# diy CO2 diffuser



## Pigheaddd

simple and easy! use cigarette head(filter) material to plug it into air tube. it works perfect with diy co2(sugar + yeast) and cylinder+ regulator. change a new material when u redo ur diy co2. if u do correctly, bubbles will be very tiny. just like glass diffuser. u also u also can use bamboo chopstick as material.

sorry if someone already post this...

enjoy,

Tim


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## Sir_BlackhOle

Very interesting! I wonder if the filter leeches anything bad into the aquarium water.... Ever had any trouble?


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## Pigheaddd

Sir_BlackhOle said:


> Very interesting! I wonder if the filter leeches anything bad into the aquarium water.... Ever had any trouble?


NEVER!!! try it by urself. u will know how it works. its fun!!!


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## panaque

I know that different brands of cigarettes use different types of filters. Camels use cotton while marlboros use fiberglass. I probably wouldnt use these because I would have to buy cigarettes and after my grandfather and aunt dieing from cigarettes those bastards will never get a penny from me! I like the bamboo though. Thanks for the idea!


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## Pigheaddd

panaque said:


> I know that different brands of cigarettes use different types of filters. Camels use cotton while marlboros use fiberglass. I probably wouldnt use these because I would have to buy cigarettes and after my grandfather and aunt dieing from cigarettes those bastards will never get a penny from me! I like the bamboo though. Thanks for the idea!


no problem! enjoy this diy. u dont have to buy. just ask ur friends who smoke. thats it. first couple times, my friends were always asking me. what the heck r u going to do with that? my answer always like just give me two heads. thats all i want. dont ask too much. hehehehe~


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## hubbahubbahehe

what about using a plain old airstone to diffuse co2? at least you know it's safe right?


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## Steve Pituch

I haven't found an airstone that produces fine enough bubbles. The smaller the bubbles for a given amount of gas the greater the absorption area. In other words many 1/100th of an inch diameter bubbles have much more surface area than the same volume of air in one big bubble. A good sintered glass diffuser will produce very fine bubbles that will dissappear quickly as they get absorbed into the water. Bigger bubbles float to the surface and escape into the atmosphere. Pigheaddd's idea of using a cigarette filter is supposed to work nicely too.

Regards,
Steve Pituch


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## hubbahubbahehe

Spituch, I found wood airstones to produce extremely fine air bubbles...those should do the trick...


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## gpodio

The ceramic micro bubbler isn't too bad for CO2. It won't crumble like most regular air stones do with CO2, bubbles are acceptable size and it won't clog like the better glass or wood diffusers. I used them for years with DIY CO2.

Giancarlo Podio


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## hubbahubbahehe

GP thanks for your input...so my coralife wood diffuser would eventually clog up? that's good to know so i can avoid that... 

now with the ceramic diffuser...are you talking about the airstone that is white? and is glued together ceramic beads?? if so, i got tons of those! woohoo!


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## Steve Pituch

Giancarlo,

Thanks for the tip on the ceramic airstone. I'm not sure what to look for but I will keep an eye out for them. I am assuming that they must have a pretty smooth surface compared to a regular air stone.

Steve


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## hubbahubbahehe

okay, so just to clarify, the regular cylindrical ceramic airstones are not the ones that you use for diffusing?
ime, they seem to form big co2 bubbles htat just rise to the surface and they do get smaller, but never completely dissolve


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## Pigheaddd

hubbahubbahehe said:


> okay, so just to clarify, the regular cylindrical ceramic airstones are not the ones that you use for diffusing?
> ime, they seem to form big co2 bubbles htat just rise to the surface and they do get smaller, but never completely dissolve


hi...

have you tried diy one? it wont cost you any, and its fun. :twisted: about airstones. umm... they wont work in my opinion. the only result i've found do the best is cigarette head and chopstick, or you can connect air tube to powerhead. let it pump co2 out.

try try try... :wink:

Tim


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## Moss

Hi all. I have cigarette head filter material in my 3 bottles and it works *really* well. Trust me. I'm a moss.


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## hubbahubbahehe

Ok, I'm not a smoker, so i don't know what the filter looks like.....is it connected to normal cigarettes?


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## Moss

Hi. Sorry about the awful quality of the picture.
Just separate the cotton filter and insert it into the tube. Make sure it doesn't totally block the exit. Sometimes you just have to insert it several times until you reach the desired size of the bubbles.
Regards.


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## hubbahubbahehe

in that case, couldn't you just use cotton swab???


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## Pigheaddd

Moss said:


> Hi. Sorry about the awful quality of the picture.
> Just separate the cotton filter and insert it into the tube. Make sure it doesn't totally block the exit. Sometimes you just have to insert it several times until you reach the desired size of the bubbles.
> Regards.


Moss,

try chopstick. you will like that better. its more longer lifetime. dont use normal chopstick. go to hobby shop. buying those bamboo/wood use for remote control airplan/helicopter. :twisted:

hubbahubbahehe,

no idea if they are same materials. try it by urself and let us know how it works. :wink:

Tim


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## hubbahubbahehe

how bout wooden chopsticks that chinese restaurants give you


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## Moss

I'm sorry Pigheaddd, but I just don't understand the chopstick idea...  
I've searched my dictionaries for the meaning and I've only come across the "food utensil" definition... I've also checked with my living dictionary (my wife is an English teacher ehehhe), same response! My English isn't that good, are we talking about the same thing? Can you please explain? How does it work? And where are my car keys?


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## hubbahubbahehe

Moss, here's my crack at it. instead of putting your filter floss into your tubing..you put a chopstick in there...


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## Moss

Thanks hubbahubbahehe.
Lol my wife already thinks I'm a maniac, and a little bit er... insane. If she sees me doing that... [-o< 
So, I suppose chopstick is porously enough.


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## Pigheaddd

Moss said:


> I'm sorry Pigheaddd, but I just don't understand the chopstick idea...
> I've searched my dictionaries for the meaning and I've only come across the "food utensil" definition... I've also checked with my living dictionary (my wife is an English teacher ehehhe), same response! My English isn't that good, are we talking about the same thing? Can you please explain? How does it work? And where are my car keys?





hubbahubbahehe said:


> Moss, here's my crack at it. instead of putting your filter floss into your tubing..you put a chopstick in there...


Moss,

hubbahubbahehe is right. put chopstick about 0.5 inch into air tube and 0.5 inch out of air tube. sharp chopstick round in the front. 50% chopstick that out of air tube use fast glue to sticky it., then its done. see... my English is worst than yours. :lol: hope you understand what im trying to tell ya...

Tim


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## hubbahubbahehe

Tim, a picture of how you have it set up would go real well with your explanation.


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## gpodio

Most chopsticks are made of balsa wood, same stuff you find at hobby stores and same stuff most wooden air stones are made of. They produce the finest bubbles but clog up pretty quickly. You can also make your own "Mega bubbler" such as this one:

http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/kwairstone.htm

Should outlast any wooden air stone on the market!

Regards
Giancarlo Podio


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## hubbahubbahehe

Gpodio, what do the wooden airstones clog up from? 

My assumption is that they clog up from yeast scum...but I think that it can be remedied by placing a gas separator bottle between the co2 bottle and the tank.. Or are there other ways for it to become clogged? I'd like to know.


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## Moss

Thank you guys for the explanations, I'm tempted to try the chopstick idea. Does anyone know beforehand how to remove yeast stains from the walls? Is it safer to warn your spouse before doing these kind of experiences?


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## gpodio

The stones get clogged regardless of any attempts, they clog up using regular air pumps too. I think most of it is from the wood absorbing water and swelling up. Otherwise it's probably impurities. With CO2, there's a good chance that some kind of breakdown is also occuring, much like what happens to the tubing and plastic check valves after a while. Even the glass and ceramic diffusers eventually get clogged up and need a good bath in vinegar or similar acid. I don't think it's something you can avoid.

Moss, it's actually better not have a spouse when doing such things :lol: ....just kidding

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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## hubbahubbahehe

hubbahubbahehe said:


> in that case, couldn't you just use cotton swab???


I tried the cotton swab myself and it produced big bubbles..<---no good. scratch that idea


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## hubbahubbahehe

Today I tried chopsticks from a restaurant... i didn't cut it, i just wanted to see if it would work. it does in fact work..it was interesting to see bubbles come out from the other end of the chopstick and the bubbles are pretty small too. So here's my vote for chopsticks over cotton


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## Jfratoni

Hey Guys! my first post here but I found a great way to make a fantastic DIY CO2 diffuser! All I did was take a cotton ball, rip about 1/4 of it off and keep 3/4 of it. then you roll it up in your hand, then dip it in water. Roll it again and twist it down the airline tubing. Then what I did was take a small zip tie and put it around the airline tubing where the cotton is so there aren't any leaks from the sides of the cotton. It works great and the bubbles are so tiny i lose them on their way to the top! Oh yeah, i also cut the excess sticking out of the tubing off.


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## Mahealani

That sounds like something even I could do!!


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## Tikulila

Cotton is organic material, so it will degrade in a while, like every organic material.


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## blue thumb

I bought one of these works just as good as those disc type in glass. I like it cause I want to hide it down on the gravel. I run my line down the back under the gravel with just the diffuser sticking up from the gravel in the front area

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280821803263?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


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