Diy CO2 - question about diffusion method

fishybert

Hi everyone,

i've recently made a DIY yeast CO2 generator for my 10 gallon tank. For diffusion i used a combo of the diving bell and chopstick-stuck-in-the-airhose method -- i.e. used a chopstick at one end to produce the tiny bubbles, then stuck it under a shell(the diving bell).

I was hoping that the tiny bubbles would slowly accumulate under the bell, then slowly seep out the edges as individual bubbles as the bell filled up....but what's happening is that the bell burps out this one large bubblefrom time to time.

Is this the best way to go, or am i better off without the bell? I hear a powerhead can help spread/diffuse the bubbles but i only have an airstone-powered sponge filter.

Tia

dlambert

does the bell shift suddenly for the co2 to burp? if u could keep the bell stationary i think it would seep out like u were hoping for.. the smaller the bubbles get the more effective they are as they have way more surface area/volume of gas.. if you're stuck with the burp effect then seems like the bell isn't the best bet.

fishybert

Nah it doesn't shift, i think there's just too much co2 accumulating underneath, the little bubbles Voltroned up and formed the burps

So the general rule is finer bubbles the better? But how about if you cn keep the big bubbles immersed in water longer(say,trapped in a bell)?

Nemo the Clownfish

Just an idea, but do you think putting open cell sponge in the opening of the "bell"? I'm thinking that, say, an AquaClear filter sponge would be better because the cells are bigger and it wouldn't cause as much back pressure, but it's the wrong size. Sorry if this is already in the thread and I missed it.

dlambert

lol "voltroned up"... [The Krib] CO2 & Water Hardness annnd go! the bell is fine i guess but if the gas is burping out to quickly it seems it will be "wasted".. whatever u can do to break it up and get little bubbles touching the water the most is best.. also the cooler u can keep the water the better :) i havent kept any difficult plants so all mine are happy with just the co2 and nitrates from my fish and the nitrogen cycle :)

stevenjohn21

I also just set up a 10 gallon with diy c02 and have tried a few ways to get the bubbles tiny. What worked for me was placing the hose in hagens mini underwater power filter. I took the sponge out from inside the filter and placed it over the outlet. The impellar chops the bubbles up and the sponge also chops them even smaller.

this is where i got the idea from, hope it helps

redchigh

Do you really need CO2? Just wondering, because I don't use it at all.

Most of the time, a air-driven sponge will counteract most of the CO2 you supplement as well...

I've made a natural-looking bell out of silicone and smooth stones (just squeeze a bunch of aquarium silicone on a piece of wax paper, and add some river stones over it. Then add silicone between the stones.) It remains flexible, and is heavy enough to not 'burp'. Maybe try it if you have the supplies laying around...

fishybert

How do you mean? Does the sponge filter absorb the CO2 ?

stevenjohn21

Surface agitation will cause c02 to dispurse at the surface which in effect reduces the amount of time the tiny bubbles are floating around the tank. The smaller you can make the bubbles the longer they will stay submerged and collected by the plants
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Nemo the Clownfish

On another tack, have you googled CO2 reactor? You might be able to integrate one with your feed or just get some ideas. I didn't really research it, maybe another place to look...