Soda maker CO2

[mattcham]

Why is it such a challenge to dissolve the pressurized CO2 into the tank water when there are so many products like these that seem to do it effortlessly:

Sodastream | Turn Water Into Fresh Sparkling Water And Soda

Perhaps Marineland or Fluval can build something similar...Any thoughts?

 

[Mebbid]

Why is it such a challenge to dissolve the pressurized CO2 into the tank water when there are so many products like these that seem to do it effortlessly:

Sodastream | Turn Water Into Fresh Sparkling Water And Soda

Perhaps Marineland or Fluval can build something similar...Any thoughts?

2 main reasons:

Firstly, the soda stream works under pressure so it's much easier to add co2. That's impossible to do for a fish tank

Second, there is a very fine line between feeding co2 to you plants and gassing all of your fish to death. This requires a very sensitive valve to regulate the pressure. Generally this means an expensive investment.

 

[jetajockey]

I agree. The sodastream process involves pressurizing the container up to around 30-50 psi iirc.

 

[mattcham]

The soda water just has to be infused from the pressurized soda can into the tank via a regulator just like everybody infuses pressurized air into the tank water. The machine just allows the CO2 to dissolve into the soda can. An electronic pH sensor could control the CO2 infusion rate just like a thermostat. Don't some people already use an electronic pH sensor for CO2 dosing?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Mebbid]

The soda water just has to be infused from the pressurized soda can into the tank via a regulator just like everybody infuses pressurized air into the tank water. The machine just allows the CO2 to dissolve into the soda can. An electronic pH sensor could control the CO2 infusion rate just like a thermostat. Don't some people already use an electronic pH sensor for CO2 dosing?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Without the pressurization the CO2 would never be infused into the soda carbonating it, it would then really be no different than what we are doing to our aquariums. Those soda machines only carbonate the water as fast as they do because it's done under pressure, without that it's not a whole lot different than our pressurized CO2 systems except that aquarium co2 systems have fine tuned needle valves and pressure gauges.

 

[jetajockey]

I used a few DIY type sodastream things before I got a real one and it takes a lot of pressure to infuse the water with co2. I had issues with the pressure popping the hoses off at around 25-30psi, and even with shaking the bottle and using cold water it still was not nearly as infused as a standard fountain drink.