Where can I get CO2 tubing, T&Y Connectors, nipples, etc?

Hey guys

I'm having a hard time finding nice connectors, nipples with threads to secure them airtightly to my plastic bottle lids, etc for my DIY CO2 setup.

I have looked at places such as Builders, Afgri, LPSs, BuildIt, etc and didn't find anything.

Please recommend where I can source my equipment. I stay in the Pretoria area, but I don't mind driving a bit to collect.

Thanks in advance!

 

@rudig, Maybe posting a pic of your plastic bottles can help to see what you're looking for.

 

@rudig.... Not sure on the CO2 tubing...but the best I have found for going through the cap of your 2l bottle is little plastic "tank connectors" that you get for model radiocontrolled airplanes... screws together and ribbed so hose grips well.

 

[@wsteene;155901]
I'll take a picture and update my initial post as soon as I have been to a RC Shop and managed to source my bits and pieces.

[@azurekoi;155918]
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have a look today and update my first post with pictures if I'm successful.

 

So I didn't come right with my DIY mini bulkheads as the RC shop didn't have and was selling T-pieces at R20 a pop so I don't want to know how much the little "tank connectors" would have gone for. I made a plan with bicycle tube nipples, though.

I finally got pressurised CO2 system this weekend. Only problem is that the high pressure gauge is leaking. Where can I get a new gauge? Googled and didn't find much

 

Hi @rudig , i have been trying the DIY C02 system for about 2 months now, i will eventually get a proper system with the C02 canister gauge valves etc but for now this is how i did it. If you go to your LFS you can get the clear tubbing and one way valves. I couldnt find the 1way valves at any LFS in Cape Town so i got 1 way valves at a car spare shop, they a bit bigger as they are 8mm but i adapted it to fit on the standard aquarium tubbing. The fittings i got them at builders warehouse in the irrigation section they very cheap and you have a variety of little pieces you can pierce trough the bottle caps. i used supper glue to make sure everything was nicely glued and then Silicon after just to make sure no air was escaping.

My First attempt at DIY c02 system, did the sugar + Yeast mix in two 2L coke bottles, the smaller bottle was my bubble counter and the tip is AIR STONE and went straight inside the aquarium:


The fittings i used (standard irrigation systems for gardens)


What i am using now, kept one of the 2 Liter coke and added a 5 Liter jerrican, if one stops producing c02 the other will still keep it flowing at normally 2bps



I added this ON/OFF taps in case i remove the coke bottle or the jerrican i can close the system so i dont get gas losses anywhere.


I removed the bubble counter small bottle out of the system and i bought at a LFS a bubble counter and c02 diffuser around R200 for both, they not ADA but work the same, i get 2bps and the plants in this 60L tank i have are blooming and growing nicely!

Remember always superglue your fittings so no air escapes and for peace of mind add silicon on top.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

 

Bubble counter

Bubble counter + c02 diffuser set up


Like i showed above, if you dont want to use the bubble counter and diffuser u can do the small bottle and air stone set up works just fine.

Cheers

 

Just another quick warning, always use observe your fish, in my case i dont have a Oxygen pump in my smaller thank where i have the c02 setup but i do have a LOT of plants so it contra balances but if you see that your fish are all on top at the surface of the water than you have way too much c02 and no oxygen in your tank, its a sign to take the c02 out or reduce it substantially! I would recommend having a air pump or if your filter oxygenates the water you fine!

cheers

 

Reply & Q on where to get High Pressure Gauge

Rico! That is a fantastic CO2 setup! I love how you were able to build up enough pressure to use a ceramic plate diffuser! Excellent! Almost make me want to go back to DIY, but there's no looking back no that I have a pressurised setup (still have to replace a blown high pressure gauge, though :| )

Anyone know where to get a high pressure gauge for a pressurised CO2 regulator? Pretoria or Johannesburg.

 

ehehehhehe thanks man!!! but thats the way! we all need to move forward eventually and get a proper Pressurized system!!! if i may ask, how much did you pay for your bottle and gauge?

 

Picked up my 2nd hand CO2 setup on Saturday from @oscar freak.
Paid just under a R1k for a 4.5kg cannister, regulator, bubble counter, non-return valve, diffuser, some airline tubing and a drop checker with indicator solution (still need some 4dKH solution) and two 4ft 54W 6500K lights with ballast (supposedly not working - still need to look).
Only problem is that the system is leaking by the high pressure gauge.

 

yea i am using exactly the same irrigation fittings for my diy co2. i am also using a ceramic disc with only 1 2L bottle and it works fine. im not getting anything like 2bps though. more like 1 every 10 seconds during the cold winter days. still enough though to have 1 tiny bubble come out of the diffuser at all times. funnily enough i have a bottle that is 1 month old and still produces plenty of bubbles for my nano. first bottle i ever started and im testing to see how long it lasts.

my recipe is 400ml sugar + teaspoon of baking soda + half a teaspoon of yeast and warm water until 3/4 of the way up. what recipe are you using ?

 

@cheekychops i advise you to make a 2 channel system like i did, is very easy, 2 coke bottles, a T and into the diffuser!! with 1 Bubble per 10 seconds i dont think has much effect, you want to aim at least for 2 bubbles per second if you want to have an efficiency close to the canister pressurized systems. with 2 bottles i guarantee you will always have flow, when you dont have that much flow just give the bottle a gentle shake and it will increase! my initial 2 X 2L coke bottles lasted me about 2 months and half more or less with very good flow! i now added a 5 liter jerrican to try for the first time but i left one of the coke bottles, flow in the beginning was too much so i had to ad an extra loose tube to release some pressure just so i get the 2bps!! and its convenient, every time you feel the need to redo the mix just pull one bottle out re do it plug it back in and flow starts again!

I dont know my exact recipe at the moment, its sort of by eye now ehehehe i add about 3cm of brown sugar into the coke bottle, add boilling water and shake it till no sugar is deposited at the bottom of the bottle. i leave the bottle to cool down to Room Temperature, if you add the yeast while is too hot it will simply kill the east! i will mix around 3 tea spoons of yeast in a mug with luke warm water and leave it be till it starts bubbling so you can see that the yeast is reacting and is ready to go in the coke bottle! i added baking soda the first time but the last 5 mixes i did it works well without the baking soda as well for me!

so give it a try and do a 2 channel system so you can get more c02 into your nano!!

cheers

 

Nice system, im doing one now... congrats Rico

 

Can is simply add a T-piece onto my airline suppling the current small airstone, so I will have O2 and CO2 going into the airstone.

 

Ok, so all this talk about CO2 made me itchy, so off I went after work at got myself a packet of Instant Backing yeast.

Emty 2L Coke Bottle, 1/2 tap water 1/2 boiled water (filled 3/4 of 2L), 10g of yeast. 90min later I have 1-2BPS and evey minute or so a burst of 4-5 due to the pipe noe filled with...uumm...stuff.

Below is s hort vid of it in my tank before is started pushing the "stuff" into the pipe and drastically upping the BPS. Sorry for the bad quality vid, my cellphone has a mind of its own.

For some reason I can't add the video clip from youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-0g2Ok8SYk&feature=youtu.be