omg i just ordered one of those reactor kits and i already want to return it ... there is no effing way im getting up one hour before my lights go on to muck around with the co2 settup counting bubbles
I haven’t tried a float valve, but that would be a good idea. Only issue I can think of off the top of my head is if the mixture settles a little, you need to shake the bottle sometimes & it might block the valve!
The "Y" is needed to allow the CO2 gas to travel from Baking Soda bottle back to the Citric Acid bottle. 1) When you turn off the Needle Valve, the CO2 pressure in the Baking Soda bottle pushes back on the liquid in the tube between the two bottles, thus stopping the reaction. (Cutting off the flow of Citric Acid water into the "reaction vessel", i.e. the Baking Soda bottle, stops the chemical reaction after a short time, when all the Citric Acid reactant in the Baking Soda bottle is used up.) 2) While the system is operating, periodically you will see some Citric Acid water traveling through the tube between the two bottles, into the Baking Soda bottle (which is the "reaction vessel"). (Note: My system has a clear plastic tube between the two bottles, rather than the stainless steel tube setup which is being sold nowadays. So you may not actually "see" any liquid traveling between the bottles, with the newer stainless-steel-tube type of system.) Whenever gas pressure drops in the Baking Soda bottle, the higher pressure in the Citric Acid bottle pushes some more Citric Acid water through that tube between the two bottles. --Thus adding a supply of the second reactant, which had become depleted. Every time the Citric Acid reactant is running low (in the "reaction vessel"), the system sucks in some more liquid from the Citric Acid bottle into the Baking Soda bottle. So the setup is "self-regulating". It's really quite ingenious! It looks a little mysterious, but don't eliminate that "Y" connection, it's necessary. And the built-in Pressure-Relief Valve is a "fail-safe", in case the self-regulating configuration ever screws up. And believe me, things DO screw up from time to time with these systems, I speak from my own experience. --Although it was totally my own fault a couple of the times. But I bet you won't do everything perfect every time, either. By the way, your English is pretty bad. I don't know if I answered what you actually asked. About the Check Valves: Some systems that I see for sale have check valves for the "Y" connector, but mine doesn't have any check valves there and it works A-OK, I think. Have a good day.
The bubble counter did start leaking, i swapped it out for a bronze bubble counter from aquatek and ran into no issues with it! Also, it lasts for a while depending on how well you maintain the O-rings and clean out any corrosion from the baking soda
question. if you close it at night does the gauge counter goes up at red? if yes, how do you prevent it in going to red? very dangerous if it will blow up
So there’s a built in release valve for too much pressure. If you see that it’s going in the red when you shut it off, use the magnet and keep that bottom piece that sits in the citric acid out of the solution until you turn it on again!
Great detail in your video. I may have lost the threads on my needle valve through wear. The metal is too soft. Is it possible to fix this or buy a new valve?
You offered plenty of never before explicitly stated tips and i got it written down as notes. I checked ur account and wish you add more tips and vids. This vid along is amazing. You have a way of stuffing info and i learned. Thx
I’ll always run the safe route to avoid any issues with leaks. I know CO2 molecules are small so the potential for leaks in regular airline tubing are greater, marginally.. but I know the system isn’t the most complex as far as safeguards for leaks. But hey, if it works.. it works!’
I'm just curious, why aren't we doubling the amounts, ı mean 400 mgs of each and 1200 ml of water to citric acid and 400 mls of water to baking soda? Is there a scientific background behind this exact proportions and amounts or is it just the standart that everyone accepts without questioning
I think it’s to avoid creating too much pressure in the bottle. Because it’s an exothermic reaction, you run the chance of creating too much pressure within the system
Hi friend, thanks for the tutorial! I have the same setup. However it seems that bottle A (citric acid)runs out within half an hour. Why is this so that the citric acid is being drained so quickly? 😊
HCI is a very acidic solution. I’m not sure it would last running through the tubing and the bottles. I’m not even sure about the chemical composition of the “CO2” going into the tank. I would definitely avoid using it.
hello, is it deformed in the product originating from citric acid? In some forums, the bottles are shown with images that they start to rot from the places where they are attached, which directs me not to buy it.
Hey! Yeah of course, so if you have the bigger o-ring that’s clear, it goes on the inside of the connector where the bottles are screwed into. There’s a groove for them but it’s tight so you might have to use something to make sure they’re sitting in there properly. If it’s the smaller blue o-ring, it goes on top of the little portion where you install your bubble counter! I hope that helps!
i used to use the citric acid/bicarb method as in this video but after two bottles exploded within months i switched back to yeast and sugar but used the solinoid and it has worked perfectly ever since. you realy dont want a bicarb/citric acid bottle exploding anywhere near your tank. mine were in a cupboard under the tank and the bubble counter was unrecognisable and would have easily gone through a fishtank.
@@H3ct0rXZ i use 300gr sugar in 1ltr of water. The amount of yeast doesnt realy matter as it will multiply on its own but i start with around 5gr of dried bread yeast. My solinoid is on for an hour before the lights and goes off at the same time as the lights.
So I’m guessing there was still the mixture happening at night when it was off which is why I definitely recommend the magnet to move that piece that sits into the citric acid, out until you need it again. There was probably a leak, and the pressure was being release somewhere which caused more mixing of both solutions even when it was off, leading to that excess pressure. If yeast works for you then by all means! I’m glad nothing catastrophic happened to the tanks!!
This system is very unstable and unreliable for me. There's almost no point to a solenoid, since I need to manually tweak and shake every single day for the injection to start. I'm actually considering doing a sugar+yeast setup using this equipment instead of citric acid. I found some diagrams online that shows both bottles should be filled up with the sugar yeast solution. Have yet to try it.
Well the system only continues to create pressure once there's flow of citric acid solution to the baking soda bottle. By not allowing co2 to leave, you're not creating the necessary negative pressure to pull citric acid. It should be fine
No, it’s supposed to equalize as the CO2 is released into the tank, only then will it move into the other bottle. You may have a leak somewhere in the system!
PPM is usually around 20-25. I RARELY ever get to 30 because I don’t have a surface skimmer so diffusion rates through the surface are slower for the system it’s on!
Just set and forget . As long as you have proper surface agitation from your filters outlet pipe or an air stone you will be 100% fine for the co2 to run 24/7.
@@rpscapedtanks1317 All I have is my filter outlet pointed to the surface slightly for surface agitation and its fine like that day and night. My plants and fish are doing great.
I can't believe the beat down. You just put on that digital scale. .. Whoa! You can blow air on it ...and it will read the air pressure you blow from your mouth .. That's how sensitive those scales are and when you smash down on them it ruins the ability for them to weigh properly... But its your scale ...i appreciate the video
I can't seem to get any pressure coming up on my valve. It doesn't move off zero and can't work out what I'm doing wrong. The cable on the citric acid should it be screwed in or out?
Sovthe valves are pretty cheap, the best way to tell is to feel the bottles, they should essentially feel like they’re going to pop at any second (they won’t) but that’s how you know you have a reasonable amount of pressure. If that doesn’t work and you can’t get them to pressurize, I would check for leaks!
The pressure created from the mixture would absolutely cause the single plastic treated bottle to explode. I would recommend the metal single tank version to avoid any serious issues or damage!
u have a demon tattooed on your arm..
omg i just ordered one of those reactor kits and i already want to return it ... there is no effing way im getting up one hour before my lights go on to muck around with the co2 settup counting bubbles
You can put them on timers with a shut off valve!
Maybe you could put car tire valves on the bottles to relieve the pressure when you want. Or bike tire valves
Seem like a decent co2 system is much preferable to save time.
mine just exploded
how long will this last
Dudes speaking so fast! Info dumping is awesome. Really useful advice and information man, thanks!
Have you tried putting float valve on the citric acid bottle? I'm doing my research b4 buying but think I'll get one soon
I haven’t tried a float valve, but that would be a good idea. Only issue I can think of off the top of my head is if the mixture settles a little, you need to shake the bottle sometimes & it might block the valve!
*Adds sprite and root beer to grocery list*
😂 I love it!!!!
way yours "Y" inside wats it do? i fink "Y" needet with chek valve or not TXN
The "Y" is needed to allow the CO2 gas to travel from Baking Soda bottle back to the Citric Acid bottle.
1) When you turn off the Needle Valve, the CO2 pressure in the Baking Soda bottle pushes back on the liquid in the tube between the two bottles, thus stopping the reaction. (Cutting off the flow of Citric Acid water into the "reaction vessel", i.e. the Baking Soda bottle, stops the chemical reaction after a short time, when all the Citric Acid reactant in the Baking Soda bottle is used up.)
2) While the system is operating, periodically you will see some Citric Acid water traveling through the tube between the two bottles, into the Baking Soda bottle (which is the "reaction vessel"). (Note: My system has a clear plastic tube between the two bottles, rather than the stainless steel tube setup which is being sold nowadays. So you may not actually "see" any liquid traveling between the bottles, with the newer stainless-steel-tube type of system.) Whenever gas pressure drops in the Baking Soda bottle, the higher pressure in the Citric Acid bottle pushes some more Citric Acid water through that tube between the two bottles. --Thus adding a supply of the second reactant, which had become depleted.
Every time the Citric Acid reactant is running low (in the "reaction vessel"), the system sucks in some more liquid from the Citric Acid bottle into the Baking Soda bottle. So the setup is "self-regulating". It's really quite ingenious! It looks a little mysterious, but don't eliminate that "Y" connection, it's necessary.
And the built-in Pressure-Relief Valve is a "fail-safe", in case the self-regulating configuration ever screws up. And believe me, things DO screw up from time to time with these systems, I speak from my own experience. --Although it was totally my own fault a couple of the times. But I bet you won't do everything perfect every time, either.
By the way, your English is pretty bad. I don't know if I answered what you actually asked.
About the Check Valves: Some systems that I see for sale have check valves for the "Y" connector, but mine doesn't have any check valves there and it works A-OK, I think. Have a good day.
I have same diy co2 kit for 3*1.5 feet tank, I am running 8 hours per day but my pants are showing like no co2 tank, please help what should I do
how long did the equipment last? i keep seeing reviews saying the solenoid went out or the bubble counter started leaking.
The bubble counter did start leaking, i swapped it out for a bronze bubble counter from aquatek and ran into no issues with it! Also, it lasts for a while depending on how well you maintain the O-rings and clean out any corrosion from the baking soda
Wow nice idol.
No one's talking about pressure safety valve in cap A, that you can adjust the pressure not to peak up.
Great video. Thanks.
I found a kit on Amazon for about $45 with check valve and solenoid.
How’s it working out so far?
question. if you close it at night does the gauge counter goes up at red? if yes, how do you prevent it in going to red? very dangerous if it will blow up
So there’s a built in release valve for too much pressure. If you see that it’s going in the red when you shut it off, use the magnet and keep that bottom piece that sits in the citric acid out of the solution until you turn it on again!
I clicked on this to support the man
Great detail in your video. I may have lost the threads on my needle valve through wear. The metal is too soft. Is it possible to fix this or buy a new valve?
Definitely go with a new valve. Leaks are bound to happen and it won’t be fun wasting the CO2
My question to you is could I just not ad citric and baking soda to my favorites drink I want to carbonate as a poor man's soda?
Welp. Guess I won't be doing this after all lmao
What if gauge on top of citric acid bottle is reading a little above 3? Co2 bubbles are dispersing inside my tank.
You offered plenty of never before explicitly stated tips and i got it written down as notes. I checked ur account and wish you add more tips and vids. This vid along is amazing.
You have a way of stuffing info and i learned. Thx
I really need to learn how to organize everything because I did feel it was a little lengthy. I appreciate the kind words, thank you!
5:25 baking powder and baking soda are two different things
Awesome video, lots of info, running the same but just using air pump tubing, no issues.
I’ll always run the safe route to avoid any issues with leaks. I know CO2 molecules are small so the potential for leaks in regular airline tubing are greater, marginally.. but I know the system isn’t the most complex as far as safeguards for leaks. But hey, if it works.. it works!’
If a litre of water weighs the same as a kg of water. Then a gram is the same as a ml. Don't need scales just use your measuring jug
I always prefer to be accurate because there’s always the one time I’m not and a blow a hole through the shelf lol
A gram is the same as a ml for water but not for other substances like the 2 powders
I'm just curious, why aren't we doubling the amounts, ı mean 400 mgs of each and 1200 ml of water to citric acid and 400 mls of water to baking soda? Is there a scientific background behind this exact proportions and amounts or is it just the standart that everyone accepts without questioning
I think it’s to avoid creating too much pressure in the bottle. Because it’s an exothermic reaction, you run the chance of creating too much pressure within the system
hi i need to pur on chek valve or is unnecessary
Check valve is always necessary!
Thank you brother!
Just orderd my diy co2 system.
It helped a lot!❤
awesome! I’m glad it did!
Great info, Dude! Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Glad I could help!
Thanks, just ordered the parts from your list.
Do you think this will work with the bottles lying down on their sides?
no
Yeah don’t leave them on their sides, they need to be upright at all times!
How do i know if there is any leaks? Which part are mostly leak?
How long this last?
Depending on your bubble count maybe 1BPS or 2BPS and if you have any leaks, probably 3-4 weeks minimum
Hi friend, thanks for the tutorial! I have the same setup. However it seems that bottle A (citric acid)runs out within half an hour. Why is this so that the citric acid is being drained so quickly? 😊
You might have a leak
HCl is it work?
HCI is a very acidic solution. I’m not sure it would last running through the tubing and the bottles. I’m not even sure about the chemical composition of the “CO2” going into the tank. I would definitely avoid using it.
u need a script
Agreed
great video! thx.
Glad you enjoyed it!
you deserve a susbcribe
Thank you so much!
Did this but only lasted 2 days. Don't know why
hello, is it deformed in the product originating from citric acid? In some forums, the bottles are shown with images that they start to rot from the places where they are attached, which directs me not to buy it.
Hi, can you help me? Where i can install o' ring that i find in the box? Thanks
Hey! Yeah of course, so if you have the bigger o-ring that’s clear, it goes on the inside of the connector where the bottles are screwed into. There’s a groove for them but it’s tight so you might have to use something to make sure they’re sitting in there properly.
If it’s the smaller blue o-ring, it goes on top of the little portion where you install your bubble counter! I hope that helps!
@@rpscapedtanks1317 thanks Bro :) have a nice day
Anytime! Likewise!
i used to use the citric acid/bicarb method as in this video but after two bottles exploded within months i switched back to yeast and sugar but used the solinoid and it has worked perfectly ever since. you realy dont want a bicarb/citric acid bottle exploding anywhere near your tank. mine were in a cupboard under the tank and the bubble counter was unrecognisable and would have easily gone through a fishtank.
Hi , how much sugar yeast mix, BPS and hours/day on with the solenoid u use ? Thx
what kind of bottles did you use like what shape?
@@isbiome I used 2ltr fizzy drink bottles.
@@H3ct0rXZ i use 300gr sugar in 1ltr of water. The amount of yeast doesnt realy matter as it will multiply on its own but i start with around 5gr of dried bread yeast. My solinoid is on for an hour before the lights and goes off at the same time as the lights.
So I’m guessing there was still the mixture happening at night when it was off which is why I definitely recommend the magnet to move that piece that sits into the citric acid, out until you need it again. There was probably a leak, and the pressure was being release somewhere which caused more mixing of both solutions even when it was off, leading to that excess pressure. If yeast works for you then by all means! I’m glad nothing catastrophic happened to the tanks!!
This system is very unstable and unreliable for me. There's almost no point to a solenoid, since I need to manually tweak and shake every single day for the injection to start. I'm actually considering doing a sugar+yeast setup using this equipment instead of citric acid. I found some diagrams online that shows both bottles should be filled up with the sugar yeast solution. Have yet to try it.
Did you tried
Won't it explode if I close the valve at night?
It shouldn’t because there’s a pressure relief valve built in if it exceeds a certain amount!
@@rpscapedtanks1317 where is the relief valve located? BTW we have the same DIY co2. At the side of the citric acid?
Yes! It’s connected to the pressure gauge
Well the system only continues to create pressure once there's flow of citric acid solution to the baking soda bottle. By not allowing co2 to leave, you're not creating the necessary negative pressure to pull citric acid. It should be fine
Great video dude! 🙌🏼
I appreciate you my man!!
Thanks!
Subscribed.. nice video well explain..
Thank you!
Hello can it explode when we close with selenoid?
No there should be a pressure relief valve
Hi, is it normal for all the citric acid water to be sucked into the soda water after short amount of time? Like an hour?
No, it’s supposed to equalize as the CO2 is released into the tank, only then will it move into the other bottle. You may have a leak somewhere in the system!
What's your ppm in the grow room?
PPM is usually around 20-25. I RARELY ever get to 30 because I don’t have a surface skimmer so diffusion rates through the surface are slower for the system it’s on!
does both tube need to touch the botom and the bottle !??!
Nope! Only the one with the citric acid in it needs to be able to get to the bottom!
Just set and forget . As long as you have proper surface agitation from your filters outlet pipe or an air stone you will be 100% fine for the co2 to run 24/7.
but what about diffusion rates from the surface agitation throughout the day?
@@rpscapedtanks1317 All I have is my filter outlet pointed to the surface slightly for surface agitation and its fine like that day and night. My plants and fish are doing great.
Hmm maybe I’ll try that!
will kill co2 at night yes, but will also kill it in the day doing this lol so kinda not great
also depends on your aquarium size. 24/7 on 10liter wil not give same result as 500liter.
How many days it last
It was about 6 weeks with a bubble every 2 seconds
I can't believe the beat down. You just put on that digital scale. .. Whoa! You can blow air on it ...and it will read the air pressure you blow from your mouth .. That's how sensitive those scales are and when you smash down on them it ruins the ability for them to weigh properly... But its your scale ...i appreciate the video
Unbelievable blather in the last half - ever heard of a SCRIPT? What an amateur rant!
I can't seem to get any pressure coming up on my valve. It doesn't move off zero and can't work out what I'm doing wrong. The cable on the citric acid should it be screwed in or out?
Sovthe valves are pretty cheap, the best way to tell is to feel the bottles, they should essentially feel like they’re going to pop at any second (they won’t) but that’s how you know you have a reasonable amount of pressure. If that doesn’t work and you can’t get them to pressurize, I would check for leaks!
How silly you are? You can make the two solutions put directly in to the bottle.
The pressure created from the mixture would absolutely cause the single plastic treated bottle to explode. I would recommend the metal single tank version to avoid any serious issues or damage!
I like the way that you even BOTHERED to answer a comment like that, sometimes it's just not worth the effort :)@@rpscapedtanks1317