# CO2: Dissolved vs Micro bubbles



## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I had been using a Red Sea 500 Reactor which, when working well, dissolves the CO2 into the water. The problem is that it requires frequent tinkering to keep it working well; but it is super efficient when working well. I got fed up with tinkering so I went back to a glass/ceramic diffuser in conjunction with a powerhead to suck up the bubbles and blow them around the tank. I think a lot of bubbles never dissolve into the water and just escape when they reach the surface. I find it is harder to keep the drop checker happy with the glass diffuser. Some of my plants have tiny bubbles all over them. The Rotala loves it. However, many of the plants are not pearling as with the reactor.

So which do you think is better: CO2 dissolved into the water or the fine micro bubbles floating around the tank???


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## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

I use both. 2" glass ceramic diffuser under one of my Koralias and an inline BOYU one on the outlet line of one of my two filters (an XP3) in which most of the CO2 gets dissolved. Plants get both. Works great.


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## mrakhnyansky (Nov 25, 2007)

I would use both methods, this is something that brought some debates, and needs to be studied more. I suspect that in the nature both types of CO2 enrichment exist , one comes from dead organic substance and animals/plants respiration , other from ground water which does have bubbles. Amano thinks CO2 bubbles are better, but it does not mean that ADA studied this topic. This forum needs more scientific data on this topic.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I'm beginning to believe that you are correct and both are needed. Yet the diffusers (micro bubbles) are so in efficient. By that I mean a lot is wasted as many bubbles rise to the surface and are lost to the atmosphere.


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## Elohim_Meth (Nov 4, 2007)

As for me, I don't like seeng plants all covered with bubbles...
I have inline reactor only.


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## Valley (Feb 28, 2007)

This shouldn't be too hard to test right? Set up a tank for 1 month with diffuser only, one month with micro bubbles only, and one month with both. Record readings and report. 

I'm going to place my vote with micro bubbles being more effective and diffusion being more attractive....


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## Elohim_Meth (Nov 4, 2007)

Here is what I mean: 








It is some old picture of mine. Those bubbles are CO2 bubbles from DIY CO2 going through a small pump and spreading all around the tank and stuck in thin leaved plants like water milfoil. It was funny at first... Then I've realised that it is not what I'm aiming for, looking at the bubbles instead of looking at the plants...
And I am certain, I can get CO2 as much as I want with my inline reactor, and a powerhead to deliver CO2 to every plant.


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## cbwmn (Dec 18, 2007)

Elohim_Meth said:


> Here is what I mean:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That looks like a plant that's pearling to me.
Charles


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## mrakhnyansky (Nov 25, 2007)

I don't think that bubbles on your Myrio are from CO2 diffusion method. This looks like pearling of oxygen. Nether reactor nor diffuser will make co2 bubbles to attach themselves to the plants in the pattern as in your tank. Take look at your Myrio: bubbles are unevenly distributed, since Myrio grows upwards, more bubbles on the tip of the plant (growing zone). It tells you that this is respiration. In my case I have glass diffuser, drop checker green from around 2 hours from start of diffusion. My first set of lights goes on at 11 am--216 watts, my second set-300 Watts MH of lights turns on at 4 pm. I see pearling at around 5 pm. If on some days I did not put second set of lights on --no pearling occurs. It tells you, that these are not CO2 bubbles that attached to your plants, They are O2 oxygen bubbles.If you don't want to see your pearling Myrio, than reduce the lighting. Sufficient amount of CO2 and light cause this effect, it has nothing to do with diffuser or reactor. I used both and from my experience did not see much difference. However esthetically less wires and pipes by using diffuser such as UP Atomizer.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I thought pearling was when the plant has a steady stream of bubbles flowing from the plant in a long string of bubbles. Thats what most of my plants do. Perhaps different species of plants pearl differently'


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## mrakhnyansky (Nov 25, 2007)

Pearling in my understanding means covered with a layer of ..., the same way as pearl nucleus covered with a nacre layer. I may be wrong. When it comes to aquatic plants I think that's mean plants covered with a bubbles, and most of them as you say form long steam of bubbles that are reaching surface. It is also happened when aquarium water over saturated with oxygen, when no more oxygen can be dissolve. If water not completely saturated to the top( the top depends on water temp around 8 ppm or so), then we won't observe this effect.


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## mrakhnyansky (Nov 25, 2007)

Newt said:


> I thought pearling was when the plant has a steady stream of bubbles flowing from the plant in a long string of bubbles. Thats what most of my plants do. Perhaps different species of plants pearl differently'


This is what G. Podio had to say about pearling couple of years back on this forum:

Plants release oxygen during the day, if enough oxygen is released the water becomes saturated and therefore unable to hold any more oxygen. At this stage, the oxygen produced by the plants is no longer dissolved into the water and forms bubbles on the leaves where the oxygen is being released from. You may see streams of bubbles going to the surface or they may collect into a larger bubble until it's big enough to float to the surface.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Thanks for that info


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## Elohim_Meth (Nov 4, 2007)

Agree with Newt. Pearling is when a plant releases strings of bubbles floating up. The plant gets covered with bubbles only when some other plant below it is pearling, or when a diffuser is working.


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