Optical Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optical Posted April 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 I've never made my own 4DKH water, I was lucky enough to know an aquarist up the road who gave me half a litre of the stuff he made himself. This seems like the most comprehensive guide out there, could be tricky but definitely essential if you're to measure how much CO2 is dissolved into the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optical Posted April 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 There is a special type of ptfe tape for CO2 and it should be available from a gas fitting supplies shop. It is only required on certain threads so make sure you use it in the right places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optical Posted May 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optical Posted May 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optical Posted May 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacky Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Sorry to revive an old thread. I bought one of these 'Keg King' sodastream adapters today. I had exactly the same problem. There is no way the polyurethane seal provided fits the adapter. I just skimmed it with a utility knife till i could force it in easier. Saved a lot of pain and heartache and works like a charm. Oh yes and definetly use gas tape to seal all joints. Hope this helps others experiencing the same issue. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazin79 Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 How long does one of those cylinder last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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