Neptune Aquatics

Co2 scrubber folks

1. If you get a NO solenoid you risk overheating when it is shut. If you get an NC solenoid you risk it overheating when open. Solenoids overheating and dying young has been a historical issue with planted CO2 setups, at least cheaper older ones. The issue is that NC solenoids in particular use the fluid (air is a fluid in this context) passing through them for cooling. The flow rates in a planted CO2 setup are extremely low, so you don't get any appreciable cooling from them. Using a shop vac as a vacuum pump with the inlet plugged has the same issue, a dead shop vac (and a possible fire in that case). The Clippard Mouse solenoids are particularly good because they consume so little power, and thus stay cool. There are a few other options now. At the flow rates used with a skimmer this should be better, although we'll also need a bigger solenoid to not make a notable restriction. That comes with cost. There are plenty of servo controlled valves out there that would not have this issue. You could be really fancy and get one that is continuous rather than just open/shut, get a feedback loop in, and control pH with it, but that might be going overboard.

2. One is linked above, but putting droplets into an air system is a solved problem, just look at how compressed air oilers work. Basically you force the gas to bubble up through a fluid. Yes, they look a bit like a bong. On that note, I found some old brown glassware above a ceiling after buying my house. If anyone wants it you can have it, I won't be using it.

3. Somewhere on R2R a guy put a CO2 meter inline in his scrubber system. I don't remember what he was doing to control it, but it was an interesting read.

4. Given how much longer CO2 media lasts when recirculating vs. pulling from ambient air, I suspect there is more to it than just the consistent higher moisture content. Namely that the CO2 input path is now diffusion into the aquarium water, then back out through the skimmer, not that plus the inlet air.

5. Much like the one above, here is my snap on hat so that I wouldn't have to drill my skimmer lid:
IMG_0755.jpg
 
Don't need a solenoid. Just use a ball valve. I have a solenoid on one tank and a ball valve on another and there's not much difference.
 
I stopped using outside air and doing the recirculation method (air from skimmer cup to collection cup for condensation/skimmer overflow to brs reactor then back into skimmer intake). yes it is a john guest y fitting on the skimmer intake. currently after a 2 days. pH has been 8.2 to 8.46 as highest. unsure how long the media will last, but I'll let you know. I ran this same style on a bm curve 5 skimmer, media lasted about 6 weeks.
a42d9b8b8a8f4063cf8c1777cb416e02.jpg


Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
7ec3c0fa001adcd09bf4d14a5cdd4960.jpg
Maybe I missed it in another post, but is the pH higher for you running recirc?
 
Maybe I missed it in another post, but is the pH higher for you running recirc?
Maybe, but mostly to decrease scrubber media usage for the same effect. The idea is: Since you are using a CO2 scrubber you are artificially decreasing the CO2/acidity of the of the tank water relative to the air. A lot of the gas exchange happens in the skimmer, so the air in the skimmer cup should have lower CO2 than room air. So when you use that low-CO2 air to feed back into the scrubber, you use up less media to get the same effect of raising the pH.
 
Maybe, but mostly to decrease scrubber media usage for the same effect. The idea is: Since you are using a CO2 scrubber you are artificially decreasing the CO2/acidity of the of the tank water relative to the air. A lot of the gas exchange happens in the skimmer, so the air in the skimmer cup should have lower CO2 than room air. So when you use that low-CO2 air to feed back into the scrubber, you use up less media to get the same effect of raising the pH.
Thanks-- I run a scrubber but run it to room air, but do understand the principle of returning already filtered air back into the scrubber would make the media last longer. I'll give it a shot and see if pH ticks up.
 
In my garage, I'm only getting a couple more days out of the media with the air being fed from the skimmer cup before it starts losing its effect.
 
Maybe I missed it in another post, but is the pH higher for you running recirc?
yes. after running it for 3 days. I have a new high average. it is fully 100% recirculating the same air. I just have to watch for humidity issues so it wont wet the media.

edit: dont know why the screenshots so blurry. sorry.
9889478b8cd1799a6aa362b1b8992b21.jpg


Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Thanks-- I run a scrubber but run it to room air, but do understand the principle of returning already filtered air back into the scrubber would make the media last longer. I'll give it a shot and see if pH ticks up.
I think the bigger benefit is that is it pulling humid air from the cup. It would be interesting to see if someone with a CO2 meter could measure the air above their skimmer to see if it does in fact have a lower starting co2 before getting scrubbed again.
 
I think the bigger benefit is that is it pulling humid air from the cup. It would be interesting to see if someone with a CO2 meter could measure the air above their skimmer to see if it does in fact have a lower starting co2 before getting scrubbed again.
The humidity in the cup and the humidity in the sump should be about the same- close to 100% (unless you have ventilation fans making the sump less humid or an open sump cabinet). Even if the cup is 100% and the sump is 90% it’s hard to see how that would be a rate-limiting restriction on the step that needs water. I‘m just speaking theoretically- I don’t have experience trying this at multiple different high humidity levels. Clearly low humidity would be worse.

I also am interested in a measurement of CO2 in the cup vs sump air in a system with a scrubber working.
 
Back
Top