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Re: Carbo-plus CO2 System
Bob,
I've had my "Carbo-plus" unit since May (got it in Germany) and it has been
running since then! With good lighting and mild fertilization with
"Flora-Boost", my plants are gorgeous! The "plus" in "Carbo-plus", the
manufacturer says is that it will also reduce the carbonate hardness of
your water by depositing the calcium carbonate on the inside of the carbon
block reactor that is in the aquarium. My plants have never looked better
and this apparatus is quality made!
The explanation that you gave below is exactly correct! The price,
however, was more -- even in Germany; but worth every penny and much less
expensive than the gas systems in the long run!
Merrill
>I don't know if it is available in Singapore, but I have been using a
>"Carbo-plus" unit that comes from Germany. It is available here from That
>Fish Place in Lancaster, PA (retail plus Mail-Order House) and our LFS in
>Randallstown, MD has it.
>
>It doesn't use gas! CO2 is produced electronically with a carbon block
>reaction. No CO2 reactor is needed as the CO2 comes off the block in a
>"smoke" in the water that is absorbed before it reaches the surface. You
>don't need a Bubble Counter as you control the amount with a dial outside
>the aquarium; no pressure tank; no valves or gauges; the carbon block is
>replaceable -- lasts about 4 months if you use it 24 hours a day and about
>8 months if you put it on a timer with your lights; the carbon block is
>inexpensive (much less than filling a gas tank for that length of time)
and
>many other advantages.
Bob Wurster wrote:
I saw this unit at a recent Potomac Valley Aquarium Society meeting. The
output and dissipation of the gas was quite impressive. It really did look,
and disappear, like smoke. I don't remember the specific prices. The carbon
blocks seemed reasonable, but the controller was in the $150 range. The
Aquarium Products sales guy in the booth said that the unit works through
electrolysis, with water being split into O and H. The O reacts with the
carbon molecules in the block and voila. I guess the H2 joins the
atmosphere in your living room. It is a very simple looking device, a block
of carbon surrounded by a metal collar (electrodes for electrolysis?) with
a cable leading to the controller. The controller is a small box with a
single control knob and a an LED bar meter that indicates the output level.
I am guessing that it is simply a variable power supply. I wish now that I
had looked more closely at the point where the wires connected to the
carbon block/collar construct. Seems like there is a lot of DIY potential
with a device so apparently simple, but maybe I missed something. I can't
help but wonder what the constant charge on the water in the tank does to
the plants and fish, though. Anyone have input?