diy co2 and pressure buildups

[tetrin]

hi,
i recently bought a hagen nutrafin co2 setup...but the unit is so small i doubt using two would be sufficient for a 40g moderately planted tank...
so i have decided to go diy on that ...and use the hagen unit for my smaller 10g planted...(sorry TG and czcz for not listening to u guys before... )

the main concern i had about diy was pressure buildup in the line due to clogging by yeast deposition...so i added a gas-separating bottle to the line...i am going to steal the diffuser from the hagen setup...so clogged airstones should not be a problem...and i searched all local hardware stores in vain for a pressure release valve...
if it comes to that, i might build one from a tee...but is that necessary with the gas separating bottle in place?

TIA...

 

[malkore]

shouldn't be. the gas separator has always keep the 'white slime' from building up in the aquarium where the CO2 enters.

 

[tetrin]

thanks malkore...
i'll go ahead and set it right up...and dream about the amazing tank that i am about to have...

 

[czcz]

I don't use pressure release either. fwiw: 2*2L, separator for the past month (I've back siphoned :/), Hagen ladder. Have been using ladder w/ DIY canisters for ~4mos. Sweet dreams

 

[frog girl]

I don't use a pressure release either but I never fill my soda bottle enough to let the yeast get into the line either. I am sure a back siphoning incident would change my mind. I'm not sure quite how those happen given the pressure differential. Also I guess since my tank is not completely filled (10 in. space at top) I need to worry about it less - knock on wood.

 

[tetrin]

thanks czcz and FG for the input...
i think chances of a back siphon can be eliminated by keeping the water level in the DIY bottle above the tank level...if there's a rack or something by the tank where u can place the bottle...
the white stuff in the lines is probably caused by slow deposition over times...co2 probably drags along minute quantities of the solution...and deposits it on the tube surfaces...but as malkore pointed out, that happens at the end of the tube...so if u have a separator bottle, the stuff should fall into the bottle, and hopefully, not clog the lines...

 

[czcz]

Another thought: how about redundant diffuser as back up in case of clog? Say just airstone and bell near area of water movement. Might be less efficent, but maybe usefull here as another saftey point.

Back siphon was certainly my fault btw. Changed a bottle without giving it time to cool -- just wasn't thinking. My carelessness was enough to add saftey bottle as I do boneheaded things sometimes

 

[tetrin]

i think the bell diffuser and hagen's diffuser are the best from a point of safety...but that's just a personal opinion...
i dislike airstones for their tendency to accumulate the white gooey stuff...and i don't trust powerheads either, because of their 'suspected' ability to create suction at the co2 outlet...
using the impeller of a power filter (HOB or canister) is obviously harmful to the impeller itself, as gases drawn in at high speeds can cause pitting on the impeller blades...