Please recommend a diatom filter and CO2 for my 240 gallon.

[seancj]

Hello all.
I've been looking for a diatom filter large enough for my 240 gallon tank but can only find units for much smaller tanks. I'm also looking for a fair price on a CO2 set up.
Any help and advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Sean

[rbarn]

I've been thinking of running whole house 20" x 4.5" water filters inline
on my return pump.

1 micron filter rated at 600gph.
Run 3-4 in parallel and filters should last forever and not restrict flow
since 3-4 would be good almost 2000gph.

Get them for $60 off ebay and filters are like $10 for 1 to 20 micron sizes.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=20%22+water+filter&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=20%22+filter&_osacat=0

[seancj]

So these 'house' filters would work the same as a diatom filter and help keep algae under control as well as prevent 'green water' issues?

[rbarn]

keep algae under control as well as prevent 'green water' issues?

UV light is best for that.

D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth) filter or low micron filter will make your water insanely clear
from floating particles.

[seancj]

UV light is best for that.

D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth) filter or low micron filter will make your water insanely clear
from floating particles.

That's what I'm looking for. Trouble is finding it for a 240 gallon size tank.

[rbarn]

A UV light ???

I run a 25W AquaStep on my 60 gal and plan one on my 100 gallon too.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~uv_ultraviolet_sterilize rs_ozonizers_pentair_aquatics_rainbow-lifegard_aquastep.html

(2) of the 25W Aquasteps, plumbed in PARALLEL NOT SERIES, would
work very good on a 240 gallon tank with a decent sized pump like a Mag 7.

The AquaStep is little more than others, but the thing is built like a tank.
Super thick plastic and fittings. Buy it once and last a life time.

The trick to plumbing up UV lights for bigger tanks is to plumb several in parallel.
Its all about low speed exposure time with UV light. Move a good volume but run it
slowly past the lights.

My tank is going to both UV light to kill the algae and 5 micron filters to polish the water crystal clear.


Then there are the insane systems the mega reef guys and pond guys use
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~action~view~idProduct~RB5181~idCategor y~FIUVUUHT~category~Over_120_Watt-UV_Sterilizers-UV_Sterilizers-Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies~vendor~.html

[Consigliere]

Looks like you've got the UV and water polishing covered.

As for CO2 setup for that size you will probably want to go with pressurized. This means you need with some price ranges:

CO2 tank ~$100-150
Regulator/needle valve/bubble counter setup ~ $125-400 (depends greatly on quality)
Diffusing method (reactor, ceramic, glass whatever) ~ $20 - 100 (depends on DIY skills)
Timer/Controller ~ $20-100 (timer is cheap, controller is better)

You would probably also want to get a drop checker for some redundancy in case your controller craps out, which is about $25.

I just got a new setup with Victor regulator, Milwaukee controller and DIY reactor probably cost about $600 Canadian in the end.