How to quiet down a Cerges CO2 reactor?
Hi,
Any ideas on how to suppress (effectively) the gurgling sound made by this/any Cerges?
It's not that bad, but still audible and every time it grabs my attention I can't help but feel like I have a couple of miniature horses galloping under my fish tank!
Pic of setup bellow for reference.
(I've added a metal mesh around the hose, all the way up top where water+gas comes in; it helps a little, but the bubbles are still audible)
YT video hopefully good enough to hear the bubbling/etc (plus CO2 injection "rate" shown):
Thanks for any and all ideas.
-99
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Any ideas on how to suppress (effectively) the gurgling sound made by this/any Cerges?
It's not that bad, but still audible and every time it grabs my attention I can't help but feel like I have a couple of miniature horses galloping under my fish tank!
Pic of setup bellow for reference.
(I've added a metal mesh around the hose, all the way up top where water+gas comes in; it helps a little, but the bubbles are still audible)
YT video hopefully good enough to hear the bubbling/etc (plus CO2 injection "rate" shown):
Thanks for any and all ideas.
-99
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926 Posts
How big is your tank? If it is under 100 gallons you might consider switching to an inline diffusor. I use one on my 75g. It is silent and the bubbles are miniscule. I get a 1.0 pH drop each day and have good plant growth, actually too much.Hi,
Any ideas on how to suppress (effectively) the gurgling sound made by this/any Cerges?
It's not that bad, but still audible and every time it grabs my attention I can't help but feel like I have a couple of miniature horses galloping under my fish tank!
Thanks for any and all ideas.
I tried a Griggs and it made too much noise. Some say that with patience you can tune them to be acceptable but every time I opened my filter to clean it air would accumulate in the reactor and I was back to square one for a day.
Inline diffusors are inexpensive but not all equal. I currently use one made by CO2 Art diffusor. I would suggest replacing the element at least yearly or having a backup/spare so you can clean one well while the spare is in place. They also take up almost no space and require no plumbing.
YMMV
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17 Posts
75gal tank.
I had an inline diff in there (till recently) and finally wanted to try a Cerge + got tired of bubble/mist in the tank "all day long." I assume I used the same one as you/many (jut not branded by "CO2Art). It worked just fine, as you said, but the added diminishing fine CO2 flow rate due to the element getting dirty was something that I also wanted to eliminate.
While easy to replace/etc, not something I want to deal with and I really don't feel like checking on it constantly to see if it's performing optimally. Call it laziness, if you will.
Cerges works beautifully, and is as maint. free as it can get.
PS:
I even hooked up my inline diffuser just before the Cerges in my setup pictured above for test. It worked fine and the Cerges was getting "fine mist" inside of it, but it didn't make a difference, and still made noise, albeit a different kind. It was more of a hissing than gurgling-more noticeable than running w/o it. Once the gas was in the Cerges it recombined anyway, so there was little benefit of pre-diffusion.
For any one reading this thread...
See/continue here:
www.plantedtank.net
I had an inline diff in there (till recently) and finally wanted to try a Cerge + got tired of bubble/mist in the tank "all day long." I assume I used the same one as you/many (jut not branded by "CO2Art). It worked just fine, as you said, but the added diminishing fine CO2 flow rate due to the element getting dirty was something that I also wanted to eliminate.
While easy to replace/etc, not something I want to deal with and I really don't feel like checking on it constantly to see if it's performing optimally. Call it laziness, if you will.
Cerges works beautifully, and is as maint. free as it can get.
PS:
I even hooked up my inline diffuser just before the Cerges in my setup pictured above for test. It worked fine and the Cerges was getting "fine mist" inside of it, but it didn't make a difference, and still made noise, albeit a different kind. It was more of a hissing than gurgling-more noticeable than running w/o it. Once the gas was in the Cerges it recombined anyway, so there was little benefit of pre-diffusion.
For any one reading this thread...
See/continue here:
Stone Cerge: a pre diffusion DYI mod for your favorite...
Introducing "Stone Cerge"...a mod/addition to a popular CO2 reactor type, which can be effectively applied to both Cerges and Griggs reactor designs. I see plenty of Qs and debates here (and elsewhere) as to which is better "reactor vs diffuser." My initial quest was driven by the desired to...
www.plantedtank.net
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92 Posts
You, sir, are a master plumber. I am not. So, my approach is piecemeal and might not be for you. But here goes.
I have a HOB filter as well as an FX6 for a 150 gallon tank. The HOB serves as a reservoir for odds and ends I use for water aesthetics: 2 UV bulbs, polishing pads, a little polyfil, Seachem PO4 remover pads, and...CO2 delivery.
CO2 tank is controlled by a Milwaukee pH controller. When pH is above 6.2 the CO2 flows up the flexible air tubing to the outside of the HOB. From there the flex tube is attached to rigid tubing that runs down the outside and just below the filter intake tube of the HOB. CO2 is sucked up the intake tube and enters the HOB reservoir where it passed the impeller for CO2 dispersion.
Early in the morning the systems turns on and there is constant gurgling. This is while I'm asleep so I don't hear it. By the time I go down stairs to look in on the fish the pH is at 6.2 and the gurgle is intermittent—maybe for a second every 10-15 seconds. Benefits include no bubbles in the water, reliable CO2 dissolution, and only an intermittent gurgle as the systems maintains pH6.
The other advantage for me is that the systems warns me when the CO2 tank is empty...no gurgles.
Hope this helps a little.
I have a HOB filter as well as an FX6 for a 150 gallon tank. The HOB serves as a reservoir for odds and ends I use for water aesthetics: 2 UV bulbs, polishing pads, a little polyfil, Seachem PO4 remover pads, and...CO2 delivery.
CO2 tank is controlled by a Milwaukee pH controller. When pH is above 6.2 the CO2 flows up the flexible air tubing to the outside of the HOB. From there the flex tube is attached to rigid tubing that runs down the outside and just below the filter intake tube of the HOB. CO2 is sucked up the intake tube and enters the HOB reservoir where it passed the impeller for CO2 dispersion.
Early in the morning the systems turns on and there is constant gurgling. This is while I'm asleep so I don't hear it. By the time I go down stairs to look in on the fish the pH is at 6.2 and the gurgle is intermittent—maybe for a second every 10-15 seconds. Benefits include no bubbles in the water, reliable CO2 dissolution, and only an intermittent gurgle as the systems maintains pH6.
The other advantage for me is that the systems warns me when the CO2 tank is empty...no gurgles.
Hope this helps a little.
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17 Posts
jdr,
Perhaps you can introduce a stone/diffuser of sort end the very edge of your CO2 contact with water?
I don't know what it looks like on your end exactly, but maybe just like for me, the diffused CO2 entering the water chamber will mitigate the sound/gurgling for you?
Worth a try-if you can fit a small air/diffuser stone at the end of it. Don't know what you can use, perhaps you can show how it's set up, and we can come up with something.
I like my fish, I like the tank, and I like the "complication" of CO2 injection.....but I don't want any of this to constantly remind me that it's all there.
Even though my tank is in a "computer/play room" I still want it as quiet as it can possibly be.
Updated my "Stone Cerge" thread - see all updates there.
Perhaps you can introduce a stone/diffuser of sort end the very edge of your CO2 contact with water?
I don't know what it looks like on your end exactly, but maybe just like for me, the diffused CO2 entering the water chamber will mitigate the sound/gurgling for you?
Worth a try-if you can fit a small air/diffuser stone at the end of it. Don't know what you can use, perhaps you can show how it's set up, and we can come up with something.
I like my fish, I like the tank, and I like the "complication" of CO2 injection.....but I don't want any of this to constantly remind me that it's all there.
Even though my tank is in a "computer/play room" I still want it as quiet as it can possibly be.
Updated my "Stone Cerge" thread - see all updates there.
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