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I'm really starting to like this co2 stuff. Why did I wait so long . But, I've been thinking....

Could I possibly buy a co2 cylinder and related valve/solenoid, whatever you call it, and use my Hagen bubble ladder? I would like to simply control how much co2 goes into my tank better, but without too much up front cost. Althought, I would imagine any diffuser is probably the least of the expense. Help me to understand what I need. I can't afford it now, but I may down the road do this as it would be nice to not have to mess with yeast and sugar all the time. I went from 1 bubble every 3 seconds last week to 1 ever 5 seconds. I want control over it and would be so happy with 1 or 2 bps, depending on my readings.

Also, what more would need to be done to have it shut off automatically when lights go out. I'm not concerned with nightly co2 build up - I actually believe there is a benefit to that as the plants can get more in the morning. Rather, it is the power outages. My tank is in a very dark basement and if I was away at work when one struck and didn't get home until 8 hours later, I can't imagine what shape my tank would be in if the co2 continued to pump out. I have two airstones - one in either corner, that automatically kicks in during an outage, but it took those two pretty much to keep the tank on track during the big blackout - without co2. Anyway, I'm always thinking about blackouts since i had to deal with a long, frequent string of them last year.

Pictures/Links with explanations of what the parts do would be helpful. I'm a design engineer and deal with sheet metal only. I'm a little dumb on the gas/valve/mechanical side of the world. So, help me be less dumb

Last edited by Cory_Di at 02-Mar-2005 17:52

well, if you're going to make the switch to pressurized, i don't see why your current ladder thing wouldn't work provided it has a built in bubble counter. you will need a co2 bottle (obviously ), a regulator and a needle valve. a good regulator will have a pressure gauge for both the bottle pressure and the valve pressure, but it's not necessary to have a gauge for the valve. if this is for your 20 long, then i would recommend a 10lb bottle of co2, it should be more than enough to last you for at least 6-10 months depending on your bubble count.

here's a pic of my setup. the bottle you see there is a 5lb bottle, i have since upgraded to a 20lb, and so far i think i may have gotten about 1/3 - 1/2 of the use after about 6-ish months (on a 50g). my regulator has a built-in needle valve, so i didn't have to spend any extra on it, plus the shop i bought it from helped me to reduce the outgoing pressure of the regulator (from 80psi to 40psi) and put on the hose attachment when i told them what size hose was going on it.

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it's easier if you shop around for "home brewery" as most places look at you funny when you say you want to "grow plants" (they think they know what kind of plants you're growing, no matter what you look like ). this is especially useful as you will want a co2 line, and usually a place that specializes in soda fountains/bar supply will have hoses rated for co2. make sure you get one that will fit your ladder if you're still using it, most co2 hoses are much bigger than the average aquarium air line.

i don't know how much this will cost you in your area, but i paid $50 for the regulator (even after the modifications -- which they didn't charge me for), and the rest of the stuff i got for free from various sources except for the co2 hoses, which cost me something like $.80 a foot or something.

as for power outages, you should invest in a ups unit that will let your tank run for a few hours if the power goes out. i think they cost anywhere from $150-400 depending on how many plugs they have and how much battery life they hold. at least then you would know you have a few hours if the power goes out that you wouldn't have to worry about.[/font]

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Thanks for the pics. What is that blue cylinder in the far corner?

I always research something long in advance of doing it. So I'll just keep looking. My brother is very handy and can help me. He welds, does electricity, plumbing, you name it.

I don't get why you had to have it taken down from 80psi to 40psi. Was it rated for something higher and you needed to tweak it down some? I guess I need to know what range to look for in a gage.

the gauge i had bought originally was rated for welding pressures. when i told them i wanted bubbles per second, not psi, they brought the pressure down from 80psi (welding pressure) to 40psi. they also took off the gauge for the needle valve, which is meant to show 30+psi, and added the hose attachment for me. if you get a regulator rated for welding co2, it might need a little tweaking to get it where you want it.

and the blue thing is my co2 reactor the co2 bottle you see and the reactor were both gifts from my vet because he has a very professional setup on his tank and wasn't using these anymore. here's a slightly better look at the reactor, just in case you decide to use this type setup instead of your ladder



the small thing attached on the right is the bubble counter, which needs to be filled with water (otherwise how do you count them? ). then the whole apparatus gets connected to a powerhead which flows from top to bottom and sucks the co2 out of the bubble counter into the reactor portion where the bioballs break up the bubbles and dissolve them in the water. i would think the ladder you have would be fine as long as you can count the bubbles that come out of the line.[/font]

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

That's the part I was wondering if I could avoid - the reactor. It's just more equipment, tubes, pumps, etc. and I maxed out on power outlets - they are gone and possibly overused already with several power strips attached.

I'm getting good results with just the bubbles going up the ladder, but I just can't control how many bubbles go up the ladder. It's been about 9 days and I'm pleased to still be getting one bubble every 4-6 seconds, which surprisingly, is keeping me at a 7.2 pH, as it did when it was 1 bubble ever 3 seconds. I'm not going to shake the cannister or change my yeast until I see the pH rising. I want to see how long this batch can keep me at 7.2. I would be very happy if it can stretch to 2 weeks like this, undisturbed. I'm going to double check my kH just as a sense check, to be sure it is still at 4.48 degrees.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 03-Mar-2005 09:48

well, like i said, if you can see how many bubbles are coming out of your setup and into the ladder, then you shouldn't need to spend anything extra on a reactor, even if you do make it yourself. although, i think you will find your ph going down a little more than you have right now if you switch to pressurized.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman