[DIY Sodastream Co2]

Cheers. I finally got it set up, but wasted 3 bottles fiddling with adapter, and also broke a bubble counter and a check valve while trying to unscrew them from hose. :cry1:

I'm not sure if need to replace bubble counter as can see bubbles entering bottom of diffuser. I also guess co2 drop checker of some kind will also help me figure out correct pressure. Any advice on what should be looking for when measuring co2 in tank?

A bubble counter is useful for adjusting, but I guess you can use that method too. Neither are super scientific and a drop-checker is likely to be more helpful. You can grab a drop checker off trademe from mikefish, he sells a kit which contains the drop hcecker, ph solution and 4dkh water. Alternatively you can buy the drop-checker and ph solution from www.fish-street.com, but then you'll have to get the 4kh water somewhere else. I am currently looking for some 4dkh water, I believe mike will sell some, so might hit him up about it soon.

[DIY Sodastream Co2]

Hey, I recently did the exact thing you have, as you can see in the topic over here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66922

I got the exact regulator, and by the looks, adapter as you - albeit not from Raymond directly. I found the O-ring in the adapter to be pretty poor, and had the same issue with getting no gas when not adjusting the adapter, and leakage when doing so. To fix I grabbed an o-ring from Mitre10 and threw that between the adapter and the regulator. Alongside that I got some gas PTFE tape from mitre10 and wrapped that around the thread between both the regulator and adapter, and the sodastream and adapter. This seems to be working out for me so far.

Best of luck!

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

So had a better crack at getting it going today. Jammed the washer that came with the adapter in, which took a bit of effort. I don't feel like its the right washer for the task, as it didn't come close to sealing properly. Went to Mitre10 and grabbed some gas quality PTFE tape and another washer to go between the regulator and adapter, as this was leaking as well. PTFE tape around the sodastream thread solved leaks there, and the additional washer between regulator and adapter, along with the PTFE tape fixed leaks there. :nilly:

Everything is go now and have hooked the solenoid up the lights timer, going at just shy of 1 bubble a second. Will try get my hands on some 4DKH water so I can get the drop checker going soon. All in all it was slightly more frustrating then expected, and I wouldn't recommend the adapter from https://www.kegresources.co.nz - doesn't fit too well, and their communication is absolutely non-existents.

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

That seal will go between the adaptor and the cylinder, not the adaptor and regulator. Use thread tape between the regulator and adaptor if need be.

Yeah thats where I am trying to place it, but it seems far too large to fit, or do I just need to use a lot of force to get it in? In the pictures there I've lined it up between the cylinder and adaptor.

The regulator and adapter seem to fit ok, bar the excess thread. Will have to go acquire some tape this weekend should it require it, which based on yours and others experience I am guessing it will help.

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

So the regulator and all the kit arrived today. I attempted to attach the adapter to my regulator and then to the bottle, however I wasn't able to seat the polyurethane seal into the adapter between the cylinder as it appears to be too large? This can be seen in the image below - the white seal looks to me to be too big to go into the fitting, but perhaps I am missing something here, as I've never done anything similar to this before. The seal came with the adapter I bought online, which is why it seems odd that it doesn't fit.

Additionally, the adapter doesn't go all the way into the regulator and you can see some of the thread, does this seem correct? I cannot screw it in any further, so just want to be sure this is fine.

As you can see, doesn't seem to screw in all the way.

If you have any advice, I'd love to hear!

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

I have ltrs of 4dkh water I made up for my drop checkers, if you pay for postage I can send you some late next week after I have moved.

That would be awesome, drop me a PM and we can sort it out once you have time. Thanks!

*Edit* - Also, I don't suppose anyone in / near christchurch has a sodastream cylinder they'd be willing to sell to me?

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

I have used several of the first regulator, they work well and if something breaks fish-street is usually pretty good at replacing it.

In my experience with sodastream CO2 I found teflon thread tape (99c/roll at Bunnings) to be a life saver. You might need an o-ring or two between the cylinder and adaptor and/or the adaptor and regulator too. Unfortunately sodastream bottles have no tap so troubleshooting them is difficult without spraying CO2 all over the place. Other than that, they're a good entry level CO2 system.

As for the check valve, it's best to buy one for CO2, they're a piece of equipment you don't want failing, glass or plastic is fine as long as it says it's designed for CO2 use. Make sure you get a drop checker too to monitor the CO2 levels in your aquarium. I've found UP diffusers (from fish-street), both inline and regular, to be highly effective.

Thanks for the response, I've seen several of your older posts about sodastream CO2, and they're the main reason I've been looking into it, so definitely appreciate the advice!

Will probably just pay the extra $15~ for the that regulator, would much rather have a bit more peace of mind then the extra cash, given the costs of a regulator failing catastrophically. I will also just throw in the CO2 check valve since its not too pricey either.

About the drop checker - how would you go about acquiring the 4dkh solution for use within it? I actually bought a drop checker awhile ago, assuming it would come with at least a small volume of the stuff, which it did not. So now it's just sitting there waiting to go once I can acquire some of the solution. I have seen some recipes for making it yourself, but I am not sure how reliable that would be?

[Sodastream CO2 Setup - opinions on regulator]

Hi,

I am looking to replace my DIY CO2 system with a sodastream setup, as doing up a mixture every 2-3 weeks is fairly annoying and the quantity of CO2 is quite inconsistent beyond the first week. The tank is relatively small - approximately 70 litres theoretical (Ecostyle 61). I cannot use a proper cylinder as I simply do not have the space for it right now, but a "60L" (400grams) sodastream bottle will fit and should be adequate for my setup.

I am currently looking at sourcing a regulator, probably through fish-street.com, since I have dealt with them before and I've seen a few people on here using them. I believe these are also the regulators being sold on trademe, so figured some people must have used them.

The two regulator are the one made by UP: http://www.fish-street.com/professional ... egory_id=0

And the slightly cheaper HSL model: http://www.fish-street.com/hsl_co2_regu ... egory_id=0

As far as I can tell, there is no technical difference, besides the price. Haven't found too much online in ways of reviews for either of these regulators either, so hoping to get some feedback and advice from some more experienced users here.

For the sodastream adapter I am looking at getting: https://www.kegresources.co.nz/online-s ... ter-detail

Figured I would also get the bubble counter and co2 tubing from fish-street, while using my current plastic check-valve, unless there really is a difference between them?

If anyone has used either of these regulators I'd love to hear your advice. Additionally if anyone has any other suggestions or advice on my approach, please let me know. This is my first time setting up a pressurized system, so advice if most welcome and appreciated.

[red tetra?]

yea i know camtang that is troubling me too. I am on second day of furan 2 treatment and have noticed that now my sword fish has signs of cotton mouth I only have 2 days left of treatment then Ive been told to do a 7 day treatment with pimafix could I also lower the tank temperature will that help? it sits on 25c now

Given your tank is new and has quite a bit of stock in it already, have you tested your water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? If it is indeed still cycling, detectable levels of ammonia and nitrite might be causing the weakened immune systems in your fish, making them susceptible to disease. Worth checking the levels of these if you haven't already, since having clean water will also assist in helping your sick fish.

[Trickle filters - such as in the AR620 tank]

Have an Ecostyle 61 which has the same trickle system and can confirm the filter itself isn't noisy, however the flow of water into the tank is.

The source of noise is water pouring from the tray into the outlet compartment which doesn't fill up very high, so the water drops a good few cm, resulting a gurgling and splashing sound. I've solved this by jamming some filter sponge in there to break the fall. Works surprisingly well, and actually filters a lot of debris too. Keep in mind that you will have to clean the sponge out every 2-4 weeks. After doing this you shouldn't hear any noise at all coming from the system.

[Mystery pack of 30 plants on TM?]

I actually bought a pack from waterplantz this week. Got much more then 30! I've attached a pic of the list of plants I got. By the sounds of things he always gives much more then 30 plants. Very good deal I reckon, would recommend. Arrived the day after he posted them too, so quite quick. Included a pic of them laid out on a tray, size of them was quite reasonable.