# splitting co2 line to run 2 diffusers?



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

I did the Hagen Mini Elite reactor thing to replace my ceramic one. I'm convinced that my tank isn't getting enough co2. Instead of just bumping up the pressure, I think it would be more efficient to split the line and run both the diffusers at a slightly higher rate. 

My tank is a 40 long so it has the same footprint as a normal 55, just not as tall. I had a bubble counter for a while, but it started to leak because it was a cheap piece of crap. The Hagen Mini Elite mod works okay, but it is kind of annoying when the bubbles hit the impeller. The glass diffuser has a built in bubble counter, but I've read that they aren't all that great at putting the Co2 into the tank.

I guess I could look into buying a nice reactor that does a better job...

Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.


----------



## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Stop! You are just playing a guessing game. Get yourself a drop checker or ph monitor to gauge CO2 levels. These items will give you an idea of your CO2 levels and how to go from there. I use reactors in my home tanks and in all honesty they work better. What makes you think you are not getting enough CO2? How many bubbles per second?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Gas is gas right? Can't you use an airline and a gang valve?


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

It's only running around 2 bps right now. 

I have a drop checker, but I don't know if it is even working right. I put some fresh tap water in it and dropped a few "co2 checker" drops in and then installed it in my tank. The solution is staying a green color with a hint of blue. On the tank side of the drop checker there is a scum looking layer forming at the surface. I know that if the solution turns yellow, then I'm in the danger zone, but it hasn't shown anything different. Each day the color looks identical.

The reason why I feel like I'm not getting enough co2 is the drop checker. At first I ran my system at 1 bps while I was awaiting my drop checker. Once I finally got it and installed it, I waited overnight for it to get a reading(it says to wait 1-3 hours). It was the same bluish green as when I turned it up to 2 bps. Maybe I'm doing something wrong with my drop checker?

I recently started letting the Co2 run for a longer period of time(before the lights turn on) and still the same result.


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

The strip that has higher nitrates is my tank and the other strip is my tap water.


----------



## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Hmmmm im at work and cant spend to much time here. Until I get on later check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005OM26H4/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Its a good splitter. The company that sells them is highly recommended by me.


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

That looks like what I need. I know that gas will take the path of least resistance(like pretty much everything else). Do I need to sit there and play with all the knobs until I find that sweet spot where everything is pretty much the exact same "resistance"? I don't want to sit there and fight the thing for a long time when I install it...

If I have the first valve shut off, will it shut off the gas to the other two nipples? Sorry for all the questions, but I don't want to spend $35 on this product if I'm going to have to fight it. I'd almost rather buy a 2nd cylinder of Co2 than spend a mess of money trying to hook up two lines to one tank. 

I really do appreciate the help Grogan. You seem to be the go-to guy around here .


----------



## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Well you are in luck! I have one of these fine products. They work great and take all of 1 minute to dial in them in. I know what you mean by fussing with those cheap plastic air splitters. Not the case here. Those knobs on this thing are individual needle valves and can be tuned to different bubble rates per side. 

Another Idea would be to use an inline reactor like so:
[yt]8m4yN0YJ0Io&feature=youtu.be[/yt]

They are much more effective at diffusing co2


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

fuzz you fool...do you realize how big of a head grogan is going to get...lol
obviously he does a lot of homework on the use of co2 injection...and obviously he is making it work beautifully for him...i am glad that he is part of this site..


----------



## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

You need to get a 4DKH solution for the drop checker. Then work from there. Using your tap water is not going to give you an accurate measurement, especially if it is hard water. Hard water will resist pH changes so that could easily be why it is not registering the CO2 levels. Strips are also very inaccurate. I use an old ceramic diffuser and it easily supplies a 55 gallon with enough CO2. I also use a splitter, but I don't see any point in using 2 lines on a 40 gallon as its just not necessary. My canister can run 3 lines and each one runs independently of the other so there is no messing around with them. Each one goes to a different tank and runs a different rate.

Remember to take things slow with CO2. If used improperly you can harm your fish.


----------



## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks for the compliment loachata. Im just trying to share what im learning as I progress in the hobby.

@ fuzz:
Mikaila is correct. While I completely believe reactors are a superior form of diffusion there shouldn't be any problems in such a small tank. A glass diffuser should be more than enough to get results. I have seen people use dual diffusers (Takashi) but this is usually in larger aquariums. If anything try mikaila's suggestion first. If you are still having issues then maybe a better glass diffuser or inline reactor.


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

alright cool. thanks for the heads up, guys. i'll get on that tomorrow.

Aside from that, I have one of those H.O.T. Magnums, so running an inline reactor isn't really an option unless I get an actual canister filter. Could I potentially put a siphon(just the "nozzle") into my tank that is sealed on the small end and have it sitting right above my diffuser so it has more time in the tank before it hits the surface(if it even hits the surface)? 

What BPS do you guys suggest that I use? Should I run your suggested BPS 24 hours, or have it run only during the photoperiod?


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

Ah. I just looked at the stuff that came with my drop checker via the internet and it apparently is 4DKH. I'm assuming that I should put nothing but this stuff in? I was under the assumption that I had to mix it with water to thin it out...Well, either that or use it as a "constant" or whatever so the only difference between the tank water and the drop checker fluid is the co2...

This isn't the drop checker that I have, but it is the fluid that came with it(same bottle, anyways)


----------



## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

No 4DKH is a clear solution. You can make it at home if you want using just RO water and baking soda I believe. You need to use the 4dKH solution, not your tap water then add a few drops of the pH reagent(CO2 test). 4dKH is a standardized solution to be used with drop checkers. If you use water that is too soft CO2 readings are going to be higher then they actually are. Water that is too hard and readings will be lower then they actually are. 

The CO2 droper reagent is just a pH reagent. Its normally the exact same one that API uses in their liquid pH kit. It's not monitoring CO2, its monitoring a pH change. CO2 injection lowers pH, but how much it lowers it depends on water hardness and buffering capacity. Thats why we use a standardized solution in the drop checker. Its at 4dKH that blue=low, green=good, and yellow=high for CO2 content.


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

Alright, I finally got my 4DKH solution and just installed it into my drop checker. I rinsed it out really well and blew air into it(to dry it) before putting the new stuff in. i put a drop or two of the Co2 test stuff and the rest was the 4DKH. It is blue as of now. I know it says to wait a few hours for the air to equalize or whatever...Anyways, is it supposed to be blue initially? 

After reading up more about this, I found something about doing a second drop checker with 2DKH water(add twice as much distilled/RO water OR use half the baking soda). This second checker should give me a higher reading(yellow) while the 4DKH one should still be greenish. Anyone else do this?


----------



## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

yes it is always blue at first. Every time I change the water and the water drops below my drop checker it goes back to being blue.


----------



## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

I got it all running good now. It is at a yellowish green like I wanted and my fish aren't gasping in the morning before the photo-period begins(i have the co2 running 24 hours now). I'm glad that I didn't mess with splitting the lines. It saved me a bunch of money.

Thanks for all the help guys.


----------

