DIY Carbon scrubber

[Luckyduck]

Summer time means PH swings, I suppose winter time does too. Any time the windows are all closed up you have to deal with excess CO2 in the air. This will cause your PH to drop and or fluctuate. I decided to make a CO2 scrubber out of a plastic water bottle, some air line fittings and some Soad Lime. Soda lime is used in medical applications in canister filters in breathing tubes at veterinary clinics when providing anesthesia. It keeps CO2 from building up in the air that is being pumped to the animal for breathing so they don't accidentally suffocate them. I ordered two 3-pound bags for $9.99 each and spent $8.99 on Amazon for 25 ft of air hosing, 25 tee connectors and 25 female to female connectors. I simply used a 3/16" drill bit, drilled a hole in the bottom of the RODI rinsed out water bottle and a hole in the cap. Hot glued the female connectors into each hole and fit with air hosing. I used a funnel to fill the water bottle with the soda lime and connected everything up. I used a pre-existing air stone that feeds my air driven protein skimmer. Presto. In theory it should work to stabilize my PH. I will be monitoring it closely over the next few days to make sure it's working like it should. The nice thing about this particular Soda lime product is that it starts white and when it becomes soiled with CO2 and needs to be changed it turns purple.

 

[Webslinger]

that's a lot of media to start with. Does the media tumble?

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

I've done something very similar and it has been working great. I use a different brand, but the same stuff. I had an extra filter housing laying around like the ones used on an RODI filter, so I drilled some holes in the bottom to let air in, closed off one of the threaded holes in the head with hot glue, and attached a hose to the other threaded hole at the top and connected to my skimmer inlet. Has been working great for a bout 6 weeks now, and has boosted my alkalinity consumption by about 15%. Just notice you even used hot glue on yours, very nice! I actually kinda like the water bottle better than my housing. It's a nicer size.

 

[Webslinger]

looks like a leak waiting to happen. maybe raise above tank so you don't get a siphon.

 

[Luckyduck]

I've done something very similar and it has been working great. I use a different brand, but the same stuff. I had an extra filter housing laying around like the ones used on an RODI filter, so I drilled some holes in the bottom to let air in, closed off one of the threaded holes in the head with hot glue, and attached a hose to the other threaded hole at the top and connected to my skimmer inlet. Has been working great for a bout 6 weeks now, and has boosted my alkalinity consumption by about 15%. Just notice you even used hot glue on yours, very nice! I actually kinda like the water bottle better than my housing. It's a nicer size.

That's great to know it's working so well for you! Thanks for sharing. I have an old RODI filter housing kicking around too but as I was driving around yesterday finishing up my bottle of water I thought to myself "self this is a much more convenient size to fill with filter media" haha
Yep, hot glue, see great minds think alike!
I just bought an Apera PH monitor pen so I can keep an easy eye on the PH level. Gotta calibrate it but I'm gonna start using it today. It'll be easier than the already easy Red Sea PH test I have.

 

[Luckyduck]

looks like a leak waiting to happen. maybe raise above tank so you don't get a siphon.

Shouldnt siphon, it runs thru lime wood. And if it does I have a bunch of one way air line valves I'll just install one in-line.

 

[Luckyduck]

that's a lot of media to start with. Does the media tumble?

My understanding is the amount of media doesn't matter. As it changes color you just replace it. So once it all turns color I'll change it out and make any necessary changes.

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

Shouldn't ever siphon, it's filled with air only, so there's no liquid in the lines to start a siphon.

The amount of media isn't critical. If you only have a tiny amount of media, air traveling through it won't have as much CO2 absorbed as it could, but any "normal" amount would be fine. Can't have too much.

The media doesn't tumble, as it just has air forced though it, not the aquarium water. Tumbling would not be a good thing.

I have mine hooked up to my skimmer intake, so the skimmer sucks air through the media. I am using the Curve 7, and a canister full of media seems to last me about a month or so on my tank. That will vary for everyone as the rate of air flow will vary, and the CO2 concentration in everyone's home varies as well. You could also extend the life of the media by pulling outside air though the media instead of inside air. I'm considering doing that myself, but haven't had the motivation to start another project just yet haha.

 

[Webslinger]

oh my bad

 

[DangerDave]

Nice DIY reactor. I started with something similar, but for the size I needed I found my home made wasn't routing the air very efficiently over the media I now use a BRS reactor made for it. Soda lime gets expensive buying in those bags. I usually have to change mine every two weeks. You can buy that same brand in a 5 gallon jug at much more reasonable prices if you need.

 

[Webslinger]

does this really needed? I put central air in this year so doors/windows closed. my PH is constant? Maybe i'm lucky. I do alternate my DT lighting with the fuge light maybe this helps?

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Thanks for the write-up. I just ordered 3 bags and will have to make one.

Does it need to be hooked up to an airline, or can I just hook it up to my skimmer silencer and let it pull air thru the chamber?

 

[Luckyduck]

Shouldn't ever siphon, it's filled with air only, so there's no liquid in the lines to start a siphon.

The amount of media isn't critical. If you only have a tiny amount of media, air traveling through it won't have as much CO2 absorbed as it could, but any "normal" amount would be fine. Can't have too much.

The media doesn't tumble, as it just has air forced though it, not the aquarium water. Tumbling would not be a good thing.

I have mine hooked up to my skimmer intake, so the skimmer sucks air through the media. I am using the Curve 7, and a canister full of media seems to last me about a month or so on my tank. That will vary for everyone as the rate of air flow will vary, and the CO2 concentration in everyone's home varies as well. You could also extend the life of the media by pulling outside air though the media instead of inside air. I'm considering doing that myself, but haven't had the motivation to start another project just yet haha.

Haha yea outside air is always a good fix as it's fresh but definitely a project! Again thanks for all the info. I figured amount didn't matter that it would just last you longer. Good to know approximately a month, that's kind of what I expected. I wasn't too worried about siphon either for the same reason you stated *thumbs up* And yea I'm not too sure why tumbling would be a good thing. It's not like filter media in your tank. When you see it in hospitals it's stagnant in a glass canister. Seems running it thru the skimmer is the best way to do it.

 

[Luckyduck]

Nice DIY reactor. I started with something similar, but for the size I needed I found my home made wasn't routing the air very efficiently over the media I now use a BRS reactor made for it. Soda lime gets expensive buying in those bags. I usually have to change mine every two weeks. You can buy that same brand in a 5 gallon jug at much more reasonable prices if you need.

Nice! Pop up a link for the 5 gallon if you can.

 

[Luckyduck]

does this really needed? I put central air in this year so doors/windows closed. my PH is constant? Maybe i'm lucky. I do alternate my DT lighting with the fuge light maybe this helps?

Alternating the lighting will help PH stability but sometimes more is needed to fix it. My case is a good example. I do run my fuge lights opposite my main display and it's not enough. Yes, you're just lucky lol

 

[Luckyduck]

Thanks for the write-up. I just ordered 3 bags and will have to make one.

Does it need to be hooked up to an airline, or can I just hook it up to my skimmer silencer and let it pull air thru the chamber?

Absolutely you can hook it up to your skimmer air intake. As long as the air is going into your tank in some way. I have an air driven skimmer with limewood so mine enters thru the limewood.

 

[DangerDave]

Nice! Pop up a link for the 5 gallon if you can.

JorVet Soda Lime, 5-Gallon - Jorgensen Laboratories

Unit of Measure: EA Click HERE for product images, literature and more.

www.jorvet.com

Good luck! .

 

[DangerDave]

+1.... I’m using air from my skimmer cup also, the moisture and lower co2 levels really help extend the life of the media.

 

[Luckyduck]

+1.... I’m using air from my skimmer cup also, the moisture and lower co2 levels really help extend the life of the media.

Awesome good to know. My PH is already balanced back out to 8.2 although the windows are open today so it's hard to really tell. I have my digital checker though so it's easy to test multiple times throughout the day. Long as you keep them calibrated they work great & I store mine in storage fluid to help.