The Planted Tank Forum banner

Help with my DIY system

3K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  jeffie7 
#1 ·
Okay so I think Ive got a pretty good system together.
I have two one liter bottles for reactor chambers (that were sitting behind my desk anyway) and a pint bottle for an overflow catch
Liquid Bottle Fluid Plastic bottle Glass bottle


Also I have put together a valve system so I can control flow and dump CO2 out of the system before it gets to my tank without unplugging any lines
Hand Eyelash Wood Gesture Finger


From there it goes to my bubble counter
Gas Glass Flooring Windshield Machine


And after that it SHOULD go to the diffuser. Here is where I have a problem... The diffuser seems to have about ZERO FLOW. I mean this thing is locked up tight.
I have it soaking in peroxide as ive heard this can help. Is this a problem with the ceramic discs?
Fluid Wood Automotive lighting Drinkware Water


Bump: This is a link to the specific diffuser I have
http://www.amazon.com/Nano-CO2-Diffuser-Reactor-Aquarium/dp/B0058XWDFO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1412703063&sr=8-6&keywords=co2+diffuser
 
See less See more
4
#4 ·
Unless the diffuser is clogged, which it may very well be, I'd say the underlying issue is you simply are not generating enough pressure for the thing to work. It is also very possible you have a leak somewhere. You can use soapy water to test the bottle caps, and stick the tubing connectors in a bowl of water to see if any bubbles. Not sure why you need the relief valve, I'd double check that for leaks, especially.

I'd probably cut out the bubble counter. The pint bottle should serve as that, as well as a gas separator. Having the extra bubble counter is just one more thing for the system to fill with pressure. Im assuming that the pint bottle is filled with just water, and the line from the yeast bottles goes down into the water, and the line going to the tank is above the water. There's your bubble counter right there. You dont need another one.

Also if it was me I'd go with 2 liter sized bottles. 1L are just not very big.
 
#5 ·
This is for a 10 gallon tank so I think two 2 liter bottles would be overkill. I was under the impression that you must lessen/turn off co2 after your light cycle to avoid choking out your livestock. This is why I have the blowout valve because the yeast never stops production and the pressure needs somewhere to go.
The pint bottle has nothing in it it is meant to catch any yeast mix that may shoot out of the reactors.
I'll try the cotton or maybe link it into my bubble filter
 
#6 ·
Yeah, two 2L would probably be overkill for a 10 gallon. Do you have the bottles on staggered start times? IE change out one/week or something like that? That is good for consistency.

It usually takes several hours for a DIY system to fully pressurize. Running an airstone at night is a much better option than depressurizing the whole system. You shouldnt have to worry about gassing your fish though. It's rare to get that much co2 out of a DIY set-up. Most people who use DIY, including myself on two different tanks, just let it run 24/7. But obviously, watch your livestock for any signs of distress.

Fill the pint bottle 2/3 with plain water. Run the line from the yeast bottles down into the water. Have the line going to the tank above the water. It will still catch any yeast blow-by, and also function as a bubble counter.

Like this:

 
#7 ·
That is how I have the pint set up now. all I would have to do is add water. The bottle is pretty opaque though... Being a Jaeger bottle and all. I like having the small bubble counter after the valve it really lets me control the flow well.
I do plan on switching each bottle alternatively weekly
 
#8 ·
Yeah, I would want a better view than through a jaeger bottle as well. The point is, DIY systems are challenging enough when it comes to both generating pressure and staying leak-free, without having a bunch of arbitrary connections and chambers that you dont need.

In your case, you could just as well eliminate the pint bottle and let the bubble counter be the gas separator. Any yeast blow-by will still get trapped in there. Personally, Ive never once had this happen. It should be a rare occurrence if ever. In the off chance a little gunk does get through, or builds up over time, it will be easy to see and easy to clean with the type of bc you have.
 
#10 ·
I haven't even pressurized the full system The bottles have noting in them. I tried running air from an air pump through it and that's how I noticed the problem.

The Peroxide soak seems to have helped the diffuser, it actually has some flow now. Ill leave it overnight to see if I can get greater improvement

Ill hot glue the tubing in to the caps for a seal hopefully that will help once they are up and running
 
#11 ·
Not sure you'll ever get enough pressure from an air pump to mimic the co2 system, certainly not enough to blast through that diffuser. Your best be is to get it going first, then check for leaks, etc.


Adhesives do not work well at all. Ive used everything from silicone, super glue, hot glue, various epoxies, water weld - nothing works for very long. Even if it seals off initially, they tend to break loose after you've taken the caps off a time or two. The simplest best way Ive found is this.




15/64" hole
Push tubing through
Insert the connector, which expands the tubing in a tapered manner
Push it firmly back into the cap, hard, as far as it will go.

100% effective. No mess, no leaks.



Here's one of my set-ups. For the "adapter" I used a combination of check valves and air tubing connectors that come with those cheap discard-a-stone diffusers, like you see in the picture.






I have each line going in separately, that way I can see exactly what each bottle is doing. But you can pair them up just as easily and have only one going in and one going out.






 
#12 ·
I happen to have some connectors just like that I hooked them right up!

Cotton is working pretty well to create small bubbles. Im just a bit lost as to how i can incorporate my co2 into my water flow. My sponge filter isn't pushing huge volume of water.
will releasing co2 at the bottom of the tank and having it float up even have a noticeable gas exchange into the water?
 
#13 ·
Any bubbles that reach the surface and pop are wasted. But you should still be getting some co2 dissolved into the water. Ideally, you'd put the diffuser under some current and let it blow the bubbles around. The longer they stay in the water, the more they dissolve.

I used cotton for a while, it works pretty good. Ive since switched to using a 1" piece of chopstick. Finer bubbles and lasts a lot longer. The ceramic diffuser you have may work fine after you get the actual co2 going. Some of those comments on Amazon say it's working with DIY. You'll just have to try it and see.

Also, Aquaclear HOB filters make an excellent diffuser, actually more like a reactor with near 100% dissolution. Run the line directly into the intake (pre-diffused with a chopstick or cotton).

If all you have is a sponge filter going, probably best to just put the diffuser as low as possible and be done with it. You should still get a decent amount dissolved into the water column. Use whatever diffusing method makes the finest bubbles.
 
#14 ·
I would get rid of the assorted odd connections. The fewer fittings you have the better. Each one represents some pressure loss, and this is a very low pressure system to start with.

Get rid of the on/off/release. If you temporarily do not want it pull it up higher in the tank.

2 x one liter is not going to produce enough for a 10 gallon to ever need to be released like that.

I never had much luck with 1 liter bottles. I have run a lot of 2 liter bottles, and that worked a LOT better.

Generator to separator bottle (omit the Tee that connects them)
Separator bottle to tank.
Lowest pressure diffuser you can find. I use the 'discard-a-stone', the soft plastic things. If there is no other way of moving it around, set it under a dense plant. At least that way it will get caught in the leaves and stay in the tank.
 
#16 ·
:mad:Okay I cut out all valves and drop checkers but I stil cant seem to generate any pressure in the system.

At this point its just two bottles hooked up at a T and run right in to the tank. No bubbles, no pressure. Ive blown back into the system to see if there are any leaks but I cant seem to find any....

Did I not activate the yeast!?!?

Next I'm going to switch two a couple 2 liter bottles or just scrap the whole thing and go conventional if I can find a setup for the right price.
Are there any affordablle options out there?
 
#17 ·
It is fairly easy to kill the yeast in my experience. Using too hot water to make the initial mix or activate it. Needs to be luke warm at best (I believe 105 degrees is max, personally I just barely get it warm.) Also I made the mistake once of taking the yeast straight from the fridge and making it up. The temp change was too sudden. Now I just store it in a cabinet.

Not sure what you mean by blowing back through the system to check for leaks. Soapy water is the way to go. Apply it to all the connections, if you see bubbles, there's a leak. However, if you just have the open line going into the tank, there may never be enough pressure to show a leak - but there should still be bubbles coming out from the line.

I would connect the diffuser you have, or use a 1" piece of chopstick, or a piece of regular cotton ball tightly packed in the line. Then wait 8-12 hours to allow for pressure to build, and check for leaks with soapy water.

For a 10 gallon, I'd just go with one 2L bottle + a smaller gas separator/bubble counter bottle. Keep an eye on how many bubbles per second it produces, and change it out as soon as you see it slow down. Probably 7-10 days, possibly 2 weeks.

Or you can get a paintball set-up for probably around $150
 
#18 ·
I use a glass diffuser with a diy single bottle setup. Here's the trick. If using a fresh made mix, It takes 30 minutes to 2 hours to start making bubbles that show up on a ladder. Now if you use a glass diffuser you won't see any bubbles until 12-24 hours after hooking the diffuser up. Even if your co2 bottle has been running for a week. Takes a good day to build up enough pressure to push it out. But yes, it will do it.

My diy bottle isn't even 2 liters...

Bump: $20 for 20oz tank $3.99 to fill it at dicks sporting goods
$30 for regulator $88 if you want one with a solenoid
$0-10 for diffuser


So $50-60 if you don't mind running it all night long. Add another $5-10 for a small air pump if that's the case.

I just bought a co2 setup. My stuff came in today so the prices are fresh in my head.

One of my tanks is diy
One of my tanks is injected.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top