Gardeners World - Update Pg 5

[R1ch13]

Guess you have a valve on it somewhere then ?

And i think i might make one !

Richie

no... all the components of the reactor are in the pic. the pump just switches off with the lights... then the co2 just escapes into the atomosphere - not cost effective if you are using pressurised c02, but not really a problem with yeast!

Here's the design again

And the reactor in action:

Ahh soo it escapes out of the "burp pinhole" yeah ?

If this works for you im sure itll work for me as my tank is same size etc and i will be having easy growing plants !

Cant wait too see results

Thanks alot

Richie

 

[three-fingers]

Oooooh, just read through all this and it sounds great .
I really like the lighting, i was wondering what i was going to do about the lighting on my juwel trigon, i was just going to mount a 36watt t5 compact on the back of it, but now i have a better alternative, so the extra t5 can wait untill i (maybe) get co2 for the tank.
Thanks!

 

[JamieH]

I dont want to knock your reactor, it's a nice little DIY solution to dissolving CO2, but I have to say that I disagree with your earlier statement about "1: I didn't spend £40 on £1 worth of glass.".
There is no need to spend £40 on a glass ceramic diffuser, in fact you can easily find one for about the same price as your Eheim pump and they certainly take up less space.

Can you tell us what your Co2 levels are like using this DIY reactor, if you are getting almost 100% of the Co2 dissolved then you shoud be getting quite high levels. it would be interesting to see the results.

Either way, if you are taking the trouble to introduce Co2 into your tank, you should really have an idea of the level it's reaching.

Cheers
Al

I get your point... but ceramic diffusers are no good for DIY C02.

My red sea C02 kit is permanently at 'green' for 'ok' - however I understand this can mean the c02 is anywhere between 15 and 30pmm from your other thread. I'm also adding the required dose of flourish excel everyday.

Ok.... Week one update....

There's been some decent growth this week and a few small changes.

I removed the bogwood on the far left and planted some Alternanthera reineckii ''roseafolia'' it's got lots of shoots, but hasn't really grown much in the few days it's been in. You can just see it in the pics.

I also added some Alternanthera reineckii ''lilac" to the right by the java fern.

I've got some light green algae growing on the rocks... and really need to add some clean up crew... but none of my local stores have anything suitable right now.

Anyway....

This is the tank last week:

And this is the tank one week later:

the c02 kit is blue because i just changed the water right before taking the pic

... it's getting there... err.... slowly.

 

[sophos9]

Wow Jamie, thats great!

Good to see the hygro growing so well!!

 

[JamieH]

Wow Jamie, thats great!

Good to see the hygro growing so well!!

cheers bud!

but if i couldn't grow that.... i really would give up!!

 

[sophos9]

Just a question, from filling your tank with new water, how long did it take for you to hit green on your live CO2 test?

 

[JamieH]

Just a question, from filling your tank with new water, how long did it take for you to hit green on your live CO2 test?

well the c02 test came a few days after i set it up... i put it and it was green right away. today i changed the water at lunch time... and it's just going from blue to green now. i changed the yest mix today too though.

 

[sophos9]

hmmm.... may I'm a bit inpatient. Will post a thread, thanks for your help!

 

[three-fingers]

I get your point... but ceramic diffusers are no good for DIY C02.

Why? It's working great with my nutrafin kit! Not DIY, but the same thing really .

 

[JamieH]

I get your point... but ceramic diffusers are no good for DIY C02.

Why? It's working great with my nutrafin kit! Not DIY, but the same thing really .

i wouldn't trust anything that exerts back-pressure on 4l litres of smelly yeast and sugar mix, stored in two plastic bottles, in my living room...

 

[MoreCoffee]

I get your point... but ceramic diffusers are no good for DIY C02.

Why? It's working great with my nutrafin kit! Not DIY, but the same thing really .

i wouldn't trust anything that exerts back-pressure on 4l litres of smelly yeast and sugar mix, stored in two plastic bottles, in my living room...

But a few pence spent on a non return valve gets around that problem.
Acutally I'd strongly suggest including a non return valve on any co2 method (Pressurised or DIY/yeast systems), no matter what diffuser/reactor is used. It will stop any possible syphoning when the yeast slows down and the pressure drops.

 

[Themuleous]

Coming along nicely

Sam

 

[JamieH]

I get your point... but ceramic diffusers are no good for DIY C02.

Why? It's working great with my nutrafin kit! Not DIY, but the same thing really .

i wouldn't trust anything that exerts back-pressure on 4l litres of smelly yeast and sugar mix, stored in two plastic bottles, in my living room...

But a few pence spent on a non return valve gets around that problem.
Acutally I'd strongly suggest including a non return valve on any co2 method (Pressurised or DIY/yeast systems), no matter what diffuser/reactor is used. It will stop any possible syphoning when the yeast slows down and the pressure drops.

I have, in fact, two non return valves.... but that wasn't my point at all. using a ceramic diffuser causes pressure to build until the c02 can be forced through the pores of the diffuser. i'd rather NOT have pressure in two plastic bottles that could burst. a non return valve makes no difference to this situation

Coming along nicely

Sam

Thanks!!!!!

 

[R1ch13]

Lovely tank mate !

Looking Great !

My tanks same size as yours and i got told i need pressurized c02 !

Pfft !

Thanks

Richie

 

[sophos9]

Looking great....

When do you intend to start stocking?