Sorry, lets see, by too fine I mean; imagine the mist that is produces from a spray bottle. But it is not working how I would like it to. I think the parts that come in next week will work better. I'm not monitoring the flow rate or the static pressure. But with the new pump I had to use zip ties to keep the tubing together.

Sounds good in the right price range there.
Be interested to see.

You seem more possessed about the mist than most.
I know it works on the huge systems, but it's a lot easier to justify and apply for a 1600 gal tank than the spend $$ for a small tank, but.........
I have made several tanks with a mix of the two.

Mainly using those Rhinox diffuseres from Aquatic magic.

Nothing but good things to say, as good as ADA as far as I can tell.

You can see the set up at Albany, I reduced the CO2 use by 3x!!!

Regards,
Tom Barr

So I got the injector in the mail that the engineer recommended. The new venturi worked out a lot better. I didn't even need the booster pump. I am just running the venturi in-line with the eheim filter. The hole in the venturi is probably about 1/4" diameter (I don't understand how that much water can flow through?). I was testing the venturi out with the ball valve setup like before, and even with the ball valve fully open I seemed to be getting just as much flow as when the water was only going through the venturi (so I guess the fitting loss on the venturi is equivalent to two 90 degree turns?). I played around with the booster pump, but it seemed like more trouble than it was worth and gave up. I'll update on things next week.

6030.021 | 0584-C GRPP | LQD INJ 1/2" MT BLK GRPP | $34.50

Greg,
Do you have a check valve on the CO2 input?

Likely does not need it, the venturi pulls gas in, not out.

You need a way to prevent gas from being sucked in and a solenoid does that just fine.

Depending on flow rates, the pull is very strong.


Regards,
Tom Barr

I found out quite by accident that sping loaded check valves just prior to the venturi are actually quite useful to punctuate portions of Co2 prior to an impeller in Yeast reactor systems. This arrangement supplies the finest Co2 mist I have ever seen. The venturi draws gas constantly but until an adequate pressure is supplied to open the valve the pressure builds intermitently producing short burst of micro bubbles. This produced champagne pearling on all the leaves in the entire tank 10 hours a day using little more than a yeast reactor, and your DIY Co2 reactor in a heavily planted 50G tank. One of the most dramatic examples of truly productive results for a VERY modest investment I've witnessed lately, and yet remarkably low tech ! Combined with Vaughn's little drop checker this system is going head to head with my High Tech system lately for about $2700.00 less !!! To my own Chagrin... Prof M

You're right though, the pull of the venturi is actually quite strong, and can collapse the soda bottles if uncontrolled.

Use the rigid juice bottles to avoid collapsing them from suction.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Hey Tom,

Just out of curiosity, how many planted tanks do you have? If you don't mind me asking.

Not enough

3 client tanks not including lakes/ponds etc.
7 little ones at home.

I'm looking to buy a home soon and will get several normal sized tanks for that.


Regards,
Tom Barr

I am somewhat in the same position....the buying a home bit. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the real estate market and its future. Offline of course. Being you are very engineering minded, it would be interesting to see how you apply that thought process to buying a home.