5ft Custom Heavily Planted Sumped Hi-Tech (450l)

[jagillham]

CO2 set up today. I’m trying to go for the atomiser in front of intake return pump solution to start with as these are the parts I have already.

Not sure how well it will work due to the limited space within the filter sock. It’s a bit of a design headache, but I have to have the turn pump within the sock to ensure no large debris can get stuck in the non return valve, or the entire tank could empty in a power cut due to the low level filter return within the tank.

 

[foxfish]

That should do it although a smaller bottle neck and lower pressure atomiser like a small air stone might give you a more compact arrangement if you need the space.
In the past I have just butted up a bottle neck to the pump and wound electrical tape over the butt joint to hold it in place.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Know you haven’t asked @jagillham but if you’re looking to replace your hose clamp at some point can recommend these:

Won’t rust like the current metal hose clamp, stronger than a plastic zip tie and easy to remove if you need to 😉

 

[jagillham]

Well, that was a failure on 2 counts!

Firstly the bottle created an area of focus on the filter sock, which was quickly blocking itself with sump debris.

I removed the sock, and it turns out the atomiser wasn’t close enough to get drawn into the flow anyway!

Will have to place the atomiser literally under the intake to get it to pull in.

 

[not called Bob]

how much play is there in the pipe, the carbon dioxide will want to go up, so if you can get the pumps intake as high as possible you will be more likely to get it drawn in while you mod up a closer fitting,

wonder if a squared container like a squash bottle would make a easier angle for the pump to draw, that one seems quite angled

 

[jagillham]

how much play is there in the pipe, the carbon dioxide will want to go up, so if you can get the pumps intake as high as possible you will be more likely to get it drawn in while you mod up a closer fitting,

wonder if a squared container like a squash bottle would make a easier angle for the pump to draw, that one seems quite angled

That bottle is indeed a squash bottle. At the moment I've got the atomiser in the intake itself (kind of being held in place by the suction). Seems to be working OK, and not seeing too many bubbles in the main tank. I wonder though if a better atomiser, placed a little lower, would help with that more.

What I might do next is dial in the required level of CO2 for the tank, and then once that is done I can see how many micro bubble I get with that. If they are annoying, then can look at more options for dissolving the CO2 more effectively.

 

[not called Bob]

are, all ours seem to be square, my bad

have you tried a power cycle to see what happens if you lose power for any reason? we seem to be having so many brown and blackouts here at the moment, there’s a dope on a rope working the high-power line this evening on the latest failed bit,

 

[jagillham]

are, all ours seem to be square, my bad

have you tried a power cycle to see what happens if you lose power for any reason? we seem to be having so many brown and blackouts here at the moment, there’s a dope on a rope working the high-power line this evening on the latest failed bit,

It was a square one, although maybe my art skills with the scissors and drill have lost some of the shape!

So long as the non-return valve on where the low level filter return works... then I've got no issue. If that fails, the tank will drain down (given long enough) to around 3-4 inches of water left. The sump overflows to the drains. So in theory I can't flood the room, or kill all the fish with a complete emptying.

 

[foxfish]

Smaller and shorter round bottle would perhaps work better?