| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
josyjames
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Apr 21, 2010
Posts: 1895
Location: Bangalore-Ramamurthy Nagar
Status: Offline
|
 Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:34 am Post subject: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
 |
|
Was planning to build an Activated carbon chamber for my 67Gallon tank. The AC chamber would be connected at the outlet of the canister filter so that there is less dirt in the water to be cleaned by the AC.
To this plan, I wanted to add an external CO2 reactor too.. I am currently using Dolphin C1300 canister filter (1100 Lt/Hr flow rate). Now my question is that can the filter hold these two chambers? Would this affect the canisters function. Will the pump would be given more pressure to pump the water out to the spray bar?
The CO2 reactor would be DIY and would be around 7-8inch height. Would hold some bio-balls inside the reactor. And the AC chamber also would be around the same dimension.
Comments and suggestions are welcome. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Chetan3
Frequent Visitor to IAH
Joined: Sep 23, 2009
Posts: 178
Location: Kandivali (E), Bombay
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:54 am Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| Wouldn't the aerobic bacteria die in there because of the excess co2 induction in the chamber with the bio balls? Is there some other purpose of having bio balls in the co2 reactor? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
josyjames
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Apr 21, 2010
Posts: 1895
Location: Bangalore-Ramamurthy Nagar
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| The bio-balls inside the chamber would be rotating due to the water flow. This will make the CO2 to break-up easily and mix with the water. This method is followed in most of the external/internal co2 reactors available in the market. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Linelogic
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Aug 31, 2008
Posts: 495
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Chetan, Bio Balls are usually used to ensure good dissolution of CO2. You inject the CO2 and water into a chamber with Bio balls. Due to the water flow the bio balls will rotate/move about ....... and this helps break up the CO2 bubbles ( due to the shape and movement of the bioballs ) and helps dissolve C02 better.
Shelly, I feel that the flow would not be sufficiently strong from the Dolphin filter to power both your AC chamber and Bio Balls Chamber. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sandeepraghuvanshi
Moderator
Joined: Aug 19, 2005
Posts: 4718
Location: Mathura, UP
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Activated carbon is not suited for planted tanks.
It will absorb most of nutrients and plants will starve. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
josyjames
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Apr 21, 2010
Posts: 1895
Location: Bangalore-Ramamurthy Nagar
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Hi Sandeep,
Please see my below note:
Activated Carbon absorbs only Organic Compounds and not the in-organic compounds. It absorbs only the chemicals which has Carbon atom.
All the chemicals that we use as a fertilizer falls under in-organic chemicals!!!
So I dont think that activated carbon will absorb the fertilizers that we dose in the tank!!!
Please see the list on in-organic compounds in this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inorganic_compounds
A note from Internet "Activated charcoal is good at trapping other carbon-based impurities ("organic" chemicals), as well as things like chlorine. Many other chemicals are not attracted to carbon at all -- sodium, nitrates, etc. -- so they pass right through. This means that an activated charcoal filter will remove certain impurities while ignoring others. It also means that, once all of the bonding sites are filled, an activated charcoal filter stops working. At that point you must replace the filter."
Refer: http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/community/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=27484
So I dont know why people say that it would absorb all the nutrients from the water column..
Please correct me if I am wrong... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
techikhan
Frequent Visitor to IAH
Joined: Jul 21, 2010
Posts: 232
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Hi Shelly,
Activated Carbon can be expensive in a long run. Try seachem purigen.
Having two chambers post filter can reduce the water flow...seachem purigen bag can be placed in canister filter and only Co2 reactor can be used with Canister Filter.
Regards,
TK. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
saikumar
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 1999
Location: HYD-is-good
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:20 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Shelly,
IMO having your reactors etc in Canister intake will be better.
So that at the output there is no direct pressure in line of the pump.
If you ask for suggestion instead, I would say add another extra pump to push into the canister.
Obviously there will be a drop in pressure, you can calculate the l/h before and after this arrangement, hence calculate your risk. 
All the best!! |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jack86
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Sep 11, 2009
Posts: 439
Location: Indiranagar, Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| saikumar wrote (View Post):
|
IMO having your reactors etc in Canister intake will be better.
|
BAD IDEA!! CO2 bubbles/micro-bubbles get trapped and damage the filter impeller.
That is why they are always connected to the outlet. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
saikumar
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 1999
Location: HYD-is-good
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Dear Jack,
I have been doing it long enough with Internal filters and Canister, never caused issue.
Did you see such a casuality ever being reported apart from caution?
This could be quite a similar myth like the Activated carbon report above.
Still most of these bubbles would have dissolved completely before they have reached the impeller. All the more micro-sized.
And what else is the reason for reactor if it still is pushing bubbles into the tank?  |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
techikhan
Frequent Visitor to IAH
Joined: Jul 21, 2010
Posts: 232
Location: Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
Saikumar,
Having reactors connected to intake would quickly clog them.
- TK |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
josyjames
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Apr 21, 2010
Posts: 1895
Location: Bangalore-Ramamurthy Nagar
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
@ Haneef,
Yes I know that Activated carbon would be expensive in the long run. Trying to get in touch with the industrial filter guys. AC would be much cheaper from them (not sure though). As mentioned by you, if we use purigen, then it can be placed in the canister. So I can reduce the chamber and have only one for the CO2 reactor.
@ Sai,
I didn't want to add any pump separately. Hence I was trying to make the external reactor instead of the internal reactor where-in you need a separate power head to drive them. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
saikumar
Committed Member of IAH
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 1999
Location: HYD-is-good
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| techikhan wrote (View Post):
|
Saikumar,
Having reactors connected to intake would quickly clog them.
- TK
|
Got your point!
May be atleast the CO2 reactor can stay there as there is no media to clog?
another benefit being gas ll stay in contact with flowing water for more time.
Shelly, how are the chances of using an external drive pump?
I know its an extra, but atleast you will not be loading one single pump. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jack86
Regular Poster on IAH
Joined: Sep 11, 2009
Posts: 439
Location: Indiranagar, Bangalore
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:15 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| saikumar wrote (View Post):
|
Dear Jack,
I have been doing it long enough with Internal filters and Canister, never caused issue.
Did you see such a casuality ever being reported apart from caution?
This could be quite a similar myth like the Activated carbon report above.
Still most of these bubbles would have dissolved completely before they have reached the impeller. All the more micro-sized.
And what else is the reason for reactor if it still is pushing bubbles into the tank?
|
I read so on IAH....
A senior member has posted it. I simply re-stated it.
Even if one choses to ignore it, TK has a very strong point so as to why sould the reactor not be plugged to the filter inlet! |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sandeepraghuvanshi
Moderator
Joined: Aug 19, 2005
Posts: 4718
Location: Mathura, UP
Status: Offline
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:08 pm Post subject: Re: Would my Canister filter handle these? |
|
|
| josyjames wrote (View Post):
|
Hi Sandeep,
Please see my below note:
Activated Carbon absorbs only Organic Compounds and not the in-organic compounds. It absorbs only the chemicals which has Carbon atom.
|
Activated carbon does not absorb anything, it removes items by adsorbtion, which is different from absorption. it binds the items to itself.
Further the presence or absence of carbon has nothing to do with its adsorption with activated carbon.
Chemicals like alcohols, glycols are organic in nature but are not removed by AC, on the other hand inorganic items like iodine are removed by AC, gases like carbon mono oxide are not removed by AC.
Please further note the presence or absence of carbon atom has nothing to do with a chemical being organic or inorganic.
It is the presence of Carbon bond which is the determining factor of whether a chemical is organic or inorganic.
For example CO2, CO, carbonates, all contain carbon atom but are not organic compounds.
Hence a simple assertion that AC does not remove nutrients from water is not correct.
A very good example is EDTA, which is often used for providing iron in planted tanks, and it is Removed by Activated carbon.
Make a more through study before using activated carbon in your planted tank.
There is a general consensus among various aquatic forum that AC is not recommended for long term use in planted tanks
Check these links
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2009/10/activated-carbon.html#list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Guest(s): 464
![[News Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_news.png "News Feed"){kind=small}
![[Forums Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_forums.png "Forums Feed"){kind=small}
![[Downloads Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_down.png "Downloads Feed"){kind=small}
![[Web Links Feed]](images/powered/feed_20_links.png "Web Links Feed"){kind=small}
![[Validate robots.txt]](images/powered/valid-robots.png "Validate robots.txt"){kind=small}