Another method for CO2 diffusion: needle wheel powerheads

[Gerryd]

By the way, what do you guys mean by "staggering the holes" in the impeller?

If you drill say 3 holes in each blade, don't put the holes in the exact same place in the other blades. Even to move them a lttle is good from what I understand...
If you can fit a triangle of holes on each blades, just rotate the triangle on each blade so it points a different way, as an example.......

BTW, I think I am the only one who can't get this to work.......lol

 

[Generals]

lol.... so what did you do different from them that it doesnt work? that's kind of odd....

how bout you other guys, any suggestions or comments?

 

[VaughnH]

Suggestion: Big holes work better than little holes. But, little paddles have room for very few big holes. That is part of the problem.

Also, using a hot finishing nail to melt holes in the paddles is better than trying to drill them.

 

[SeanS]

Suggestion: Big holes work better than little holes. But, little paddles have room for very few big holes. That is part of the problem.

Also, using a hot finishing nail to melt holes in the paddles is better than trying to drill them.

Have you attempted both methods? Why do you say melting is better than drilling?
It is likely I will be attempting this soon, so I appreciate any information you can provide.

 

[VaughnH]

Have you attempted both methods? Why do you say melting is better than drilling?
It is likely I will be attempting this soon, so I appreciate any information you can provide.

I tried both ways, and found it harder to control where a drilled hole went than where a melted hole went. Also, it was hard to hold the rotor and control the drill without risk of drilling my finger. And, I know from other experience that drilling in plastic can melt the plastic from the friction, welding the drill bit into the hole, which can lead to cracking the plastic.

 

[Generals]

Is this a better MOd even than the needle wheel?

As you can see the end result is phenomenal and its only tied on using fishing wire (or so it looks)

Andy

hi super, regarding this technique of yours tying the "screen thingy" there, is it effective so far? or is it better to drill holes?

 

[Generals]

Suggestion: Big holes work better than little holes. But, little paddles have room for very few big holes. That is part of the problem.

Also, using a hot finishing nail to melt holes in the paddles is better than trying to drill them.

thanks for the info vaughn

saw your pictures of the holes you made in the pink impeler,
how's it doing so far? with 4 holes on the small impeler does it provide good co2 ppm?
or did you make another bigger one?

 

[VaughnH]

thanks for the info vaughn

saw your pictures of the holes you made in the pink impeler,
how's it doing so far? with 4 holes on the small impeler does it provide good co2 ppm?
or did you make another bigger one?

I thought it did a pretty good job, but I don't use that method now. I like to try new things - I'm even obsessive about doing so. So, now I am using a Hydor Koralia powerhead for water circulation, and under that is a mini CO2 reactor, made from a Hagen Elite Mini Underwater Filter at PETCO, which generates tiny bubbles that the Koralia pump blows around the tank. This system works too. In fact, there are many, many different ways to introduce CO2 into the tank, either as mist or dissolved into the water or both. I would consider a system using a Koralia unit, with CO2 somehow directly injected into it as a mist being one of the best.

 

[Generals]

oh so 2 powerheads inside the tank to provide more circulation, and the hagen elite mini fitted with the venturi reactor principle?

as for me im thinking of just using the sump return pump to diffuse the co2 to simplify things... kinda dont want to see so much equipment inside the tank.
Also it adds up to more power consumption..... while using just one pump to diffuse and push return water to the tank would be much simpler and economical....
so im still exploring with it....

do you think what supercoley did (attaching a screen like thingy to the impeler) worked?
im thinking of that also since i find it hard to bore holes in the impeler.

 

[VaughnH]

Attaching a piece of that screen to the powerhead rotors I have wouldn't work. The rotor fits the cavity to closely to allow room for the screen. Notice that that rotor has no shaft on one end - mine have shaft extensions on both ends. That is why I didn't try it.

 

[Generals]

oh, mine also had a shaft but has room for the screen.
i don't know if it worked for supercoley.

i tried tying up a screen to mine, and run the motor into a basin, cant see clearly the whether the bubbles produced has any difference in size though. the reflection of the water makes it hard to discern.

 

[SuperColey1]

The 'screen' thingy was from someone elses tank as was the marine bubbles picture. I never tried this method. I have in fact gone away from the whole needle wheel concept as is descrived in this post and rather than geting the MP400 to suck in the bubbles and chop them up I have positioned it to blow across the top of my ceramic diffusor which then distributes the bubbles all over the tank.

Is working exceptionally well for me at the moment.

I never really had a problem with the Rhinox 2k diffusor, but was experimenting with this method which did work well. The new position just sems to work better and as the bubbles are nice and small from the Rhinox they don't really need chopping up any (I bleach clean the diffusor disc weekly at water change time)

Andy

 

[Generals]

@supercoley
so you're saying the the needle wheel concept described in this thread worked well with you too?

 

[Tom Barr]

I've gone pretty much all venturi as I can take the powerhead out of the tank entirely whether I have a canister or a a wet/dry sump etc.

Since the venturi is in line or feed into the return pump, the mix and blowing around of the mist is already in one efficient flow source.

No need to add something else in the tank.

Also, for smaller tanks, a simple Adaptor tee works well and does not reduce flow rates at all. If you have a longer return line, then the bubbles will get more dissolved and ground up, larger tanks with more pump power: mazzei work well.

Sumps can be feed from a dual needle wheel impeller style method, feed the CO2 into a small powerhead or needle wheel Gen X pump, then feed the outflow directly into the main return pump intake.

Or you can use a small mazzei(still need the pump to drive it, so may as well use a needle wheel for this)

If you like a diffuser disc in the tank, then that's fine as well.
But they all do the same thing when correctly set up.
For smaller tanks without canisters, the disc are fine/practical.

Regards,
Tom barr

 

[Generals]

thanks for that info tom
when you say that the venturi is in line or feed into the return pump, do you mean it is tightly piped to the intake of the return pump wherein the return pump only sucks water from said venturi.... or would the return pump suck air from said venturi as well as from other portions of water in the final compartment of the sump?

also, i would appreciate if you can explain what is a mazzei....?
sorry... im a newbie hehe

im planning to just put the co2 injected directly at the intake of my rio 2100 pump... and the return pipe is around 6feet distance from the pump output....
do you think this is enough to dissolve the co2 into the water and allow plants to maximize absorption of it?
by injecting directly into the return pump, it makes me have less equipments to maintain and makes the whole system simpler.... and also i wont need to rig up something like the venturi whether in the sump or in the tank, since the materials are not readily available in my part of the world....=)

your comments will be highly appreciated...

 

[Generals]

Also, for smaller tanks, a simple Adaptor tee works well and does not reduce flow rates at all. If you have a longer return line, then the bubbles will get more dissolved and ground up, larger tanks with more pump power: mazzei work well.

regarding the mentioned adaptor tee, do you mean a tee that is in the return pipe?
could you elaborate further?
sorry i kind of didn't understand this....

or do you mean a tee placed after the venturi reactor?

 

[Left C]

I don't know if people are still looking, but ...

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** Included 4 suction feet Connection on pressure side with G 1 Connection on suction side with G 1 WITHOUT diffuser and installation material

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http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...oduct_Code=EH-1103220&Category_Code=Clearance

 

[jarthel]

can someone please point me to the whole DIY project? all I see are pictures of modded impeller

thank you

 

[BigFlusher]

Hi,

Is this what you wanted?

http://www.barrreport.com/showthrea...difications?highlight=needle+wheel+powerheads

 

[jarthel]

thanks for the link.

but I'm still confused. how is the whole diffuser setup? thanks again