Carbon dioxide is probably one of the most vital nutrients for the healthy growth of aquatic plants. Ideally, the aquarium gets supplied with carbon dioxide via a CO2 system and then the diffuser or atomizer plays an essential role in this process. Overwhelmed by the proliferation of advertisements makes you unable to figure out what type of CO2 diffuser would suit you most. If so, don’t feel hesitant to flick through the top 5 of the best aquarium CO2 diffusers here before any purchase!
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Top 5 Best Aquarium CO2 Diffusers You Should Not Miss
Top 1: Fibst CO2 Diffuser for Aquarium
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Plus points:
- All-round bubbles: This CO2 diffuser can generate bubbles that are all-round, and those are even superior to similar products of rivals on the market with partial bubbles supplement only.
- Masterpiece: This device is not only a diffuser but is also a work of art cherishing simplicity and elegance as well. Nothing is greater than having a multifunctional magnum opus for interior decoration.
- Easy-take-out: Just by turning the cup counterclockwise, you can effortlessly remove the ceramic sheet for cleaning. Isn’t it fantastic and convenient? Let’s have a whale of time together with your little fish.
- Durable: With the provision of stainless steel tubes, the diffuser provides nothing but an easy installation. Furthermore, you can get peace of mind in the sense that it is not as fragile as glass.
Minus point:
- Beware though, this model won’t fit on a tank with a rim without modification first.
Top 2: WEAVEBIRD U Shape CO2 Diffuser
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Plus points:
- High-quality: The thinking of purchasing any low-quality product may adversely influence your final decision. However, when it comes to CO2 diffusers distributed by this manufacturer, you are totally relieved as it is aesthetically designed and produced with top-selected materials.
- Beautiful design: Made from glass, it looks crystal clear with almost no stain or fingerprint on it, gives you a sense of pleasure even when you consider yourself a critical customer regarding the item’s appearance.
- Healthy environment: Fishes hailing from anywhere in the wild also better develop in your artificial environment with proper CO2 diffused.
Minus point:
- Bubbles only come out of around 1/4 of the ceramic and the bubbles are large, which may cause you to change it somehow before totally fitting in.
Top 3: JARDLI Pollen Glass CO2 Diffuser
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Plus points:
- Highly diffusive: This model has a high capacity with the percentage of CO2 dissolving up to 98% running through, which literally means you can save up your time and effort every operation.
- Special features: Small CO2 bubbles are equally distributed in the tank and optimize CO2 uptake by the water plants inside the aquarium, for your little fishes to be as healthy as possible. Additionally, the CO2 dissolves easily in the tank thanks to the large ratio of surface to volume of the ceramic membrane, which is one more plus point for the product as advertised.
- Well-rounded: I am extremely happy having this kind of device in my house as it is made of glass but ensures the highest quality of materials provided, so it wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg for maintenance and replacement expenses.
Minus point:
- While the concept is fantastic and it appears to be well built, the function is mute at times, I mean it works unstably.
Top 4: Fluval Ceramic CO2 Diffuser for Planted Aquariums
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Plus points:
- Ideal for a wide range of aquariums: Have you ever imagined that just with one CO2 diffuser, you can take control over the same task when it comes to any other type of aquaria? Alright, you are able to, with this product. Hence, it is widely applicable!
- Benefit for plants: In the case that you regard yourself as a busy person having loads of work to handle and therefore have no time to take care of plants at the bottom of the aquarium, you can actually count on this device, since it helps your plants receive proper amounts of CO2 for better development.
- Reliable manufacturer: Legend has it that Fluval always prides itself on its significant efforts that give back to the fishkeeping community, especially in the process of manufacturing aiming at diffusers. Customers are generally familiar with the name on the market because of its credentials.
Minus point:
- In place of passing through the airstone, bubbles sometimes begin bubbling from the black seal, and just several ones pass through the airstone. However, remember that you get what you pay for.
Top 5: Aquario Neo CO2 Diffuser
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Plus points:
- More than a diffuser: Some people treat diffusers as reliable assistants who on behalf of them sometimes take care of their aquarium and the treasure inside. The same feeling comes to you when using this CO2 diffuser, I bet!
- Durable: Selected by the best designers and produced with top-rated materials, there would probably be no flaws with regards to the durability of the product. If you sometimes are suspect of its quality, try using it more frequently. The more users make use of it, the more long-lasting it can demonstrate to be.
Minus point:
- It is reported that human beings can hear part of its range and this sound is a lot noisy. Should you wanna avoid this, put the device as far as possible from a human’s living place.
Important factors to consider:
Why do you need to install a CO2 diffuser in your aquarium?
- For health- looking plant life: A known fact is that fish and plant life need to coexist for the sake of eco-balance. The plants thrive based on the carbon dioxide that is generally produced by the fish, whereas the fish feed on plant matter and also take cover underneath as an exchange, for sure. However, too much or too little CO2 will affect both of these. Symptoms of lack of CO2 are inclusive of plants that have pale leaves and stems, or stunted growth as well. This also means that the plants will be unable to aerate the environment properly or provide the necessary nutrients to the fish. Such bad situations are best avoided by the installation of a quality CO2 diffuser.
- For healthy fish: CO2 plays an essential role in the life of fish. Too much or too little will not only be harmful to the fish but may lead to a gradual death. Fish basically produce carbon dioxide during the respiration process. Too much CO2 in the water accidentally increases toxicity and detrimentally affects the pH balance. Unfortunately, unless you are highly skillful in detecting or taking notice of the level of carbon dioxide, what you will see is sickly or dead fish in the end. Therefore, a CO2 diffuser helps moderate the level of CO2 thus minimizing the negative effects that may cause disaster sometimes.
How to choose an aquarium COS diffuser?
Tank size:
- The water volume of the aquarium that is supplied with CO2 certainly has the most influence on the choice of CO2 components later on. The gross volume of the aquarium is taken into consideration when choosing the right diffuser. The larger your tank is, the larger the diffuser and the diameter of its ceramic membrane are. The CO2 system needs to work with a corresponding higher pressure, likewise.
- Smaller-sized diffusers are more enough for nano aquaria to optimize. These small tanks run well on bio CO2 as scientifically speaking. The UP Aqua mini diffuser is especially small and beautiful as well to take a glance at.
- In the case that you have an aquarium with a larger volume (500 liters or more) or with a proper length (1.50 meters or more), it can make sense to use two diffusers at the same time. These are respectively installed on the left and right side of the aquarium and ensure a better, more constant CO2 distribution than usual.
Glass, acrylics, or steel?
- If you use filter inlets and outlets that are made of glass or stainless steel in your aquascape or planted tank, it is significant to use the same materials regarding CO2 tech. Many diffusers and hose connectors are on offer as glass or stainless steel variants. These diffusers are normally equipped with extremely fine-pored membranes, which are often even replaceable being dependent on the model. This facilitates cleaning and repairs at best.
- Many stores offer diffusers made of acrylic glass or plastic. Those have the benefit of a cheap price and often arrive with excellent, fine-pored membranes. These devices ensure (at a working pressure of 2 bars or more) the formation of super small bubbles and hence an excellent solubility of the gas in the water. Models made of acrylic glass are highly appealing regarding vision, whereas colored plastic models might be less unobtrusive a bit.
Best Aquarium Co2 Diffusers FAQs:
Does CO2 become toxic at what level?
Adding too much CO2 makes the pH drop, and it is also poisonous to fish at high levels. There are several debates over what represents a safe level as scientifically proven. Research from fish biologists and vets recommend that levels over 10 ppm can be more dangerous in certain situations.
Nonetheless, some CO2 system suppliers suppose that levels of over 100 ppm are really safe for neons, 500 ppm levels are also safe for mollies and 800 ppm levels are just safe for guppies. Personally, it’s likely to be independent of the chemistry of the water and the fish species. Be careful.
Interestingly, at high CO2 levels and low pH levels, the oxygen that carries the capacity of fish blood is dramatically reduced on account of the Bohr effect. This means that losses can occur even if the oxygen level is higher than the normal safe limits!
How can you determine how much CO2 is in your aquarium?
There are two ways of doing this task. The first one requires using a special carbon dioxide test kit. Calculating the exact carbon dioxide level calls for very accurate CO2 test kits – unluckily, some aquarium kits may not be accurate enough to do this properly and the level of gas in the sample water basically can drop quite quickly between removal and testing also.
The other way to estimate the CO2 level is to do so on the basis of the results of a KH and pH test undertaken with a traditional test kit for sure. The mathematical method will determine the probable CO2 level based on the pH and KH. Obviously, this method is dependent on getting accurate KH and pH results from your kit. As some reviews in PFK have shown, the accuracy of aquarium test kits is still not up to par, so this method too can give false results.
Is CO2 harmful to humans?
CO2 is not actually poisonous; as a gas, CO2 will not hurt you itself. This is an essential fact to remember, as carbon dioxide is an indispensable part of the environment. The human who breathes the mechanism actually revolves around CO2, not oxygen. Without carbon dioxide, humans wouldn’t be able to breathe as such.