What is you preferred way of injecting CO2? Also don't forget to like the video, it helps more than you know! 🙏 👉🏻Become a channel member! bit.ly/3JWfyzg 👉🏻Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my TH-cam channel: TH-cam.com/mjaquascaping 👉🏻Cool Aquascaping T-shirts: mosscotton.com/ Code: mjaqua10 👉🏻 Use Code ''amsterdam'' for 10% off CO2art products 👉🏻Destroy ALGAE with my FREE ebook 📖 bit.ly/3aBaAcy 👉🏻10% DISCOUNT on buceplanet.de with code: Amsterdam10
Mark interesting as always, but I suspect, because you increased the pressure for the in-line diffuser by 5 psi, despite trying to count bubbles (almost impossible I suspect at that high rate) you used approximately 15% more CO2.
I recently purchased the inline diffuser after reading many positive reviews. I hope to connect my C02 this week. Your videos are incredibly informative and helpful. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks MJ for the thoughtful experiment and for having a great channel. I would like to say that I think the results are misleading even though you partially addressed the issue of regulator pressure. I believe that there is more to account for when you change between the low-pressure reactor and high-pressure in-line diffuser. Boyle's law describes the relationship between pressure and volume of a confined gas (bubbles are confined within the liquid in the bubble counter and stay intact from surface tension). Two bubbles of the same volume under different pressures will contain different quantities of gas. Think of pumping up a bicycle tire - once the tire fills to size, you can keep pumping air into it increasing the pressure, but the size/volume does not increase much. With the low back pressure of the reactor, the bubbles in the bubble counter contain some amount of gas. With the high back pressure of the in-line diffuser, the bubbles in the bubble counter are compressed and therefore contain more gas per bubble assuming they reach the same size before they break away and float up. I think that matching the bubble rate in the experiment was a fatal mistake. Flow rate is the important variable, whereas bubble rate can be used as the proxy for flow rate only if pressure, temperature, and bubble size stay constant. To sum it up, I think you were injecting more CO2 with the inline diffuser than the reactor, giving false results. The reactor when working correctly results in complete dissolution of the gas. The in-line diffuser releases bubbles into the display that will eventually reach the surface and off gas prematurely, meaning that it should always be less efficient than the reactor. There is a separate issue of whether the microbubbles in the display tank are advantageous over the reactor since they can attach directly to the plant surfaces. But since your experiment looked specifically at pH, I think the results are specifically wrong. You could either use a flow meter instead of a bubble counter, or you can measure the back pressure after the regulator for each setup and approximate the flow rate based on bubble count.
Thanks for taking time to do this experiment. I think a better way to normalize each systems performance would be to either tune each system so each reaches the same target and is stable, then compare the CO2 flow rates of each. The system that maintains the target with the lowest consumption is the most efficient. The alternative would be to use a fixed CO2 injection rate for each system and the system that results in the greatest pH decrease would be the most efficient system. Once you start adjusting the CO2 working pressure, you introduce gas density changes that have an effect on the total mass flow rate of CO2 injection. Matching bubble counter flow at different pressures won't yield the same mass flow rate of CO2.
i just got the inline co2 atomizer, first time using it and it seems ok so far, going to check the pH drop shortly. love the experiment it's very insightful and useful. I've used the reactor and the in tank type before, but the inline makes the tank look so much cleaner. great video!
great video man. but I wish you got some B roll f the tank with the inline and reactor so we could really get an idea of the mist you where talking about.
A quick way to judge your actual CO2 delivered with a low-priced CO2 gauge instead of a probe is from the 2Hour Aquarist. You pull out some water after your CO2 had been on long enough to reach maximum dissolution--say two hours after it turns on. You measure the pH, pour the water into a small jar and shake it vigorously for five minutes steadily. That should degas all the CO2 you put in artificially. Now you measure the pH again and look at the spread between that value and the previous onw.
Combine an inline diffuser to a reactor. Only the tiniest of bubbles would be able to leave the reactor and those tiny bubbles would take a long time to break the water surface
MJ, nice experiment. Have you ever looked at how pH responds when co2 is injected 24/7 without a controller or solenoid? That is how I've been running my tank for ~24 years. Local water is soft. I set a constant bubble rate ~1 bps. Ph drops to low 6s overnight and rises to nearly 7 towards the end of the light period. Pearling starts soon after the lights turn on and slows several hours before end of light period. Fish are especially active in the afternoon. They do not seem to mind nighttime lows. Having never used a controller or solenoid, I also wonder why you let pH rise overnight rather than maintaining the same level 24/7.
Have you tried putting your in-line diffuser on the intake of your canister filter? That's what I do, the canister itself works well enough as a reactor / diffuser combo. I don't run close the same bubble rate you do in your demonstrations - so it is fairly efficient. In fact I removed the ceramic part, its not required. I've been turning on my C02 3hrs prior to lights on to land a target of 30+ppm (KH/PH of 5/6.6 =~ 37ppm). I get plant pearling about 3hrs into the photo period. I don't use a PH controller, but thinking on that. I'm still adjusting so I may start backing off during the photo period with timer controls if the CO2 starts to climb too high. I use a smart power bar for all the items I need to control, its convenient and I can control the items from my phone or google home by shouting at it. :)
Great experiment. Bu you should repeat it with the same CO2 operating pressure, since you increased the pressure with the diffuser. The results you obtained are not directly comparable. If the amount of injected CO2 were the same, then the reactor would have achieved a higher CO2 concentration, since a reactor will achieve a higher CO2 dissolution rate than an inline diffuser.
Yep, I think you are right. I find it hard to believe that the reactor produced worse results than the diffuser. Of course there are pros and cons with both, mainly price and size of the two.
Just by looking at t he bubble couonter it's obvious the reactor was given more bubbles per second. Pressure is irrelevant for the reactoor, it doesn't needhigh pressure. What proobably would have made a difference for the reator is if he had more flow from the filter.
@@marlonallansupetran7120 Gas density varies directly with working pressure. Eventhough the bubble count might be the same. if the reactor pressure is a quarter of the inline diffuser pressure, you are effectively injecting a quarter the amount of CO2 with the reactor
Thanks for sharing this great insight. In my opinion there are benefits to have both 100% dissolved reactor CO2 as well as a small amount of suspended dispersed CO2 bubbles from an inline injection system. However for personal taste and the benefit of having extremely clear water in order to enjoy the viewing more. I would just go with a good quality reactor. That should support the plants adequately and provide a fantastic viewing experience. Thanks for sharing this inspirational and informative content. 😎👍👊🇦🇺
I also use an inline diffuser and I combine it with a lily pipe that has a special shape that pushes the water down. Hoping it optimizes the co2 consumption and diffusion. The name of the pipe is the Orchid Outflow by VIV.
So I came up with a idea. I use a co2 Reactor on its own dedicated line, which has a in-line pump,. It has its own set of lilly pipes also. That way my Oase canister filters' flow is not reduced +Plus even more flow from the opposite side of my aquarium.
If you prefer an inline system; qanvee is really great. It's the same as the co2art, except a lot cheaper (aliexpress). Thank me later. Oh and a tip against leaking gas, use Vaseline on al the connections
My display tank has a black vinyl background and tall background plants, which obscure the spray bar I use. The spray bar is obviously connected to an external filter (an Oase Biomaster 600), which in turn is connected to the very same C02 Art in-line diffuser you used here. With this set-up, you do get a very fine mist in the water, as you noted. No bubbles or "sprite water," but a visible mist. So that's true. But with this set-up, I get such excellent C02 dissolution and distribution that I can get even slow-growing plants like java fern and anubias to pearl, which indicates peak photosynthesis. Before I tried this set-up, I didn't even know it was possible to get anubias to pearl. So in my experience at least, an in-liner diffuser connected to a (hidden) spray bar produces strong, healthy, beautiful plants.
@@MJAquascaping Actually, I have it submerged but parallel to the water surface. This does create mild surface agitation (and a nice shimmering from the LEDs). So there may be a little off gasing but the C02 mist is still visible throughout the tank.
You do not want to try that setup. The nitrifying bacteria inside the filter are a mix of aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Injecting CO2 into the filter would have a negative impact on a significant part of the ecosystem living in the filter that is responsible for biological filtration. Plus, you risk CO2 gas accumulation inside the filter, which means that the filter could "burp" the accumulated CO2 every once in a while. If you want to achieve full CO2 dissolution then you use a reactor. The reactor would have very likely provided better results than the if the operating pressure was kept the same in both experiments, which was not the case.
That is interesting. Obviously whenever we’re injecting CO2 there is going to be CO2 rich water going through our filters, but with the injector on the inlet the concentration is clearly higher. I’m no expert, but I have tried an in-line diffuser on my canister input for months now and haven’t had any issues with Ammonia or Nitrites or anything like that. But I also have a lot of plants, pretty small bio-load, and a decent amount of substrate for bacteria to colonize on outside the filter. I haven’t had any burping issues and the visible CO2 bubbles in the water is less (though not nothing), but it’s a small tank so I’m not injecting near the quantity of CO2 as Mark is on the Big Shallow. So maybe it’s a good option for small tanks only? Could be an interesting experiment to test water chemistry and CO2 diffusion on two scapes with minimal substrate. One with the diffuser on the inlet one with the diffuser on the outlet. See both how well it diffuses and how much it affects the bacteria performance.
Awesome video. Looking to upgrade to a canister soon and an inline would be great to clean up the tank a bit. Where did you get 6.8 pH from, is it 30ppm from your pH before the co2 is on?
Mark, you increased the pressure by 5 psi on the in-line system, thus I reckon you used 15% more CO2, I doubt you could accurately count the bubbles at the fast you rate you were releasing the CO2 at with your fine adjuster.
@@marlonallansupetran7120 Thanks, I might need to watch again, I understand quantity and pressure are not the same thing, like a thumb constricting a water hose.
Very informative video like always. I'm glad I switched to inline ones...the mist is a bit distracting but I feel happy the plants are getting enough Co2
I've been allowing a difuse to pass through my cannister filter cheapest reactor going...although it's not recommended I've never had a problem with this method for 3 years
It's a good video, and you’ve made some very good points. The fact you captured data is fantastic! I've used an inline diffuser for several years now, that runs in-line from my sump return pump. I currently run that same in-line diffuser you showed here; which I appreciate, as it can be easily disassembled for maintenance. It's easy to clean, and the seals can be replaced. Best of all, it's not visible in my aquarium :) It's good to see how well the in-line performed. I am a tad bit biased, given I've run that diffuser for some time now. And seeing how well it performed only reinforces my fondness of it. However, even with your data: I’d still rather run a reactor, if I could ever find one made out of cast-acrylic. If for no other reason than the durability and shelf-life cast-acrylic reactors have. They can also have a lower loss in head pressure, as an in-line can be very restrictive around the ceramic ring. The main issue is, finding a cast-acrylic CO2 reactor is exceedingly difficult! Because of that, I hope reactors become more prevalent in freshwater. Also, that tank is looking great. It's a pretty contrast in textures.
Really good experiment. Actually I have a CO2 diffuser in the tank. I tried different places to obtain an optimal distribution of CO2 and figured out the best place is next to inlet pipe. Most of bubbles are aspirated and after the drop checker the amount of CO2 is good. What do you think?
If you add co2 close to the inlet surely it will kill all the friendly bacteria in the filter as the pure concentrated co2 is being introduced directly into the filter first
Hi MJ. Have you ever tried or reflected upon connecting the CO2 hose to an internal filter? I have one that I removed the filter part and it's just serving as a flow device directed at the Neo diffuser to spread the bubbles through my 100cm tank. (I use an external cannister for filtering). This internal filter has a little hole to connect an air pump to. Will the CO2 connect to this in an effective way or is there a risk to it? Thank you in advance. Always love your videos! Regards from Portugal.
It could possibly wear out the impeller mechanism earlier. I dunno. I've hooked co2 into an HOB (I think it was aquaclear?) b/4 with a slanted chopstick stuck into the tubing, but you have to keep the waterline above the waterfall, or it loses co2 rapidly in the air. You could maybe, instead, drill a hole in the side below the waterline, but so the co2 doesn't have to go through the impeller. Maybe the airline does the same? Dunno, just guesing.🤷♀
I have a tank that is 240L and I have trouble getting the co2 spread all the way around the aquarium. There is also a "carpet" of bubbles on the surface. I have ordered Aquatic Nature co2 Tornado (I have an internal filter). I hope it is the same principle as your reactor, but I will have to wait and see.
I have the c02 art inline and its one of the best products I've owned. I get really good diffusion for my tank step up. Awesome vid! Glad I didn't waste my money haha
Thanks for the test ;) But taking of very hard tap water, and seeing Amsterdam got arround 8 I need to smile ;) My old city I lived in we had 21, and munich now got arroudn 15 ;/
i only have in tanks diffusers and always struggle with their perfect placement :/ usually underneath the filters inlet disperses the bubbles everywhere
There is one type that you missed: passive diffusion: a bottom opened container, filled with CO2, from which the CO2 diffuses in water through gas exchange with the water
But nice experiment. It is a pity that the inline diffusion requires a different pressure to work, making the bubble count difficult to keep consistent
Passive systems, 'bell jar', were the only systems I found back in the late 1980s, they didn't work very well. I use a reactor on my large tank, I have hard water and using any other method is too wasteful of gas. Thanks for your post.
@@williammcdowell6257 passive systems efficiency depends on the exchange surface, and water flow (but i think that the last can be said for all of them). Their main defect is the difficulty of halting the exchange during the night circle and regulating the output. On the other hand, ALL the CO2 used is fully dispersed in water
@@blucenere Yes you are of course completely correct, the surface area of some of the home made systems in the 1980s were definitely problematic for larger heavily planted aquariums. I've run 24 hour CO2 systems without fish losses (lower bubble rate - great for BBA control), but then with using ladder diffusers or ceramic discs I suppose there is little danger. Thanks, best wishes.
@@josephp1592 Yep many reactors are poorly designed, what you are doing that would work but since filters produce CO2 and need O2 for the bacteria I am reluctant to use this method. For the last couple of months I have been using an in-line diffuser on my external filter's return. But am finding that with a solenoid control it is a fine line between good levels of CO2 and too much for sensitive fish in that time slot before lights come on, once lights have been on for a while then the plants produce enough oxygen and have balanced the CO2 levels.
Great video! That’s a beautiful shelving unit. Where did you get it? I love that setup with your decorations and tanks. I would love to have something like that!
Hey. What program were you using to monitor the exact CO2 levels throughout that first day & moving forward to keep an eye on regularly? I hope to get a reply …. I look forward to ur response. Cheers from Down Under. Claire
There is another way of injecting co2 (used to inject o2 in industrial aquaculture). An pressured chamber with gazeous co2 and water showered finely from the top, droplets of water going through the co2 and not the opposite. Quite nosy maybe but should be adapted for huge tanks! Do you know what system they use in the sumida aquarium?
I subscribed and put notifications on to see what you are doing. I’m still not sure if I will go with a Reactor or an inline defuser. What size aquarium is the one you are showcasing? Can you tell me in Gallons? Thank you for sharing.
I like your experiments. I've got a bunch of tanks, of the same size, and I'm going to test some different equipment. I'm thinking of testing filters, substrate, ferts, & lights, but, I'm afraid that's too many variables to be able to determine which one did what. Maybe just stick to one company's products per tank.
Quick question, I have an ista face side co2 regulator and it doesn't have a dial on the front to adjust the pressure is that a common thing not to have one of those dials? Forgive my ignorance if it's a silly question, first time using co2 on a tank. Thanks
Hi, thank you for your videos they are great, I learn a lot thanks to you and you offer great content. Thank you also for the subtitles in French, I'm watching you from Switzerland ;) keep it up!
Thanks for this video MJ. 🙏 Im using the same inline diffuser on my 120 tank. But im planning to use a reactor (ista brand) on a 150cm tank im working on currently 😊 wish me luck
سلام. ازمایش جالبی بود. به نظر من یک مشکل در این ازمایش وجود داره.با توجه به اینکه فشار، در سه سیستم متفاوت هست .مقدار گاز مصرفی فرق داره.من فکر میکنم اگر مقدار گرم مصرف شده رو اندازه بگیرید بهتره.تعداد حبابها در هر ثانیه با توجه به اختلاف فشار ممکنه جرم کمتر یا بیشتری رو منتقل کنه.البته برای مقدار گرمgr مصرفی باید حتما ph پایین بیاد و اینکار با تزریق مقدار بیشتری از گاز ممکنه.من فکر میکنم با توجه به مقدار گاز مصرفی(gr) ،نتایج متفاوت بشه
Retest the reactor with a little more Co2 added to reach your 6.8ph and it's going to use less pressure with the same result and save you money in Co2. I know that it cost more up front but there's no insert to replace. I have a reactor on my 150gal.
@@Kendez. I've never seen a vid or tank at my loco fish shop running two disfursers. The only problem I'm having is that my water is perfect for African cichlids or saltwater. high Ph 8.2 and really good buffering to keep it high. I'm running two DC pumps one for dry-wet filter and the other for Co2. At the moment my Co2 controller doesn't hit my set Ph of7.0 stays at7.5 but plants are pearling, and check dropper is a medium green and fish are acting healthy so I'm not worried about the set Ph. Good thing about plants you can't hear them scream and their cheap. My 150gal is 72x18x26 no cover and plenty of turbulence on water service. I feel that a reactor is the best set up for me. Controlling more Co2 lines when I can do it with only one that's my choice. Hope this helps and let me know what you went with.
@@Kendez. I'm not going to say that it doesn't work or that's the only way to do it, but With TH-cam there's a lot of vids that shouldn't be allowed because their crap and tell you the wrong info. Do more research and see what the cost difference is and how much work to maintain both systems. I'm not sold on the ceramic insert due to getting clogged No issues with reactor.
I've actually wedged my CO2 diffuser directly under the intake sponge. There are no bubbles, the CO2 goes straight into my cannister filter. I'm pretty sure it dissolves in there because there are no bubbles coming out of my filter outlet either. It is a nano tank, so i'm not injecting much CO2. This might not work if you're injecting a lot.
If I set up Inline Diffusser in canister filter's outflow pipe then will the canister filter's outflow will decrease??? And if it decrease the how much will it decrease???
I see you mounted the in-line diffusors differently in the clips. At the beginning of the video the ceramic was further away from the filter than later in the video. How come?
My first thought was that the ceramic should be further away from the filter. But in the manual from CO2art it's the opposite. In the end I don't think it really matters
Hey Mark, I subscribed and put notifications on, so that I could learn some more. For years I passively used CO2 into my aquarium. I’ve been looking for a great CO2 Reactor to use in my tank. I’m starting over again, because I moved. I sold all four tanks. I thinking an Acrylic tank this time. I would like to go Dutch Style, but I doubt it. I’m more into aquatic plants than fish and shrimps. I did very well in selling plants from my Aquariums. I also sold many kinds of fry’s and shrimps. CO2 Reactors are hard to find. Thank you for sharing.
Great Video, thank you! I need your advice: I recently switched to an inline diffusor (JBL Taifun Inline) for the mentioned benefits of having very small bubbles. After 24hrs of soaking and 8 days of use (switch off at night), the bubbles are still relatively big (not a micro bubble mist). Also JBL claims the benefits being able to save up to 20% CO2. Does anyone experience the same? Any advice? Thank you! 🙂
isn't the inline co2 diffuser installed incorrectly? It should be the opposite direction. I use the same thing and I do not see the co2 bubbles at all. The only time I can see it is through the pipes when I shine a flash light through.
You are right cdavid ( 10:53 ) . I am not sure it makes a big difference though since CO2 is diffused into the water from all sides (the membrane is a cylinder)
What about passive CO2? I have been getting some into a plastic bottle in my aquarium. Too soon to even say if it makes a differentce, but it is confusing to me cause not even 24 hours and it is all gone from the bottle!
Great video as always. One question as I have never used CO2 in my tanks but would like to try without putting too much money into it, are the BIO 'systems' such as Dennerle BIO CO2 good to start with?
@@blandetbolcher4779 well ... my issue is that I am not sure if I want to go that route even though it looks interesting. I have always been fish first and plants have mainly a purpose. I have never gone for the look in my tanks, just for what is good for the fish I want to keep and limit myself to very hardy plants. One real CO2 setup would probably cost more than a low tech tank of decent size. So I just want to see if it is something I really would be interested in while I build up more tanks.
I have the juwel vision 450 It’s 450 litres I used a bazooka diffuser suitable for tanks up to 500 litres and I don’t feel like it performs that well in a tank of this size. What would you recommend for a tank 1500cm wide 55cm tall Using fluval fx4 canister filter.
What is you preferred way of injecting CO2? Also don't forget to like the video, it helps more than you know! 🙏
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Mark interesting as always, but I suspect, because you increased the pressure for the in-line diffuser by 5 psi, despite trying to count bubbles (almost impossible I suspect at that high rate) you used approximately 15% more CO2.
Where did you get that reactor from thanks
I recently purchased the inline diffuser after reading many positive reviews. I hope to connect my C02 this week. Your videos are incredibly informative and helpful. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks MJ for the thoughtful experiment and for having a great channel. I would like to say that I think the results are misleading even though you partially addressed the issue of regulator pressure. I believe that there is more to account for when you change between the low-pressure reactor and high-pressure in-line diffuser.
Boyle's law describes the relationship between pressure and volume of a confined gas (bubbles are confined within the liquid in the bubble counter and stay intact from surface tension). Two bubbles of the same volume under different pressures will contain different quantities of gas. Think of pumping up a bicycle tire - once the tire fills to size, you can keep pumping air into it increasing the pressure, but the size/volume does not increase much. With the low back pressure of the reactor, the bubbles in the bubble counter contain some amount of gas. With the high back pressure of the in-line diffuser, the bubbles in the bubble counter are compressed and therefore contain more gas per bubble assuming they reach the same size before they break away and float up. I think that matching the bubble rate in the experiment was a fatal mistake. Flow rate is the important variable, whereas bubble rate can be used as the proxy for flow rate only if pressure, temperature, and bubble size stay constant.
To sum it up, I think you were injecting more CO2 with the inline diffuser than the reactor, giving false results. The reactor when working correctly results in complete dissolution of the gas. The in-line diffuser releases bubbles into the display that will eventually reach the surface and off gas prematurely, meaning that it should always be less efficient than the reactor. There is a separate issue of whether the microbubbles in the display tank are advantageous over the reactor since they can attach directly to the plant surfaces. But since your experiment looked specifically at pH, I think the results are specifically wrong. You could either use a flow meter instead of a bubble counter, or you can measure the back pressure after the regulator for each setup and approximate the flow rate based on bubble count.
Thanks for taking time to do this experiment. I think a better way to normalize each systems performance would be to either tune each system so each reaches the same target and is stable, then compare the CO2 flow rates of each. The system that maintains the target with the lowest consumption is the most efficient. The alternative would be to use a fixed CO2 injection rate for each system and the system that results in the greatest pH decrease would be the most efficient system. Once you start adjusting the CO2 working pressure, you introduce gas density changes that have an effect on the total mass flow rate of CO2 injection. Matching bubble counter flow at different pressures won't yield the same mass flow rate of CO2.
Personly I like inline diffusers, because the micro bubbles also attache to plant which give them the opportunity to get CO2 this way.
They do that with in-tank diffusers too though…
i just got the inline co2 atomizer, first time using it and it seems ok so far, going to check the pH drop shortly. love the experiment it's very insightful and useful. I've used the reactor and the in tank type before, but the inline makes the tank look so much cleaner. great video!
great video man. but I wish you got some B roll f the tank with the inline and reactor so we could really get an idea of the mist you where talking about.
A quick way to judge your actual CO2 delivered with a low-priced CO2 gauge instead of a probe is from the 2Hour Aquarist. You pull out some water after your CO2 had been on long enough to reach maximum dissolution--say two hours after it turns on. You measure the pH, pour the water into a small jar and shake it vigorously for five minutes steadily. That should degas all the CO2 you put in artificially. Now you measure the pH again and look at the spread between that value and the previous onw.
Degassing in 5 min shaking??? Impossible just let it out side for 1-2 days till the ph stop dropping
Thank you! I am installing inline diffuser today on my new 75gal.
This channel provides easy-to-understand information and some experiments which I think are very interesting to know, greetings from Indonesia
Combine an inline diffuser to a reactor. Only the tiniest of bubbles would be able to leave the reactor and those tiny bubbles would take a long time to break the water surface
MJ, nice experiment. Have you ever looked at how pH responds when co2 is injected 24/7 without a controller or solenoid? That is how I've been running my tank for ~24 years. Local water is soft. I set a constant bubble rate ~1 bps. Ph drops to low 6s overnight and rises to nearly 7 towards the end of the light period. Pearling starts soon after the lights turn on and slows several hours before end of light period. Fish are especially active in the afternoon. They do not seem to mind nighttime lows. Having never used a controller or solenoid, I also wonder why you let pH rise overnight rather than maintaining the same level 24/7.
Have you tried putting your in-line diffuser on the intake of your canister filter? That's what I do, the canister itself works well enough as a reactor / diffuser combo. I don't run close the same bubble rate you do in your demonstrations - so it is fairly efficient.
In fact I removed the ceramic part, its not required. I've been turning on my C02 3hrs prior to lights on to land a target of 30+ppm (KH/PH of 5/6.6 =~ 37ppm). I get plant pearling about 3hrs into the photo period. I don't use a PH controller, but thinking on that. I'm still adjusting so I may start backing off during the photo period with timer controls if the CO2 starts to climb too high.
I use a smart power bar for all the items I need to control, its convenient and I can control the items from my phone or google home by shouting at it. :)
Great experiment. Bu you should repeat it with the same CO2 operating pressure, since you increased the pressure with the diffuser. The results you obtained are not directly comparable. If the amount of injected CO2 were the same, then the reactor would have achieved a higher CO2 concentration, since a reactor will achieve a higher CO2 dissolution rate than an inline diffuser.
Yep, I think you are right. I find it hard to believe that the reactor produced worse results than the diffuser. Of course there are pros and cons with both, mainly price and size of the two.
Just by looking at t he bubble couonter it's obvious the reactor was given more bubbles per second. Pressure is irrelevant for the reactoor, it doesn't needhigh pressure. What proobably would have made a difference for the reator is if he had more flow from the filter.
@@marlonallansupetran7120 Gas density varies directly with working pressure. Eventhough the bubble count might be the same. if the reactor pressure is a quarter of the inline diffuser pressure, you are effectively injecting a quarter the amount of CO2 with the reactor
Holy hell the tank at @2.00 is a work of art! I love that little sand path through the middle. Definitely be stealing that idea.
I hought exactly the same thing. Like a little path under the trees in the forest . Love it !
Thanks so much! This was very informative! I've been researching how to get into CO2, and the more I learn, the more questions it raises. Great job!
What way did you go with?
@@brandhark7935 I went with the inline method. My plants have been doing phenomenal!
To be honest you’re best aquascaper i have ever known.. 👏🏾
Check out MD Fish Tanks, he’s pretty good too.
Hi, do you have this link in English for the co2 reactor? Do they ship to California USA? Thank you
Thanks for sharing this great insight. In my opinion there are benefits to have both 100% dissolved reactor CO2 as well as a small amount of suspended dispersed CO2 bubbles from an inline injection system. However for personal taste and the benefit of having extremely clear water in order to enjoy the viewing more. I would just go with a good quality reactor. That should support the plants adequately and provide a fantastic viewing experience. Thanks for sharing this inspirational and informative content. 😎👍👊🇦🇺
I also use an inline diffuser and I combine it with a lily pipe that has a special shape that pushes the water down. Hoping it optimizes the co2 consumption and diffusion. The name of the pipe is the Orchid Outflow by VIV.
Thanks very interesting.
So I came up with a idea. I use a co2 Reactor on its own dedicated line, which has a in-line pump,. It has its own set of lilly pipes also. That way my Oase canister filters' flow is not reduced +Plus even more flow from the opposite side of my aquarium.
I think is would have made a difference.
If you prefer an inline system; qanvee is really great. It's the same as the co2art, except a lot cheaper (aliexpress). Thank me later.
Oh and a tip against leaking gas, use Vaseline on al the connections
Very very good explanation. Thanks very much. Subscribed.
My display tank has a black vinyl background and tall background plants, which obscure the spray bar I use. The spray bar is obviously connected to an external filter (an Oase Biomaster 600), which in turn is connected to the very same C02 Art in-line diffuser you used here.
With this set-up, you do get a very fine mist in the water, as you noted. No bubbles or "sprite water," but a visible mist. So that's true. But with this set-up, I get such excellent C02 dissolution and distribution that I can get even slow-growing plants like java fern and anubias to pearl, which indicates peak photosynthesis. Before I tried this set-up, I didn't even know it was possible to get anubias to pearl.
So in my experience at least, an in-liner diffuser connected to a (hidden) spray bar produces strong, healthy, beautiful plants.
Nice one! And the spraybar is faced downwards?
@@MJAquascaping Actually, I have it submerged but parallel to the water surface. This does create mild surface agitation (and a nice shimmering from the LEDs). So there may be a little off gasing but the C02 mist is still visible throughout the tank.
I have the spraybar faced downwards, works great! Only disadvantage is that the current there is really hard, so stemplants get tangled
Thank you! I want to get an in line CO2 diffuser set up now
Great video. It would be interesting to see this experiment again with the inline diffuser placed on the filter inlet hose.
You do not want to try that setup. The nitrifying bacteria inside the filter are a mix of aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Injecting CO2 into the filter would have a negative impact on a significant part of the ecosystem living in the filter that is responsible for biological filtration. Plus, you risk CO2 gas accumulation inside the filter, which means that the filter could "burp" the accumulated CO2 every once in a while. If you want to achieve full CO2 dissolution then you use a reactor. The reactor would have very likely provided better results than the if the operating pressure was kept the same in both experiments, which was not the case.
That is interesting. Obviously whenever we’re injecting CO2 there is going to be CO2 rich water going through our filters, but with the injector on the inlet the concentration is clearly higher. I’m no expert, but I have tried an in-line diffuser on my canister input for months now and haven’t had any issues with Ammonia or Nitrites or anything like that. But I also have a lot of plants, pretty small bio-load, and a decent amount of substrate for bacteria to colonize on outside the filter. I haven’t had any burping issues and the visible CO2 bubbles in the water is less (though not nothing), but it’s a small tank so I’m not injecting near the quantity of CO2 as Mark is on the Big Shallow. So maybe it’s a good option for small tanks only? Could be an interesting experiment to test water chemistry and CO2 diffusion on two scapes with minimal substrate. One with the diffuser on the inlet one with the diffuser on the outlet. See both how well it diffuses and how much it affects the bacteria performance.
Me too. Had mine like that for years and it worked well, now I have opposite outlet and not sure it’s as good :/
The JDAqua reaktor with bypass is the best👌
Thank you for making this in depth video with results and better explanation! It helps us a lot!!!
Awesome video. Looking to upgrade to a canister soon and an inline would be great to clean up the tank a bit.
Where did you get 6.8 pH from, is it 30ppm from your pH before the co2 is on?
I always try to go for a 1 ph drop, and normally my ph sits around 7.8 or so
@@MJAquascaping awesome, thanks for the reply
I just take the silicon tube from my diy co2 system and place it at the inlet of my pump in the aquarium sump, works amazingly
I’m thinking about attaching a co2 reactor to my Oase 600 Biomaster Thermo. What do you recommend and where can it be purchased?
Wow beautiful setup, i have tried your dry start method but no luck since 61 days.
I prefer the reactor. It's more effective and it avoids CO2 mist.
Never seen your channel, until this VERY SECOND. I HONESTLY have to say that the tank behind you is incredible...Subbed....
been watching your how to videos. and just want to say thankyou .
oh man the hard work you put on your videos
Mark, you increased the pressure by 5 psi on the in-line system, thus I reckon you used 15% more CO2, I doubt you could accurately count the bubbles at the fast you rate you were releasing the CO2 at with your fine adjuster.
Pressure is irrelevant to the reactor as there's nothing constricting the flow of co2 into it.
@@marlonallansupetran7120 Thanks, I might need to watch again, I understand quantity and pressure are not the same thing, like a thumb constricting a water hose.
Very informative video like always. I'm glad I switched to inline ones...the mist is a bit distracting but I feel happy the plants are getting enough Co2
I've been allowing a difuse to pass through my cannister filter cheapest reactor going...although it's not recommended I've never had a problem with this method for 3 years
04:31 this may be semantics but technically you don't have an 100% dissolve rate, you do have here an maximum saturation of co2 in water
I prefer reactor. I made one myself and happy with it.
It's a good video, and you’ve made some very good points. The fact you captured data is fantastic!
I've used an inline diffuser for several years now, that runs in-line from my sump return pump. I currently run that same in-line diffuser you showed here; which I appreciate, as it can be easily disassembled for maintenance. It's easy to clean, and the seals can be replaced. Best of all, it's not visible in my aquarium :)
It's good to see how well the in-line performed. I am a tad bit biased, given I've run that diffuser for some time now. And seeing how well it performed only reinforces my fondness of it.
However, even with your data: I’d still rather run a reactor, if I could ever find one made out of cast-acrylic. If for no other reason than the durability and shelf-life cast-acrylic reactors have. They can also have a lower loss in head pressure, as an in-line can be very restrictive around the ceramic ring. The main issue is, finding a cast-acrylic CO2 reactor is exceedingly difficult! Because of that, I hope reactors become more prevalent in freshwater.
Also, that tank is looking great. It's a pretty contrast in textures.
Really good experiment. Actually I have a CO2 diffuser in the tank. I tried different places to obtain an optimal distribution of CO2 and figured out the best place is next to inlet pipe. Most of bubbles are aspirated and after the drop checker the amount of CO2 is good. What do you think?
Yeah I prefer either next to the inlet or on the opposite side of the inlet. But this depends on the amount of flow as well
If you add co2 close to the inlet surely it will kill all the friendly bacteria in the filter as the pure concentrated co2 is being introduced directly into the filter first
Thanks for your video!
A normal airpump with airstone doesn't help? I got a sponge filter running
Your videos are some of the best on youtube
Hi MJ. Have you ever tried or reflected upon connecting the CO2 hose to an internal filter? I have one that I removed the filter part and it's just serving as a flow device directed at the Neo diffuser to spread the bubbles through my 100cm tank. (I use an external cannister for filtering). This internal filter has a little hole to connect an air pump to. Will the CO2 connect to this in an effective way or is there a risk to it?
Thank you in advance. Always love your videos! Regards from Portugal.
It could possibly wear out the impeller mechanism earlier. I dunno. I've hooked co2 into an HOB (I think it was aquaclear?) b/4 with a slanted chopstick stuck into the tubing, but you have to keep the waterline above the waterfall, or it loses co2 rapidly in the air. You could maybe, instead, drill a hole in the side below the waterline, but so the co2 doesn't have to go through the impeller. Maybe the airline does the same? Dunno, just guesing.🤷♀
Thank you. This mean that I will continue with my inline diffuser....
I was actually considering buying a reactor for my 400 l oase Highline. I'm constantly ad-justing the outlet for the best circulation of the bubbles
not all reactors are created equal - try the gla co2 reactor
I have a tank that is 240L and I have trouble getting the co2 spread all the way around the aquarium. There is also a "carpet" of bubbles on the surface. I have ordered Aquatic Nature co2 Tornado (I have an internal filter). I hope it is the same principle as your reactor, but I will have to wait and see.
I have the c02 art inline and its one of the best products I've owned. I get really good diffusion for my tank step up. Awesome vid! Glad I didn't waste my money haha
Thanks for the test ;) But taking of very hard tap water, and seeing Amsterdam got arround 8 I need to smile ;) My old city I lived in we had 21, and munich now got arroudn 15 ;/
i only have in tanks diffusers and always struggle with their perfect placement :/ usually underneath the filters inlet disperses the bubbles everywhere
There is one type that you missed: passive diffusion: a bottom opened container, filled with CO2, from which the CO2 diffuses in water through gas exchange with the water
But nice experiment.
It is a pity that the inline diffusion requires a different pressure to work, making the bubble count difficult to keep consistent
Passive systems, 'bell jar', were the only systems I found back in the late 1980s, they didn't work very well. I use a reactor on my large tank, I have hard water and using any other method is too wasteful of gas. Thanks for your post.
@@williammcdowell6257 passive systems efficiency depends on the exchange surface, and water flow (but i think that the last can be said for all of them).
Their main defect is the difficulty of halting the exchange during the night circle and regulating the output.
On the other hand, ALL the CO2 used is fully dispersed in water
@@blucenere Yes you are of course completely correct, the surface area of some of the home made systems in the 1980s were definitely problematic for larger heavily planted aquariums. I've run 24 hour CO2 systems without fish losses (lower bubble rate - great for BBA control), but then with using ladder diffusers or ceramic discs I suppose there is little danger. Thanks, best wishes.
@@josephp1592 Yep many reactors are poorly designed, what you are doing that would work but since filters produce CO2 and need O2 for the bacteria I am reluctant to use this method. For the last couple of months I have been using an in-line diffuser on my external filter's return. But am finding that with a solenoid control it is a fine line between good levels of CO2 and too much for sensitive fish in that time slot before lights come on, once lights have been on for a while then the plants produce enough oxygen and have balanced the CO2 levels.
Great video! That’s a beautiful shelving unit. Where did you get it? I love that setup with your decorations and tanks. I would love to have something like that!
Here is the link! www.leenbakker.nl/kasten/boekenkasten/wandmeubel-kyan-zwart-naturel-180x120x40-cm
@@MJAquascaping thanks! I’m in USA. But that gave me some great ideas!
Hello MJ, i tried to find the INTAQO system online, but it seems they are out of business?
Hey. What program were you using to monitor the exact CO2 levels throughout that first day & moving forward to keep an eye on regularly? I hope to get a reply …. I look forward to ur response. Cheers from Down Under. Claire
There is another way of injecting co2 (used to inject o2 in industrial aquaculture). An pressured chamber with gazeous co2 and water showered finely from the top, droplets of water going through the co2 and not the opposite. Quite nosy maybe but should be adapted for huge tanks! Do you know what system they use in the sumida aquarium?
I subscribed and put notifications on to see what you are doing. I’m still not sure if I will go with a Reactor or an inline defuser. What size aquarium is the one you are showcasing? Can you tell me in Gallons? Thank you for sharing.
I think if you use 30psi in reactor. It should give more results than inline.
MJ you should do a passive co2 kit vs injected co2 experiment.
I like your experiments. I've got a bunch of tanks, of the same size, and I'm going to test some different equipment. I'm thinking of testing filters, substrate, ferts, & lights, but, I'm afraid that's too many variables to be able to determine which one did what. Maybe just stick to one company's products per tank.
Would you know the ppm of co2 in your water? For best growth. And what's a good tester
Great video! Could you explain me about the graph of Intaqo controller? How do you view these data in your PC? Thanks!
I’ve messaged you on Instagram!
Can do experiment inline diffuser and intank which way uses less CO2?
Is it possible to use inline diffuser before the external filter? In this case you could use the external filter like a reactor....
Quick question, I have an ista face side co2 regulator and it doesn't have a dial on the front to adjust the pressure is that a common thing not to have one of those dials? Forgive my ignorance if it's a silly question, first time using co2 on a tank. Thanks
So, the plants actually need co2 to turn down the ph of the water? That's why we need co2 for the plants to grow?
Quick question, which fish are you using that can live at night on 8.3 ph? Newbie Question!
It’s surprising how the animals in the tank don’t go into ph shock with that much movement in ph.
Hi, thank you for your videos they are great, I learn a lot thanks to you and you offer great content. Thank you also for the subtitles in French, I'm watching you from Switzerland ;) keep it up!
Glad you like them!
Thanks for this video MJ. 🙏 Im using the same inline diffuser on my 120 tank. But im planning to use a reactor (ista brand) on a 150cm tank im working on currently 😊 wish me luck
Big shallow finally looking real good, brother. WOW. Looking stunning, actually. Nice job...
Thank you so much 😀
سلام.
ازمایش جالبی بود.
به نظر من یک مشکل در این ازمایش وجود داره.با توجه به اینکه فشار، در سه سیستم متفاوت هست .مقدار گاز مصرفی فرق داره.من فکر میکنم اگر مقدار گرم مصرف شده رو اندازه بگیرید بهتره.تعداد حبابها در هر ثانیه با توجه به اختلاف فشار ممکنه جرم کمتر یا بیشتری رو منتقل کنه.البته برای مقدار گرمgr مصرفی باید حتما ph پایین بیاد و اینکار با تزریق مقدار بیشتری از گاز ممکنه.من فکر میکنم با توجه به مقدار گاز مصرفی(gr) ،نتایج متفاوت بشه
Retest the reactor with a little more Co2 added to reach your 6.8ph and it's going to use less pressure with the same result and save you money in Co2. I know that it cost more up front but there's no insert to replace. I have a reactor on my 150gal.
I was just told that a reactor would not work good on a 180 gallon tank that I needed to run two inlines instead what’s ur opinion thanks
@@Kendez. I've never seen a vid or tank at my loco fish shop running two disfursers. The only problem I'm having is that my water is perfect for African cichlids or saltwater. high Ph 8.2 and really good buffering to keep it high. I'm running two DC pumps one for dry-wet filter and the other for Co2. At the moment my Co2 controller doesn't hit my set Ph of7.0 stays at7.5 but plants are pearling, and check dropper is a medium green and fish are acting healthy so I'm not worried about the set Ph. Good thing about plants you can't hear them scream and their cheap. My 150gal is 72x18x26 no cover and plenty of turbulence on water service. I feel that a reactor is the best set up for me. Controlling more Co2 lines when I can do it with only one that's my choice. Hope this helps and let me know what you went with.
@@cbayless4294 green left sent a pic with two inlines back to back on the same out take
@@Kendez. I'm not going to say that it doesn't work or that's the only way to do it, but With TH-cam there's a lot of vids that shouldn't be allowed because their crap and tell you the wrong info. Do more research and see what the cost difference is and how much work to maintain both systems. I'm not sold on the ceramic insert due to getting clogged No issues with reactor.
What tractor you use I’m in the USA
This video is very educational. Thanks very much.
You're very welcome!
Zo'n reactor vreet enorm veel vermogen van je filter weg. Mooie test.
I've actually wedged my CO2 diffuser directly under the intake sponge. There are no bubbles, the CO2 goes straight into my cannister filter. I'm pretty sure it dissolves in there because there are no bubbles coming out of my filter outlet either. It is a nano tank, so i'm not injecting much CO2. This might not work if you're injecting a lot.
Yeah I tried that as well once!
Danger of tipping the balance in the filter, cannister filters are full of bacteria generating CO2 and demanding oxygen.
Are you not worried the beneficial bacterial will be reduced due to reduced O2 replaced by the CO2
If I set up Inline Diffusser in canister filter's outflow pipe then will the canister filter's outflow will decrease???
And if it decrease the how much will it decrease???
Hello. Please tell us something. If you put CO2 on the intake of the filter is it good or bad, for the bacteria inside the filter
I see you mounted the in-line diffusors differently in the clips. At the beginning of the video the ceramic was further away from the filter than later in the video. How come?
My first thought was that the ceramic should be further away from the filter. But in the manual from CO2art it's the opposite. In the end I don't think it really matters
Absolutely useful video, I may switch my co2 injection method based on your result too.
The brown film inside lilypie is algae or tannin?
Hey Mark,
I subscribed and put notifications on, so that I could learn some more. For years I passively used CO2 into my aquarium. I’ve been looking for a great CO2 Reactor to use in my tank. I’m starting over again, because I moved. I sold all four tanks. I thinking an Acrylic tank this time. I would like to go Dutch Style, but I doubt it. I’m more into aquatic plants than fish and shrimps. I did very well in selling plants from my Aquariums. I also sold many kinds of fry’s and shrimps. CO2 Reactors are hard to find. Thank you for sharing.
I noticed you never made a video on the passive CO2 method. Have you ever tried it?
Great Video, thank you! I need your advice: I recently switched to an inline diffusor (JBL Taifun Inline) for the mentioned benefits of having very small bubbles. After 24hrs of soaking and 8 days of use (switch off at night), the bubbles are still relatively big (not a micro bubble mist). Also JBL claims the benefits being able to save up to 20% CO2. Does anyone experience the same? Any advice? Thank you! 🙂
Can you do an inline diffuser running into the canister filter (out of the tank), instead of the outbound of the filter (into the tank)
Hey what kind of lights do you have and where can I get some
Really enjoyed this type of content! Very cool and informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Do I have to have stronger filter than usual if using inline diffusor, and how much stronger?
isn't the inline co2 diffuser installed incorrectly? It should be the opposite direction. I use the same thing and I do not see the co2 bubbles at all. The only time I can see it is through the pipes when I shine a flash light through.
You are right cdavid ( 10:53 ) . I am not sure it makes a big difference though since CO2 is diffused into the water from all sides (the membrane is a cylinder)
Hi, please can you tell me the glass lily pipe name at 2:05 minutes of your last video?
Congrats for your videos so beautiful
i'm have 3 tank and 2 Reactor of those 100% dissolve rate is really good but flow is slowdown
kudos to you very good explanation
Keep them videos coming, never stop!
Would it work to have a c02 regulator and put the diffuser in the return section of my sump 🤷🏼♂️
long term what did the graph look like including over time off time
Very instructive. Thanks.
You deserve 1mil + subs
What about passive CO2? I have been getting some into a plastic bottle in my aquarium. Too soon to even say if it makes a differentce, but it is confusing to me cause not even 24 hours and it is all gone from the bottle!
Great video as always. One question as I have never used CO2 in my tanks but would like to try without putting too much money into it, are the BIO 'systems' such as Dennerle BIO CO2 good to start with?
I honestly never tried those BIO systems, instead I made my own! Have you seen those videos on my channel?
Get the money.. and buy the real setup . You will end up doing that anyway... Save yourself the frustration...
@@MJAquascaping Yes I have seen those and I might think about doing those.
@@blandetbolcher4779 well ... my issue is that I am not sure if I want to go that route even though it looks interesting. I have always been fish first and plants have mainly a purpose. I have never gone for the look in my tanks, just for what is good for the fish I want to keep and limit myself to very hardy plants. One real CO2 setup would probably cost more than a low tech tank of decent size. So I just want to see if it is something I really would be interested in while I build up more tanks.
Man just keep it simple, things going crazy once you touch those gas 😂✌️
I have the juwel vision 450
It’s 450 litres I used a bazooka diffuser suitable for tanks up to 500 litres and I don’t feel like it performs that well in a tank of this size.
What would you recommend for a tank
1500cm wide
55cm tall
Using fluval fx4 canister filter.
Hmm good question! I think an fx4 canister has 2 outflows right? so maybe on 1 outflow a CO2 reactor?