# Cheap solenoid valve solution?



## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

I'm running DIY CO2 on my 10 gallon tank. I'd rather not run an airstone at night - the bubbles popping at the surface soak my lights (which probably aren't high enough above the water.)

So, I'm looking for a solenoid, which will open at night to release the CO2 into the air instead of into the tank. I could just use a normal valve, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to forget to turn it on or turn it off. I don't want to spend a lot of money (I'm not going to do it if it'll cost more than about $20.)


For now, I'm putting a strip of acrylic below the lights, but of course, it will be splashed by the bubbles and then it'll get covered in water spots and kill my lighting. Better than cracking them by getting water on them, but I'd rather not have to use an airstone at all.


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Why don't you just let your DIY CO2 run 24 hours in the tank? It shouldn't do any harm. My pressurized runs 24/7 and my fish are all fine.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

tigerbarb420 said:


> Why don't you just let your DIY CO2 run 24 hours in the tank? It shouldn't do any harm. My pressurized runs 24/7 and my fish are all fine.


+1 tigerbarb420 ... I've had my diy C02 running 24/7 without issues.

one other issue regarding this... a standard Co2 type solenoid DOES NOT 'open and release (vent) Co2'

it CLOSES, Stopping the flow of Co2 from the co2 tank or in this case, your fermenter/bottle (think of it as something that would 'pinch' your existing co2 line)

the solenoid would simply allow co2 pressure to build up in the fermenter/bottle ..... 
probably not something you'd want to do.

there may be a way of DIY'ing some sort of pressure release valve.... but IMO that's another component waiting to fail.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

Big_Fish said:


> +1 tigerbarb420 ... I've had my diy C02 running 24/7 without issues.
> 
> one other issue regarding this... a standard Co2 type solenoid DOES NOT 'open and release (vent) Co2'
> 
> ...


You could use a powerhead/water pump as a CO2 diffuser on a timer. You could adjust the time so the powerhead wouldn't run at night. When the power head is not running, large CO2 bubbles would drift to the surface and pop. Virtual no diffusion.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

if you wanted to vent the co2 you would just put a t in the line and put the solenoid on that T.


DIY CO2 does not really produce enough bubbles for bad things to happen.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

:doh: :sorry:

Both good solutions and agreed, not really required.


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## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

TAB said:


> if you wanted to vent the co2 you would just put a t in the line and put the solenoid on that T.
> 
> DIY CO2 does not really produce enough bubbles for bad things to happen.


mmmmhmmmm, yeah.

Woke up this morning, and even though my airstone came on at night like it was supposed to, I had 60+ ppm CO2 according to my drop checker (color looked like at least pH 6.3, kh 4, means pH at least about 60), my cherry shrimp were doing loops at the surface and my 6 cardinals were dead. My 1L DIY CO2 bottle was going at 1 bubble every 2 seconds (for some reason this particular bottle went a lot faster than the last one, I put it on the tank before I went to sleep), being dissolved with 100% efficiency in my ZooMed canister.

The good news is, I don't need a solution. I think I'm going to at least give up on keeping fish in the tank while I have CO2 on it, and possibly give up the tank entirely.

The plants haven't been complaining about the CO2, though, so I might keep them around.

So please, don't give people the idea that CO2 is less dangerous to the fish just because it was produced by a bottle of yeast. If anything, the bottle of yeast is worse because you can't predict or control it as well as pressurized.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

60 ppm? something is not right there I really doubt you could get c02 to that point with compressed co2.


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## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

TAB said:


> 60 ppm? something is not right there I really doubt you could get c02 to that point with compressed co2.


Well, it happened, and the fish died. All of them. Are you trying to tell me it didn't happen? PM me your address so I can mail you some dead tetras and shrimp.

The airstone was set to be off for 2 and a half hours before the lights came on to allow CO2 to build up for the plants before the lights came on.

Note that the tank is OPEN TOP - there is no lid to trap a layer of CO2 underneath.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm saying the chances of it happening are very small.

the chances of a drop checker being incorrect are alot higher. You said the color looked like, there is a chance that you also read it incorrectly.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

jschall said:


> mmmmhmmmm, yeah.
> 
> Woke up this morning, and even though my airstone came on at night like it was supposed to, I had 60+ ppm CO2 according to my drop checker (color looked like at least pH 6.3, kh 4, means pH at least about 60), my cherry shrimp were doing loops at the surface and my 6 cardinals were dead. My 1L DIY CO2 bottle was going at 1 bubble every 2 seconds (for some reason this particular bottle went a lot faster than the last one, I put it on the tank before I went to sleep), being dissolved with 100% efficiency in my ZooMed canister.
> 
> ...


Are you using 4kdh water that was purchased or made with distilled water? If it is tap water, there might be other things in it to alter the accuracy of the ph chart. I don't doubt the dead fish, just kind of doubting that yeast based CO2 could get to 60 ppm.


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## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

bosmahe1 said:


> Are you using 4kdh water that was purchased or made with distilled water? If it is tap water, there might be other things in it to alter the accuracy of the ph chart. I don't doubt the dead fish, just kind of doubting that yeast based CO2 could get to 60 ppm.


Sure yeah. The number doesn't matter, what matters is the fish are **all** dead.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

Man, I'm sorry to hear of the loss of those fish!
it's difficult to lose a bunch of fish, I know... (it's worse explaining it to your kid.... who has NAMED them all) 

Emotions can run high... don't let them cloud you into making a rash decision... give it a week, take a breath. go blow off some steam 
(without raining on anyone else's parade  )
and have another look after a couple days.

it's hard, but it's not the worst thing that could possibly have happened. 
look at the bigger picture and keep trying.

you'll find the problem and you'll fix it.
Try and have a great weekend. sounds like you could use one. :fish2:


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