CO2 reactor suggestion

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: CO2 reactor suggestion
From: George Booth <booth at hpmtlgb1_lvld.hp.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 16:36:09 -0700
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 07 Nov 1996 15:39:02 EST." <199611072039.PAA27194 at looney_actwin.com>

> From: alan at peewee_chinalake.navy.mil (Alan Van nevel)
> Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 08:58:15 -0700
> 
> For my CO2 reactor, I am using an old heater which had died. (Yes I am
> a pack rat, and those tubes on the cheap heaters break too often , so
> I couldnt throw a good one away).  They are relatively easy to take
> apart, and then one can invert the test tube and resecure it in the
> mounting apparatus.  It is easy to attach to the tank, and fairly tall
> and skinny, so it is easy to hide with some bushy plants.  If you can
> direct the output of a small powerhead, or a filter past the mouth,
> this will increase the rate at which the CO2 goes into solution.

A heater tube doesn't have much surface area (which mostly determines
the diffusion rate).  Good for small tanks (<20g) but marginal for
larger tanks.  IMHO.  

George