CO2 system for 330 g planted tank

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wolfewill

Registered Member
May 1, 2014
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I have been in the planted aquarium hobby for over a decade and have had a 330 gallon tank for two years now. But I have had to return to the basics with regard to CO2 injection because the system I set up - 4 inline difusers, 2 large reactors - reduced the flow to the tank so much that there was virtually no CO2 getting to the lower 24 inches of the 36 inch deep tank; and the top 6 inches had so much CO2 it was killing the livestock.

So my question is: Does anyone have good experience with a CO2 system on a very large freshwater tank? I presently have three large filters (two biological, and one polishing) and don't think adding the difusers and reactors to an existing filter line will work 'cause of the above problem with reduced flow (now at nearly 50% tank volume/hour). I am considering adding another line with a devoted pump for the two reactors and 4 diffusers. All this because I hate the look of the CO2 bubbles in my tanks.
 

Squawkbert

Senior padder
Oct 3, 2006
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All I can suggest is that you improve your circulation a bit and use a drop checker. Once you have some circulation, one diffuser should be adequate. You can hide it behind some structure in the tank or place it so that at least some of the bubbles get sucked into a canister filter or power head.
It's pretty strange to have a vertical CO2 concentration gradient going... Is your surface water actually touching your lids? Perhaps you have a very high fish load and not enough headspace (air gap between water and lids) so that the livestock is actually lacking O2? I think this may be more likely. Also, don't keep the water super warm as dissolved gas will drop way off as water gets warmer beyond a certain point.
 
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