Re: [APD] filtering a co2 tank

[revance at indiana_edu]

I am also setting up a new tank and am going to be using a wet/dry filter on 
it. Before deciding to do so I did a lot of reading up on trickle filters and 
loss of co2. I found a very interesting article

http://www.frii.com/~gbooth/AquaticConcepts/  Go to "Carbon Dioxide
Injection" in the navigation bar and then "Do trickle filters cause
lots of CO2 loss?"

Obviously this experiment is very specific to their setup... the loss of co2 
will depend a lot on your filter (how much co2 can escape from it). There are 
also people who have personal experience with trickle filters removing co2... 
so as far as I have found there is no "correct" answer.

The problem I see with using an aquaclear is that if you are not religious 
about topping off your water levels, you will end up with a lot of surface 
agitation, thus loss of co2. Aquaclears don't provide excellent bio 
filtration, but since this is a planted tank (depending on your bio load) you 
don't need all that much artificial bio filtration. A lot of people really 
prefer canister filters because they are airtight and don't cause much co2 
loss. And you can place the filter diffusor deep in the water so you don't 
have to worry about topping off your water levels as much as with the 
aquaclear (however with trickle filters the water level in the tank never 
changes). Obviously a canister filter is not very practical for diy... the 
easiest filter to diy is a trickle filter.

On my setup I plan to inject the co2 into the sump because I am striving to 
keep as many things out of the aquarium as possible. This is the main reason I 
really wanted to use a trickle filter. Surface turbulence in the sump shouldnt 
be a problem... trickling should end in the compartment where the bio media is 
(if the experiment above is correct the air should hopefully be saturated with 
co2 anyway) from that point to the pump it should be smooth water flow. If you 
have the co2 being injected "upstream" from the bio media compartment any 
agitation there won't effect your co2 injection. Even if there is co2 
outgassing in the bio media compartment... it's "downstream" from the co2 
injection. 

I am going to give the trickle filter a try and if I find that it causes too 
much co2 loss I will just switch to a canister filter, and unfortunately have 
to put all that ugly junk in the aquarium. As always, if anyone has any 
different ideas I would like to hear them.


Quoting James Hogan <spree_rider at hotmail_com>:

> I am currently using a UG filter and a aquaclear 150, i want to add co2 to 
> my tank.  i am getting rid of the UG filter and replacing it with some sort 
> of high efficiency Biofilter.  i was wondering what type of filter would be 
> best and most cost effective preferably DIY.  do you think i should keep the
> 
> aquaclear or will that make too much surface turbulance?  i was thinking 
> that i would use a DIY wet/dry trickle filter.  i have most of the parts i 
> would need for it around the house so it would only cost the media and the 
> sump pump.  Do you think the trickle filter would remove the co2 too fast?  
> and do you think it would work alright if i injected the co2 into the sump 
> instead of directly into the tank or will the pump moving the water into the
> 
> tank cause the co2 to become lost.
> thank you.
> 
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