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Which filter media to remove to prevent Co2 "burping"

Sacha

Sacha

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Joined
3 Jan 2014
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992
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London
As some of you know, I have put my UP inline diffuser onto the intake of my Eheim Pro 600 filter, to minimise the amount of visible bubbles in the tank water. All good, except for the fact that the filter burps a few times an hour, making an annoying, loud "gushing" noise.

I'm guessing this is to do with the Co2 gas becoming trapped underneath the filter media, and then all the trapped gas being released at once through the spray bar? Which media should I remove to eliminate the burping? At the moment I only have one coarse filter sponge (pre- filter), and two thin trays of assorted bio- media (Sera Siporax, Eheim Substrat pro coco pops).
 
Interesting question, but I would have thought less media would be the solution to keep water flowing through the media to not allow the gas to build up, however you don't have much media at the moment.

Using the filter as a "CO2 reactor" is always going to be balancing act as CO2 dissolution requires high'ish flow to prevent gas bubble build up and a filter requires slow'ish flow across the media to allow "stuff" to be filtered out.
 
Filter burping is the trade off you get for using this method. You could lower your CO2 so that it doesn't burp, but this could mean that you don't have enough CO2 going into your tank.

Personally I would just live with the CO2 bubbles. I can't see mine unless I go right up to the glass.
 
With the atomiser on the outlet, the tank water just looks like lemonade. I guess the UP ceramic bits are "hit and miss" in this regard.

There's no way I'm turning my Co2 down, after all the screaming and shouting from Clive that everything that is wrong with any tank in the world is "Co2 related".
 
That's right, and maybe someday you will believe it. remove some of the ceramic media to improve throughput and to get better dissolution.

Cheers,
 
I've just order one of those inline diffusers however not sure whether it wouldn'tbe easier to install it on the outlet pipes. What would be pro and cons? Cheers
 
It's easier on the outlet. But I hate the micro bubbles that you get. It makes your tank water look like lemonade.
 
On the outlet
Pros
doesn't get dirty as quickly
You dont get air/co2 locks in the pipework
Cons
Lemonade tank
27C0C08B-4AF5-474D-98D4-7EA4460061FE_zps0qsjuwnf.jpg

Uses more co2
On the inlet
Pros
Uses less co2
No lemonade effect
Cons
Gas build up and burping
In extreme cases air/co2 lock and pressure build up leading to seals failing if filter stops
 
Thanks for replies. Not an easy decision to be made then. Seals failing is the most scary I guess, apart from that I would rather put it onto inlet pipe.
 
Hi
Never had this lemonade effect.....I have decent eye sight...sometimes its that very difficult to see the UP diffuser micro bubbles at its best running rate!
What will stop it running at its best,......are if you have a Pre filter guard or a shrimp protector on your intake pipe!
Even if the UP atomiser is on the exit/outlet pipe/tube!
Cheers
hoggie
 
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They are just hit and miss. Some ceramics break down the co2 better.
 
I've just fitted mine up diffuser and I can only see tiny gas bubbles when I open regulator's valve to about 100 bubbles/second(I mean full speed). When I run 3,4 bubbles/second I can't really see anything coming out of the sprey bar. Will it work at all? It says on the diffuser box that it can only work with a pressures from above 36psi. Will 1,2,3 or 4 bubbles manage to create that pressure? Thanks.
 
I've found that CO2 straight into the inlet with no diffuser to be quite efficient. I did once have the burpage issue but was able to reduce the bubbles per sec without reducing the dissolved CO2. In my case I was simply pumping in too much CO2 over and beyond what was needed or could dissolve in the filter but I still had plenty for the plants.
 
I removed a lot of ceramic media yesterday, but the burps are just as bad, and just as frequent. I now have barely any media in the filter. Just one coarse pre- filter sponge, and two very thin trays of ceramic media. Any ideas?
 
[quote="Sacha, post: 372009, member: 11362"

There's no way I'm turning my Co2 down, after all the screaming and shouting from Clive that everything that is wrong with any tank in the world is "Co2 related".[/quote]
My answer still stands!
If you turn the gas down & the filter might not burp but the amount of dissolved gas will be the same.
 
Thanks. But I don't see how the amount of dissolved gas would be the same?
 
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