DIY bubble counter to add to a Hagen CO2 ??

959 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by fshfanatic, Jan 20, 2008

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Discussion Starter · Jan 13, 2008

Is this the correct way to make a DIY bubble counter to add to my Hagen CO2 unit? I have the bubble ladder in the filter area of my 24g aquapod so I can't see the bubbles, only a bubble that rises to the surface about once every 8 seconds.

I would use a glass bottle and have it filled half way with water, one tube going into the bottle from the hagen unit and into the water, another tube exiting the glass bottle but this tube doesn't touch the water in the bottle, attach the tube to the ladder in the tank.

I am also thinking about added another DIY CO2 container allong with the Hagen bottle.

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BiscuitSlayer

· #2 · Jan 13, 2008

The ladder itself is a bubble counter to a degree. If you can view where the bubble comes out and starts the way up the ladder, then this is where you can count the bubbles. It should be pretty close to where it is exiting the ladder (every 8 seconds or so).

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Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 13, 2008

I can only see the bubbles hitting the surface and I can't see the ladder at all.

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outcast

· #4 · Jan 13, 2008

if you have a canister type filter, or power filter, i suggest bringing the line from the hagen canister directly under the intake and drop the ladder all together. I find that you don't really need to count bubbles with diy, the drop checker will tell you when its time to change the canister

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ValorG

· #5 · Jan 13, 2008

Your diy bubble counter will work fine.

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Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 13, 2008

outcast said:
if you have a canister type filter, or power filter, i suggest bringing the line from the hagen canister directly under the intake and drop the ladder all together. I find that you don't really need to count bubbles with diy, the drop checker will tell you when its time to change the canister

The aquapod has a built in filter and a pump in the filter section that pumps the water back into the tank. I was thinking of putting the CO2 line directly under the pump intake. I think I will give that a try. Thanks

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Left C

· #7 · Jan 13, 2008

I use this gas separator with my Hagen ladder. You can use the Hagen ladder or the gas separator to count the bubbles, but it's best feature is that it keeps most of the yeast "snot" from forming on the bottom of the ladder. I rarely have to clean it now. Before I added the gas separator I'd have to clean the "snot" off of the ladder once or twice a week.

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Homer_Simpson

· #8 · Jan 13, 2008

Good to hear that the gas seperator worked for you in preventing most of the snot LeftC. Another member posted that it not work for him. From the link that you provided, I think that gas seperator is another word for a DIY bubble counter like this one.

Source: http://www.coloradoaquarium.org/pics/co2.html

I was too lazy to make one of these and I really did not like the idea of having to use a 500 ml bottle, so I bought this tiny equivalent. We will see how it works at preventing the snot as I was beginning to find cleaning the Snot weekly a real PITA.

I love the size of this one. Only one inch high and one inch in diameter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bubble-counter-...hZ015QQcategoryZ66794QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

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Green Leaf Aquariums

· #9 · Jan 13, 2008

Those Little guys work very well. Placement I think is the only issue.

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Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 13, 2008

Will the small size of the 1inch x 2 inch bubble counter still keep the snot from forming on the bubble ladder?

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Homer_Simpson

· #11 · Jan 13, 2008

Contrast said:
Will the small size of the 1inch x 2 inch bubble counter still keep the snot from forming on the bubble ladder?

I am just in the process of testing it and will post my results when I find out(should be about a week or two). I would think that it would still work. Although I am not a chemist, it looks like some kind of chemical reaction occurs with the yeast fermentation. As a result, the snot forms in the tank when it makes contact with the water. This suggests that whatever chemical reaction is happening to cause the snot, it requires water to materialize, so in theory even a small amount of water in the bubble counter(regardless of size) should be sufficient to cause the snot to form and precipitate in the water inside the bubble counter(you would still have to clean the bubble counter weekly as I don't think it is a good idea for sanitary reasons to keep having snot pile up and sit in the bubble counter for weeks/ months, using a solution of Hydrogen Peroxide and water may be a good way to clean the bubble counter once the snot forms. Besides if too much snot builds up in the bubble counter, it could start restricting the free flow of c02). Any water in the bubble counter should, at least in theory, help cut off most if not all of the snot at the pass.

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Homer_Simpson

· #12 · Jan 20, 2008

Lol, the bubble counter did not work and keeping snot from developing on the ceramic c02 diffuser. It took only 3 days after I hooked up the bubble counter for snot to build up on the top of the c02 ceramic glass diffuser in the tank.

I read that the snot is a protein film produced by a chemical reaction between the c02 and tank water. If anyone has found something that works to prevent this snot other than switching to a pressurized c02 system, I would love to hear.

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fshfanatic

· #13 · Jan 20, 2008

Homer_Simpson said:
I love the size of this one. Only one inch high and one inch in diameter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bubble-counter-...hZ015QQcategoryZ66794QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

I have this one in conjunction with a pressurized paintball system.I love it but would NOT recommend for DIY as it doe not come apart for cleaning.

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