# CO2 Diffuser For Aqueon Evolve



## TXIce (Dec 31, 2011)

Hello all. New here but figured I'd post a pic of this little guy I just put together. Recently got an Aqueon Evolve 8 that we're setting up here in the office that I'm going to be putting some plants in. Already had a pressurized co2 setup I wanted to use, but I didn't want to use the ceramic disc diffuser I already had and I wanted to setup something that could fit in the "back" of the tank where the filter is and be hidden from view. Ended up coming up with what you see in the attached picture (and please pay no attention to the yucky green water of the aquarium this test pic was taken in...lol).

I ended up using a little Repti Flo 200 pump made by Exo Terra. The tube was just some generic seed and water feeder for small birds I grabbed out of the bird section. Took a drill and a hacksaw to it and hit it with a bit of sandpaper here and there and got everything to fit nice and tight. The sponge part at the bottom is just a disc I cut out of one of the old filter pads out of a Fluval 405 I have.

Looks like its running pretty well and seems to be pretty near 100% diffusion of the co2. And it's a nice tidy fit right into the back of the Evolves filter area so it's not visible inside the tank at all.

**EDIT**
After attempting to put this into "production" use in the Evolve I quickly realized I needed to make a slight modification. When I was testing this in the larger aquarium I didn't have any issues with air getting trapped inside the plastic tube out because I simply had enough room to "flip" the whole unit over, let the air escape and then "flip" it back upright for operation. Well, anyone familiar with the Evolve 8 will understand I didn't have the luxury of that much room in the filter area on the tank. So when I set the unit straight into the filter area of the Evolve, the plastic tube stayed almost 3/4 full of air. I basically ended up drilling another small hole in the top of the plastic tube so air could escape out as I lowered it into the water. I scrounged for an old suction cup form an odd and ends piece of equipment laying around and am using it as a stopper of sorts to plug the hole while the pump is running. I've added a "top down" view of the unit sitting in the filter area of the tank as well. The "suction cup stopper" is visible in this shot.


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## myjargoning (Mar 1, 2008)

I'm starting to come around to these aqueon evolve tanks...i'll probably pick up the 4 gallon (still trying to decide between that and the finnex). In my last diy co2 diffuser, I had a setup similar to yours....but I poked a hole in the top of the collector tube, and ran a short air tube to the venturi inlet on my aquaclear power head. The excess co2 eventually burps itself off from being chopped up.

I wonder if there will be enough room for that in the evolve4.


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## TXIce (Dec 31, 2011)

So far I'm really enjoying the evolve. I have a couple of anubius nana in the tank right now that appear to be doing really well. Should have the rest of the plants I ordered for it arrive this week. I'm looking forward to getting more plants in the tank.

I've gotten the co2 dialed in pretty well for what is in the tank now though I'm sure I'll have to adjust the flow one I get more plants in the tank using more co2.

I'm not familiar with the powerhead you're referring to. None of the models my local petsmart had would fit though. We've got just a pinch under 2.5 inches of room in the compartment on the back of the evolve 8 (no idea if it's the same on the 4) and this little repti flow pump was the only thing that was small enough.


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