Zerileous
07-21-2007, 03:07 AM
I thought I would share my new CO2 system, wich has been running for just over 24 hours now. I combined information/instructions/suggestions from the thread on here a few weeks ago and these two webpages:
http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html
http://rexgrigg.com/co2.htm (you may find his attitude offensive, but the information is good. some content does not conform to polocies governing this forum)
I would have done this as a step by step log, but I didn't have time to snap the shots while I was putting it together.
I used a 1.75L orange juice bottle, and a very small water bottle as a bubble counter. I did not use any sealant in the whole construction. I drilled the holes at about the size of the inner diameter of the silicone air line, cut the line at an angle, and used pliers to pull the line through. The compression caused by the small hole is enough to form an air tight seal (this idea courtessy if rexgrigg.com).
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/CO2.JPG
At night, I run an air stone in my aqua clear to keep the fishies from suffocating. It is on a timer to begin running when the lights go out and shut off an hour before the lights come on in the morning.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/bubbler.jpg
To get the CO2 into the tank, I converted my Fluval 1 Plus internal filter into a reactor. I don't have detailed pics right now because its in the tank and running, but I'll do my best to describe it. I drilled a hole in the bottom cap for the air line, and cut a hole into the filter pad. I inserted a small Hagen air stone (seems finer than most of the ceramic ones) into the filter and hooked it up. Thus the CO2 comes into the filter and diffuses through the airstone into the pad. From the pad it runs up through the impeller and out into the tank @ 50GPH.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/reactor.jpg
this mist you see in this picture occurs a few times a minute. I am a little worried aobut air passing through the impeller and its effect on the life of the filter, but we shall see what happens.
Just tested my pH and it reads 6.8. At 5 dkH, thats about 24ppm dissolved CO2! I am a little worried that this system might be too strong, so ill be monitoring cloesly over the next few days. Its only a 10 gallon so it may be possible for this system to choke it. I am getting about 20 bubbles per minute from the counter.
And to finish it off, an FTS since I have rescaped since the last one.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/FTS4.jpg
I turned the driftwood over because it looked more natural from this side, also provided many niches for anchoring anubias and java fern. (there are two smaller java ferns growing that can't be seen yet). I am hoping for the anacharis to reproduce and allow me to grow a stand of the stuff in the right side of the tank to hide the heater and fluval.
peace,
zer
http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html
http://rexgrigg.com/co2.htm (you may find his attitude offensive, but the information is good. some content does not conform to polocies governing this forum)
I would have done this as a step by step log, but I didn't have time to snap the shots while I was putting it together.
I used a 1.75L orange juice bottle, and a very small water bottle as a bubble counter. I did not use any sealant in the whole construction. I drilled the holes at about the size of the inner diameter of the silicone air line, cut the line at an angle, and used pliers to pull the line through. The compression caused by the small hole is enough to form an air tight seal (this idea courtessy if rexgrigg.com).
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/CO2.JPG
At night, I run an air stone in my aqua clear to keep the fishies from suffocating. It is on a timer to begin running when the lights go out and shut off an hour before the lights come on in the morning.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/bubbler.jpg
To get the CO2 into the tank, I converted my Fluval 1 Plus internal filter into a reactor. I don't have detailed pics right now because its in the tank and running, but I'll do my best to describe it. I drilled a hole in the bottom cap for the air line, and cut a hole into the filter pad. I inserted a small Hagen air stone (seems finer than most of the ceramic ones) into the filter and hooked it up. Thus the CO2 comes into the filter and diffuses through the airstone into the pad. From the pad it runs up through the impeller and out into the tank @ 50GPH.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/reactor.jpg
this mist you see in this picture occurs a few times a minute. I am a little worried aobut air passing through the impeller and its effect on the life of the filter, but we shall see what happens.
Just tested my pH and it reads 6.8. At 5 dkH, thats about 24ppm dissolved CO2! I am a little worried that this system might be too strong, so ill be monitoring cloesly over the next few days. Its only a 10 gallon so it may be possible for this system to choke it. I am getting about 20 bubbles per minute from the counter.
And to finish it off, an FTS since I have rescaped since the last one.
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/FTS4.jpg
I turned the driftwood over because it looked more natural from this side, also provided many niches for anchoring anubias and java fern. (there are two smaller java ferns growing that can't be seen yet). I am hoping for the anacharis to reproduce and allow me to grow a stand of the stuff in the right side of the tank to hide the heater and fluval.
peace,
zer