# diy co2 bell



## pretzelb (Nov 13, 2005)

I made a simple bell from the bottom of a water bottle and had some questions:

1) When making a co2 bell is the hose supposed to be below the bell?

2) Does the gas get absorbed into the water or will the level just keep increase until it overflows under the bell?


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

1) if the hose isn`t under it, how will the bell work? The idea is that it will trap the bubble on it`s way up.

2) the co2 will slooooowly dissolve into the water but yeah, it`ll probably bubble out from under after a while too.

The bell isn`t a very good or efficient design. Granted, it`s better than nothing, but there are much better diy designs out there.


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## pretzelb (Nov 13, 2005)

Well, I figured that eventually the co2 would "burp" as the bell fills, and realized this was inefficent, but then I confused myself by wondering why comercial bells were available (if it's not that great then why buy one?). 

I've looked at one solution that tries to trap the co2 in the intake of a power head but I don't have the parts for that. I've seen the chopstick method too but I worry about it clogging. I haven't seen much else beyond that, well, that is as easy as a plastic bottle bell.


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## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

you should have some type of circulation around under the bell. You don't want too much circulation where co2 might escape. 

Are you doing diy co2? If not then set the bubble rate so that an ideal amount of co2 is in the bell. If the bell is "burping" you can lower the bubble count to conserve co2 but you don't necessarily have to. 

David


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

There are a few ways you can be more efficient. Go here:http://www.barrreport.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1

You can also get a diffuser that makes a nice mist instead of big bubbles which gives the bubles more surface area and therefore they disolve better. Force the bubbles to disolve instead of just trapping them and waiting for them to do it on their own.


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## pretzelb (Nov 13, 2005)

brad said:


> There are a few ways you can be more efficient. Go here:http://www.barrreport.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1
> 
> You can also get a diffuser that makes a nice mist instead of big bubbles which gives the bubles more surface area and therefore they disolve better. Force the bubbles to disolve instead of just trapping them and waiting for them to do it on their own.


I think I know what that link is trying to show. There is a better picture in a diy co2 article I read, I think from the faq. The one in the faq even had a list of parts. I was trying to avoid buying more stuff as I'm not sure this is going to work. Hard to tell what the guy is doing with that powerhead but I think I get the idea.

Maybe I'll see if I can create something similar using the powerhead I have (but I think it's too strong for a 10g tank).


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