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OK here the question in a nut shell:

What diffuser do you like best and why?

I'm used yeast reactors in 2 30gal tanks, I'm creating enough Co2 gas just feel I'm wasting it most of it with the diffuser I'm using now. So I want to here from everyone before replacing them.

I'm using Co2 Reactors in the big tanks but can not justifies the cost for 30gal tanks and size.


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Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

I am using the hagen ladder diffuser on my 29 gallon with a yeast system

I have read articles that say that the kind that spray the microbubbles directly onto the plants leaves are the best. It is supposedly easier and more beneficial for the plant to absorb the CO2 in this method. I have not tried this before nor do i know what this kind of diffuser is called.

Clown that is a Co2 reactor it has a pump that hammers the co2 gas into the smallest of small bubbles, but the cost and size for a 30 gal yeast Co2 system.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Hi Dj,
I'm looking at a reactor similar to the one you picture
for my 30G tank. I had an internal reactor that connected
to the output of my UGF power head but the darned thing
was so large it took over the tank.

The best diffusers are made of slintered glass and
they come in various sizes depending upon the capacity
of the tank.
The slintered glass breaks the CO2 into "micro bubbles"
that are so small they float around the tank at the whims
of the currents. But, they are bubbles and eventually they
reach the surface and burst into the atmosphere.
I consider that wasteful and prefer a reactor as none of
the CO2 reaches the atmosphere in a reactor that is
properly set up.

The one of the reactors similar to the type you have
pictured is good up to 30G and I suspect is smaller and
might work in my tank. I saw them advertised in the
Drsfostersmith catalog for $50.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Internal reactors just end up looking too bulky in the tank IMO. I use a home made external reactor hooked up to my cannister. If you feel uncomfortable making one of those or don't have a cannister I'd recommend a glass diffuser like a lot of the guys here have.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Big, bulky and very distracting to what a planted aquarium is all about. That pretty much sums up my opinion of in tank reactors. You also end up scaping to cover the reactor up which isn't always in your best interest. I would recommend inline or glass diffusors each can be had for less than an in-tank reactor.

My Scapes

Glass diffusers like the one below are cheap and effective. They work with DIY or pressurized. The blend in well, they're pretty, and they're easy to clean. What more can you ask for?

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Back in the saddle!

How about the money in your wallet there.

In big tank the reactors are great they are go for 200gal but these are small tank IMO so want something small, hide able. the DIY sound interesting would like some plans on that.

But know ther all type out there but which is the best for small tank applications

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

I've used this "membrane diffusor" in a 42 gallon hex, a 40 breeder, 58 gallon show, and a 125 gallon now. In the smaller tanks I use the 2 chamber diffusor, and the larger tank I have the 4 chamber diffusor. In my 125 I run 28-30 bpm and it looks like anti-aircraft tracers from the oxygen going up from most all my plants! I would HIGLY recommend them! Plus they take up about 2"x4" in the tank...very small footprint with excellent diffusion! It cost $25 + shipping, but I think it's worth every cent!

http://aquatic-store.com/en-us/dept_27.html



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Correction on the bubbles per minute...that is 28 bubbles every 20 seconds. I multiply by 3 of course to get 1 minutes. So that would be 84 bpm.