Quote Originally Posted by jc View Post
I had a a f/w discus tank set up for almost a year. You can get surface scum so I attached a surface skimmer to my canister filter. I would recommend just going with a sump. That way you have less clutter in the tank. I also dosed co2 with a ceramic diffuser on the output of the canister filter. It worked fine except for the *tsk *tsk sound from the diffuser. You do get micro bubbles using co2. I also used excel for a while and while it is more expensive I did get just as much growth as the co2 with the added benefit of less hair algae. You can buy excel in bulk and attach it to a doser. I had an accident with my co2 and killed 3 discus in a matter of minutes.
I plan on using one ATO for the reef tank and FW systems. I will create an in-line reaction chamber for the fertilizer and CO2. Now how do you know when it is necessary to add CO2? Won't the excess CO2 cause the PH to drop in the system?