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Re: Carbo-plus system

>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.

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?

Regards
Bob