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CO2 - stable pH question

The fact your planning on a planted tank means you dont need the filtration of the FX6 as the Plants will do most of the filtration for you. Using the FX6 means you will have to spend money on pipe fittings which soon adds up. The FX6 is a BIG filter pretty heavy when full and bit of a pain to clean. But the FX6 is great value for money. Going for a smaller filter or two with compatible hose fittings could make life much easier short and long term. esp if you go for a filter takes easy to clean the media. I would say two smaller is better than one big one. Do you plan on a spray bay or lily pipes custom ones will be needed with the FX6 but with a smaller filter theres lots of options off the shelf that will fit without reducing the flow. Keeping you plumbing as simple as possible will make it easier to clean so your more likely to do it, my plumbing is very complex so doesnt get done often at all. normally clean the filter every week.

CO2 coming out of one filter outlet works fine if the flow in the tank works well

What size is your tank ?

6Kg cylinder of CO2 lasts me a month on my 500L with Big pH drop
 
Cheers Zeus. My tank is 285 litres so quite a bit smaller than yours.

I was planning on a spray bar.

Any suggestions on a filter I can get x 2 of that will do the jobs I need?
 
Another question. When you devote a filter to act as a reactor, is there anything you need to do to the filter? Like add media to slow the flow a bit?

Cheers
 
My tank is 285 litres so quite a bit smaller than yours.

Still a big tank to inject CO2 into

a spray bar.

Good choice IMO

Any suggestions on a filter I can get x 2 of that will do the jobs I need

Lots to choose from I would choose one that is easy to clean. The output of the filter doesnt have to be x10 the tank size ie 2850litres per hour. If so my 500l tank would fail with the FX6 as it would be well short of the x10 rule I make up the output by having an independent ehiem pump at 3000liters per hour. Its the combination of the flow from all pumps/powerheads/filter etc. Plus the rule isnt set in stone its how well the water moves in the tank. Careful positioning of the spraybar makes a massive difference even down to the number and size of holes in the spray bar, if the holes are too big it will reduce tank turnoverover also if holes too small the output from the filter will be reduced and the turnover will be reduced. Its a case of trail and error, with each tank being unique in its requirements dependent on what filter you get. I tried the FX6 with twin 20 mm outputs and it was rubbish Spraybar much better
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My tank is a room divider so short side against the wall, most folk use a spraybar on the long back of tank


When you devote a filter to act as a reactor, is there anything you need to do to the filter?

Well the filter you use to filter will just be normal it will filter, you dont need fine filter media as that will reduce the filter output, plus you dont really need ceramic filter media as in a planted tank your plants will be the biggest biological filter you have. Then the filter output feeds the inline atomiser, then it goes to the CO2 reactor (APS EF2 in my case) which can have course filter media in it to (I used BioBalls) but chopped up pan scrubbers do the trick at a great price
 
So let me see if I understand this setup. My filter - the one used as a filter - has the inline atomiser on its output line, then this line after the atomiser, feeds into the input of the filter being used as reactor?

Cheers
 
So let me see if I understand this setup. My filter - the one used as a filter - has the inline atomiser on its output line, then this line after the atomiser, feeds into the input of the filter being used as reactor?

Cheers
Correct with the water going in at the top of the reactor

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
If you are going to use two filters with handy standard sized tubing eg JBLe1501 with 16/22mm tubing, then you plumb it as below. Main points are two sections of spray bar and two needle valves to control CO2 rate to each filter. Connecting two filter inputs or outputs into one pipe is a big no-no, you must have seperate piping.
upload_2018-2-13_12-40-15.png

Another point to consider is electrical running cost. The JBLe1502 is 1400l/hr @ 20W. This works out 20/1000 * 0.17 * 24 * 365 per year = £30/year (@ 17p per KWhr electricity).

So buying a more efficient filter, but more expensive, can work out much cheaper in the long run. For example JBLe1501 is £150, AllPondSolutions 1400l/hr filter is £60 but 35W pump, thus £52/year running cost. So after about 3 years the JBL will have paid for the difference in price in electricity saving.
 
Are those jbl filters easy to clean?
I have a JBLe1501.

It has quick release hose attachment, below. You close the two levers on left and right of hose inlets/outlets, that closes valves shutting off flow. You then pull the center lever to release the whole hose attachment assembly. Easy peasy. No leaks.
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Filter can then be pulled out of my cabinet easily and pump head unclipped. I then rinse almost weekly (if I remember) coarse filters F1 in the picture below. They tend to accumulate plant debris.

upload_2018-2-14_15-42-3.png


I clean the rest of the filter every couple of months by just rinsing the filters F4 & F5 in fish water and the three half filled trays of ceramic media (in my case) every so often. I think the newer JBL filters have one ceramic layer and two foam layers, but you can just replace the foam with ceramic media. I only used half the ceramic media supplied in each tray so as to not impede the flow too much. Works fine.

The supplied hoses are dark and are supposed to not clog as don't let light in, but eventually I cleaned mine (and inline diffuser) after about 4 years and did have a lot of gunk in them.
 

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Perfect Ian. I hadn’t considered running costs until now. And that looks pretty easy to maintain so ticks all the boxes.

Ta.
 
If you are going to use two filters with handy standard sized tubing eg JBLe1501 with 16/22mm tubing, then you plumb it as below. Main points are two sections of spray bar and two needle valves to control CO2 rate to each filter. Connecting two filter inputs or outputs into one pipe is a big no-no, you must have seperate piping.

I see you’ve got the diffusers on the outlets there. I see a lot of people also put them on the inlet so the filter acts as a reactor. I take it I can just do that mid to this setup also?

Cheers
 
My JBLe1501 was chosen as it is the biggest filter I could get in my cabinet without having to perform extreme carpentry.
upload_2018-2-14_16-36-13.png
 
I see you’ve got the diffusers on the outlets there. I see a lot of people also put them on the inlet so the filter acts as a reactor. I take it I can just do that mid to this setup also?
Don't see why not some people have no issues with diffusers on the inlets.

However there are downside.
  • Being on the dirty water side the diffuser blocks quickly and will need more frequent cleaning. My diffuser went for 4 years on outlet, with no issues, before I cleaned it. Probably smaller bubbles once cleaned.
  • CO2 can get trapped in the filter and cause noise, burping and other trapped gas issues.
  • CO2 will dissolve in rubber making it hard and crackable or soft and runny. So need to watch out on filter seals.
 
Just looking at your diagram again. Can the CO2 not jus be fed into one filter to save the cost of another needle valve etc?
 
Just looking at your diagram again. Can the CO2 not jus be fed into one filter to save the cost of another needle valve etc?
No as you will not be getting decent CO2 distribution on the other side of the tank. People have done this and suffer CO2 issues on the non injected side. Getting correct CO2 levels & distribution right is hard and is one area many many people get wrong and blame water, plant quality, lack of ferts, too little light, colour of their underwear, its Tuesday, where as in fact it is their CO2 levels and distribution at issue.

Or, use a T piece to split the CO2 feed after the single needle valve?
No, won't work, you must have two needle valves and two bubble counters. If you just have one needle valve with a splitter, you will find the CO2 will take the path of least resistance and only diffuse via one diffuser, which is why I drew two needle valves in my drawing. Hey, but keeping a large (beyond 200l ?) planted tank would never be cheap or easy.

I have only drawn one heater in my diagram and many people have done this and works fine, unlike CO2 from one filter only. I suspect it is because the heat transfer time to other half of tank may be many many hours to get even temperature, but this doesn't matter in the scheme of things, unlike CO2.

Some people use two in line heaters, just to act as redundancy. See Zues's 500l tank, I think he has two heaters.
 
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