• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Mixing and matching components

yeah.you can use that reg.the reactor goes inline on your filter anyway.
 
I was told that it might be a good idea to use an air pump instead of feeding the regulator into the filter. Anybody have any thoughts on that?
 
Where in the world are you? The first link is an american seller?
An air pump won't help you add co2. What tank size are you using? Also, what filter?
 
I'm in Canada.

I was told that the air pump would be used to add the CO2 to the aquarium after running it through the diffusor.I have a 125 gallon tank with an Eheim 2215.
 
Nah, that's not right that would simply off gas all the co2 you added and make its addition surplus. Also, that filter is tiny for the size of the tank! I use a filter with the same flow on a 6 gallon tank! If it were me I'd get two huge filters, something like a pair of fx5's and run those for flow and use the 2215 to power a powerdiffuser like the aquamedic tower ones. There's no need for an air pump on a planted tank, maybe after lights off to drive off co2 but never during.
 
I'm working on the assumption that you're wanting a high light tank? The turnover of your tank should be a minimum of 10x an hour, this way you get maximum flow for the co2 to become available to the plants. It's a lot to take in initially but it's pretty basic if you imagine it like this. You're a plant and because the light is high you need food otherwise you'll burn out and get sick, to get the food the water has to be full of co2 and nutrients and flowing fast enough for you to eat enough of it to keep healthy this means that the filter must be producing a good current so that you can get to the food.

Also, the filters recommended tank size means nothing as the filters don't actually produce that much flow anyway and are aimed at people with average community type tanks who don't need huge turnovers like we need for our tanks. Off hand I think a fx5 produces 3500lph, that's enough to run a 350l tank with high light levels and even then it might not be powerful enough if you have dense planting.
 
What defines a high light tank (in terms of w/gallon or w/l)?
 
Wpg means nothing you can usually grow more or less anything with 2x t5 tubes and good reflectors, 1/2 a w per litre or 1.5-2+wpg would also be high light. Big tanks tend to need less light than you so could find you have high light levels even though your tank has in theory lower light levels.
 
Once again, thanks so much for all the help. One last question - I took a look at the filter you recommended and it is quite pricey. Do you think it would be sufficient to get one of them and use the Eheim I currently have? If I did that, could I still use the Eheim with a diffuser?
 
Back
Top