# CO2 Diffuser and CO2 Reactor --- what's the dif????



## fishyfishy (Jun 6, 2004)

I'm sure this question pops up all the time and it probably gets quite irritating answering it all the time, but here it is. 
so what is the difference if any?
should I have a CO2 thingy even for a 5 gallon aquarium that I have?

Thanks!


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

I use a diffuser. Mainly because it was cheap, its small, and it works.


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

*Best is one thing, what you need may be something else*

While a reactor is best, that is most efficient, what one needs in a specific tank may be a diffuser.

No, I take that back, some reactors are not more efficient than diffusers. So, it is hard to say.

Where space and money is tight, I'd suggest diffuser. In a big, big tank, where getting the CO2 to all plants in the tank is important, a power reactor is the way to go, and a power reactor can be external.

That leaves a lot of ground in between.


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## tanVincent (Mar 19, 2004)

Hi,

A diffuser breaks down the CO2 bubble into many tiny bubbles. Since CO2 is not readily dissolved in water, by breaking down the CO2 bubble, it will enhance the dissolve rate of the CO2.

As for reactor, what it does is spinning water from filter output with the CO2. By creating a cyclone effect in the reactor, it prolong the duration of CO2 in the water and with that aggregation in the reactor, the dissolve rate is highly maximised.

Right now, I am using a diffusor for my 10 gal and a external reactor for my 90 gal.

Cheers
Vincent


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

*ladder diffuser*

The Hagen ladder type diffuser uses a 60 inch travel path to allow the bubble to dissolve in the water. Absorption of greater than 98.5% is typical.

Looking at the geometry, as the diameter of the bubble reduces to 25% of the original size the volume goes to (1.25)^3 or 0.015 or 1.5% of hte original, as 98.5% of the gas is dissolved.

Typically the bubbles are more than 3/4 smaller in daimeter so actual dissolution is better.

With the fine bubbles of a mist type diffuser, you might not be able to see a bubble after it reduces to 1/4 of the original diameter.


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

A lot of the bubbles from my diffuser are so small they dont break the surface tension of the water. The just float around at the surface untill they dissapear.


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## fishyfishy (Jun 6, 2004)

Thanks for the info guys. I'll go with a diffuser for my current tanks but when I get larger tanks I'm gonna go with reactors.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Kevin, I am willing to bet if you hooked up a good power reactor, you could turn the flow rate down lower and maintain the same pH c02 level, or perhaps even lower ph (more c02) that the level you are getting now using the diffusor. How often do you have to clean that thing? How long does it take to get covered in algae? I fought with those things for over a year and swore I would never even so much as look at another diffusor for the rest of my life! You want cheap? Buy a little power head with a sponge filter attachment and connect the C02 line to the top of the power head. It will spray out a fine mist of bubbles. It still wastes a lot of gas compared to a reactor, but it is still 100 times better than the Eheim diffusor...

Power reactors kick butt. The best money you will ever spend.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Kevin,

Gotta disagree here. In such a small aquarium, put a small diffuser in there and you'll be fine.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Art, Kevin is not the one with a five gallon tank. I agree, for a tank that small a bell type diffusor may be the best alternative. Any reactor would probably look to big and be too much of an eye sore.


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

Well it is true that you have to clean it once in a while, but those tiny littles bubbles sure are pretty! lol


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## Elation (May 27, 2004)

Yup for my ten gal I use a small Hagen diffuser. You can find an inexspensive co2 device foe around 30 bucks. It works just fine on a reaction of water sugar and yeast


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## Elation (May 27, 2004)

Yup for my ten gal I use a small Hagen diffuser. You can find an inexspensive co2 device foe around 30 bucks. It works just fine on a reaction of water sugar and yeast


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