# DIY Co2 Diffuser?



## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Hm, well, I don't feel like buying my diffuser, so would this work? I personally think it would. Well, you cut off the top of any bottle (water, pop, etc.) and you stuff a sponge in it, NO, im not talking about a 5 cm diameter hole with a round 5 cm sponge on it, Im talking about, a 5cm diameter hole with a compressed sponge, maybe even more than 1 sponge in it, since it would split up the bubbles, right?


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## ghengis (Jun 11, 2008)

A bottle with a sponge? Not sure if I follow... Can you be a little (lots) more descriptive, harshal? What drives this? Does the bottle sit upright/upside down/horizontal??


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## csaxe21 (Nov 25, 2008)

I also thought about putting a sponge in it. You mean shoving it in the outlet tube, right? Since, I didn't try this and couldn't find an accurate answer on that question, I can't help out too much, but I set up 2, 2L bottles, with a 1-2" piece of a chopstick shoved into the outlet tube, and its been going pretty well.

Good Luck!


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Ok. what i meant was around a 3-4 inch cut on a 2 litre bottle, a maybe 2 inch cut on a small bottle, on the top, so under the opening of a pop bottle. Follow me? and Upright of course so the co2 would HAVE to go through the sponge and break up into tiny little pieces, I would think this is just like a plastic Amano diffuser except they used plastic or something, But my sponge would be so compact together that the end product of the co2 bubbles would be basically the same. ->http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r131/telsingandrews/blog/broccoliinpopcloche.jpg
The same thing as that, but except it would be cut off and not be in the ground 

BTW: ~Edit~ The outlet pipe would not hold the sponge, but the outlet pipe would be places UNDER the diffuser making the co2 travel through the sponge diffuser


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

csaxe21 said:


> I also thought about putting a sponge in it. You mean shoving it in the outlet tube, right? Since, I didn't try this and couldn't find an accurate answer on that question, I can't help out too much, but I set up 2, 2L bottles, with a 1-2" piece of a chopstick shoved into the outlet tube, and its been going pretty well.
> 
> Good Luck!


Hm, i haven't tried the chopstick thing yet, but how would it work? I just shove the chopstick in the outlet tube and the co2 bubbles would break up inside of it? :S


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## Scouter (Mar 3, 2008)

I tried something similar. I put my DIY CO2 end tube into the sponge of my powerhead. The theory was that the bubbles would be trapped in the sponge and slowly dissolve in the moving water. Unfortunately, the bubbles collect and leave the sponge in large "glugs." It did work for me though because I had a powerhead to suck up most of the bubbles before they could leave the sponge.

Going off of this experience, I'm not too sure it'll work, but my last theory turned out to be bogus so who knows. Good luck.

Scouter


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Scouter said:


> I tried something similar. I put my DIY CO2 end tube into the sponge of my powerhead. The theory was that the bubbles would be trapped in the sponge and slowly dissolve in the moving water. Unfortunately, the bubbles collect and leave the sponge in large "glugs." It did work for me though because I had a powerhead to suck up most of the bubbles before they could leave the sponge.
> 
> Going off of this experience, I'm not too sure it'll work, but my last theory turned out to be bogus so who knows. Good luck.
> 
> Scouter


Well, Scouter, was the sponge tightly compact? Or did you just put it there, and i'm not trying to make the Co2 diffuse IN the sponge, but instead, the sponge breaks down the bubbles, and sends the bubbles out of the sponge. Since the sponge is compact, they can't really come back together, Well, thats my theory, I'll be sure to try it out today. Kinda like this, except instead of plastic or w.e it is, it'll be a sponge. http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11623574/CO2_Diffuser_For_Planted_Aquarium.jpg


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## Scouter (Mar 3, 2008)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by compact-if you mean fine holes then yes. The sponge I used was cut from mattress foam you can get at Joannes and other fabric stores. I froze it in water and drilled a smaller hole for a good fit and after thawing, stuck the CO2 tubing up the sponge. Sorry I can't offer additional help. Good luck though- and let us know if you can get it to work.

Scouter


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Scouter said:


> I'm not entirely sure what you mean by compact-if you mean fine holes then yes. The sponge I used was cut from mattress foam you can get at Joannes and other fabric stores. I froze it in water and drilled a smaller hole for a good fit and after thawing, stuck the CO2 tubing up the sponge. Sorry I can't offer additional help. Good luck though- and let us know if you can get it to work.
> 
> Scouter


Well, What i mean by compact is squishing the sponge together until a 4" by 4" sponge is around the size of a 2cm circumference ball which I would stick into the lid of a bottle, so thats the only way the Co2 would get out. I would put the tubing underneath the lid instead of in the sponge. And yeah, Im just finishing my coke bottle so I can use it ;P.


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

I made one and it worked fine, then recieved a reactor as a gift. It was pretty simple. A clear pvc tube witha cap on it, in teh cap i drilled a hole large enough for a small powerhead to sit on top, pulling water from the top of the tube. I drilled a bunch of little holes, approx 1/16" all around the bottom sides of the tube. I put a cap on the bottom and drilled a small hole for the co2 line. put a decent sponge in the middle. The co2 comes in from the bottom, the powerhead pulls water to the top and causes a swirling motion, and the bubbles get caught at teh sponge and dissolve as they rise thru it.










A Pretty crude photo


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Amazon_Replica said:


> I made one and it worked fine, then recieved a reactor as a gift. It was pretty simple. A clear pvc tube witha cap on it, in teh cap i drilled a hole large enough for a small powerhead to sit on top, pulling water from the top of the tube. I drilled a bunch of little holes, approx 1/16" all around the bottom sides of the tube. I put a cap on the bottom and drilled a small hole for the co2 line. put a decent sponge in the middle. The co2 comes in from the bottom, the powerhead pulls water to the top and causes a swirling motion, and the bubbles get caught at teh sponge and dissolve as they rise thru it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Veryy nice, Thats Basically the same thing as i meant ;P. Gj man!


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

Amazon_Replica What do you do to hide the powerehead? Where did you get the clear pcv tubing and the caps?

I love your idea the best for then you still have the use of the powerhead to circulate the water.


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