How many of you diffuse co2 through your can filters?

[cooldude1606]

Hello all, new here.
Just wondering how many of you diffuse your pressurized co2 through a canister filter? Thinking of trying it with my fluval 306 on my 55 gal. I have heard of co2 building up and causing harm to beneficial bacterias. Thoughts and experiences? Basically looking for a alternative to a reactor. I figure the filter itself would make a great reactor. Thanks and looking forward to what you all have to say!
Nathan

 

[Anonymous]

The way canisters are set up is they suck up gases (air) that collects at the top of the canister and expels them through the water return. Usually the air is collected during a tear down (maintenance).

Now, you could introduce CO2 into the pick up tube. When the CO2 enters the canister the CO2 will collect at the top. I don't know what it is called but there is a thing that sucks up the gas and shoots it through the pump bi passing the media.

The issue I had when I tried this is my canister made noise when it was clearing the gas pockets from the top of the top of the canister. It was quite loud and I quickly changed to something different.

Here is what I would recommend. These work really well.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10806

 

[tazeat]

Gla makes an inline diffuser that is quite popular and a lot of people have good luck with them... I do not use them however, the atomic diffusers work great.

 

[MattArmstrong]

Fifteen years ago I ran DIY yeast CO2 into a small Eheim 2213 canister without issue. It probably depends on your bubble count. The higher it is, the more likely the canister will have trouble with it. I suspect at my DIY bubble counts the CO2 was completely dissolved before it got through the media.

 

[cooldude1606]

Thanks for your input. I asked this question because I recently bought a glass diffuser (up aqua brand) but was very disappointed when I saw how large of bubbles it made. Thinking of rigging up an in line reactor now that I have done more research. they seem to produce the highest level of diffusion considering from what I see with most diffusers some bubbles reach the surface and dissolve into the atmosphere.

 

[Anonymous]

:spoton:

It seems I gravitate back to the ol glass defusers for ease of maintenance. But reactors are very efficient.

 

[keman]

When I did my DYI Co2, I just had the output into a small air stone right at my canister return. The returning water would take the co2 off the stone.

 

[cooldude1606]

Currently have the small glass diffuser placed under my canister intake. it pulls up the bubbles and diffuses it into the water column. Ever 5 min or so what ever small amount of co2 is built up at the top of the filter does eventually get shot out back into the tank in the form of extremely small bubbles. For now this will work for me, but in the future im sure ill be making a reactor soon. Seen multiple DIY solutions and i believe i can create my own design that will work best for me. Im still new to pressurized co2, although i have used the yeast method some years ago but was not pleased with the way it worked. watch out world my plants are growing!