# Glass Co2 Diffuser



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

I was trying to use a glass diffuser with my DIY Co2. It was in the tank for about an hour, and still didn't produce any bubbles. I was afraid that is was going to blow something apart with to much pressure, so I disconnected it from the system. I tried to blow air through it with it attached to an air line under water, but I would have had an aneurism before anything would have come out of it. Is there something wrong with the diffuser, or does it just take that much pressure to push the bubbles through? I was very surprised when I could not blow any air through at all. When I took it out of the water I was able to blow air through, but not a whole lot.


----------



## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

I'm no expert, but I use a glass diffuser for my CO2. I have two of them from Aquatic Magic so that I can pull one off to clean and put the other on.

I have tried to hook up an air pump to mine, and like you nothing would come out. In fact, when I hook them up to the CO2, it takes about 1 or 2 min. before any bubbles come out at all. I'm running a pressurized system at about 1.5 to 2 bps.

I just got the ADA catalog, and they have listed in there glass diffusers for air and separate ones for CO2. So there must be some difference?

I hope that helps some?
Brian


----------



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

I was afraid of having home brew all over the walls. That would be bad.


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You can't blow very much pressure, maybe one psi if you have very good lungs. Perhaps a trumpet player who practices daily might do better, but not us. So, blowing thru a difuser isn't going to tell you much. In another thread someone posted that they used an air compressor turned way down in pressure to blow thru and clear a difuser. Another way is to try sucking air thru the difuser - we can generate more negative pressure by sucking than we can positive pressure by blowing. My experience with a couple of difusers is that they can vary widely in how much pressure it takes to generate bubbles.


----------



## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

I have tried to blow through diffusers in the past and been unable to do so. Hmmm, I wonder, now that I quit smoking...  

Homebrew on the walls is very bad.

I would think that with DIY CO2 you would be better off with a reactor, even the simplest bell reactor, over a glass diffuser. I would suspect that other points would start to leak CO2 before the diffuser released any.

just my $0.02.


----------



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

> I would think that with DIY CO2 you would be better off with a reactor, even the simplest bell reactor, over a glass diffuser. I would suspect that other points would start to leak CO2 before the diffuser released any.


Yep good point. I am back to the micro bubbles from my air stone. Good enough to keep my tank around 30. I was just hoping it would work.


----------



## DJKronik57 (Apr 17, 2006)

I tried the same thing with a diffusor from Aquatic Magic. I hooked up an air pump to it and no bubbles, bleached it, no bubbles, and even left it on for an hour or so as well. Like you, I was afraid the bottle would explode, so disconnected it and went back to injecting it into the filter. I think with these, you can only use pressurized CO2, at least with some particular diffusors. I have heard of glass diffusors working with DIY CO2, but not many.


----------



## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Both glass diffusors I've had worked with DIY. One being a 8 coil one [which i broke], and another being the rhizom 5000. Glass diffusors are so fragile though.

My current one actually has a crack in it, and some bubbles seep out of it, wondering whats the best way to fix it? Some silicone? or what would be ok to fix it with that will nto be toxic to the fish. It still works, but bubles escape the cracks, and probably don't help the crack along, so i removed it the other day until i can repair it. [yea i'm a clutz when it comes to those things and the suction cups].


----------



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

I said the H with it, and got a Nutrafin diffusor. Works good enough for me, just not as cool as the glass ones.


----------



## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Nutrafin, you mean the Hagen ladder? That works. Eheim also makes a bubbling diffusor just like the glass ones, except they are plastic.

The Red Sea reactor also looks very interesting. It is small and has a built in mini pump. Same idea as the Plantguild power reactor only much smaller.


----------



## SnyperP (Dec 10, 2004)

I've used a glass diffuser with DIY before. It takes alittle priming to actually get it started. Let the mixture build up a bit of pressure and give it a solid constant squeeze. Gently apply pressure until it starts bubbling out. I guess it's like pushing a box around on the floor, once you get it started it goes pretty well. =p


----------



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

> Nutrafin, you mean the Hagen ladder?


Yea, that's it. I hooked it up yesterday, and was a little ho hum about it, but now that I see it in action I like it a lot. I can't believe how much Co2 is being absorbed by the tank. I have been keeping an eye on the fish, and they seem fine (so far) Also I like it because it lowers the pressure needed to push the Co2 into the tank. I had a hard time blowing through the air stone, but this is just an open air hose, and has almost no resistance at all. 

I have heard horror stories about home brew all over the walls, and that was always bothering me, but with this I don't think I could have a problem as long as I keep an eye on my check valves.


----------

