would this work?

agol77

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2013
Messages
68
Hi all

I'm thinking about adding CO2 to my 6' discus tank, using a CO2 Art set up with a 5kg FE. I have a sump on the tank, and was wondering about adding the gas inline, in the return pipework. The pump is an Eheim Compact 5000, which takes 19mm pipe, so none of the commercially available inline diffusers will fit.

I was thinking about drilling a 6mm hole in the hard return pipe, glueing in a 90 degree airline elbow, and fixing the CO2 pipe to it. The gas would have to travel about 12 feet before getting in to the display tank, which I figure should be plenty of time to dissolve.

The reason for my post is that drilling holes in hard pipework just feels wrong, and I'm not sure if the pressure of the CO2 will be high enough to make it in to the water, or if water will push out through the elbow and in to the CO2 airline.

Any thoughts, experience, or advice would be very welcome.

Cheers




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi
A 6mm Non-return valve will stop any back flow of water into the Co2 line!
brass-check-valvejpg.image.330x330.jpg
 
Hi
A 6mm Non-return valve will stop any back flow of water into the Co2 line!

Thanks for the reply.

Yep, I'll definitely add a non return valve, but do you reckon the flow of CO2 will be strong enough to make it in to the return pipe in the first place, or will it get pushed back by the water to the non return valve?

I'm assuming that a 5kg FE has more pressure than a 5000l/ph water pump, so it should be ok, but assumptions often end up biting me in the backside!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have a sump pump setup, have used the inline defuses etc, and at the moment I just use a atomiser in front of the return pump, so the micro bubbles are pulled into the pump.

For me it works as good if not better than in inline. Plus no cutter or drilling required and easier to clean the defuses when required.

5f78127d2e685bed98a6786e2eacdc8a.jpg


b6872b66f9e841179510a0b49ae70d6e.jpg
 
I have a sump pump setup, have used the inline defuses etc, and at the moment I just use a atomiser in front of the return pump, so the micro bubbles are pulled into the pump.

For me it works as good if not better than in inline. Plus no cutter or drilling required and easier to clean the defuses when required.

5f78127d2e685bed98a6786e2eacdc8a.jpg


b6872b66f9e841179510a0b49ae70d6e.jpg

Thanks for that, I'll have a think about it, as it would definitely be a lot easier.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
JBL do a 19/25 inline diffuser.
As to the drilling of a hole in the pipework to fit the CO2 gas direct it would just give large bubbles which have a small surface are to volume ratio so the uptake of CO2 by the water would be minimal even with 12 feet off pipework. You need a diffuser to get the smallest bubbles possible, which have a large surface area to volume ratio.
A Cerges reactor gets away with large bubbles because the bubbles are under much more pressure which increases the waters CO2 uptake, but results in decreased flow.
The sump will also increase the loss of CO2 from the water too.

Sent from Mountolympus via neural interface
 
JBL do a 19/25 inline diffuser.
As to the drilling of a hole in the pipework to fit the CO2 gas direct it would just give large bubbles which have a small surface are to volume ratio so the uptake of CO2 by the water would be minimal even with 12 feet off pipework. You need a diffuser to get the smallest bubbles possible, which have a large surface area to volume ratio.
A Cerges reactor gets away with large bubbles because the bubbles are under much more pressure which increases the waters CO2 uptake, but results in decreased flow.
The sump will also increase the loss of CO2 from the water too.

Sent from Mountolympus via neural interface

Many thanks for the info. I clearly need to give this more thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top