# Dual purpose CO2 diffuser with moving bed filter?



## Mlevi (Jan 28, 2012)

I'm looking at making a CO2 diffuser where I have a small pump forcing water into a chamber where my yeast CO2 line comes in, to ensure greater assimilation of CO2 in the water column. Can I also put in some K1 Kaldness or such media in the same chamber, and also get benefits of a moving bed filter. If the assimilation of CO2 works correctly, then, in that chamber atleast, the CO2 will be more concentrated than in the tank generally. Would bacteria still breed on the media or is it a waste of effort? Would the K1 bombarding the chamber help break the bubbles?

It wouldn't be my primary filter or anything. I'm just looking to maximize the benefits since I'd be running the pump already.

Thank you for your feedback...

Al.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I know I was asking some time ago if I could run DIY C02 into one of those, the name escapes me, but it's a moving bed filter idea, large plastic shapes that have huge surface area, constantly agitated inside a container with air, to provide additional nitrifying bacterial filtration. The DIY versions mostly use a bottle of some type, and are not at all attractive, but if you are aiming for maxed out BB, they work very well.

*** Went and looked it up.. here's a link to a Youtube vid from one guy in the UK who was one of the first into this idea.





I thought if I directed the C02 line into the bottom of this type of thing it would break up the bubbles nicely.

However, the replies I got informed me that the CO2 would simply blow past the media and exit the filter without having dissolved into the water, in the same way the air you normally would use to move the filter pieces does. Made sense to me once I thought about it.

Since I never did build one of these, I've no immediate experience with the type of media used.

Tomg, it's not like any sort of inline infuser. It sits inside the tank and moving air pushes the plastic media around constantly, and because this media has such a big surface area it offers a lot of space for BB to grow on. So you get major bacterial filtration.. but as was explained to me, C02 is not going to dissolve in the short time it spends inside this type of device. it will just blow by and be wasted.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*diy*

hey there not sure if I am on the same page with what u guys are trying to do .
I made a diy diffuser from a old reverse osmosis cartridge ..it is plumbed after my canister filter . and goes into the tank ...I cant find the thread I used to build it I think I found it on the planted tank ....still trying to find it for u guys maybe it could help or give u some ideas ..
cheers 
tom
------------------------------------
this is what I built here is the thread its called a CERGES REACTOR ..........

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=110100&highlight=cerges+reactor


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## Mlevi (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks for your input guys.
Let me further define what I'm thinking about.

As you know, the typical moving bed filter uses airflow to move the media. What i am thinking about, is no air but instead the waterflow from the pump moves the media. Added to that, a CO2 line coming into the chamber. There would be no opening at the top of the chamber (unlike moving bed filters where air bubbles escape from the top), but instead water will be forced around and out through filter media at the bottom (so CO2 bubbles would not escape readily).

I will draw it out and post later tonight or over the wknd.

Al.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

That sounds interesting, though I wonder how much flow you'd be able to get in such a set up. I'l wait for the drawing.. but pushing water into a closed top container, so it can only escape by going around and out the bottom, which is sort of what I envision from what you said.. thinking it will have to be well anchored simply to stop it jetting around the tank.


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