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Stone Cerge: a pre diffusion DYI mod for your favorite CO2 reactor(s)

99ways2die

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7 Dec 2022
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*My 1st post here; found your forums while doing some research, and figured you guys might find this interesting or useful.
Cross-posting from Plantedtank, where I made this initially.
-99

Introducing "Stone Cerge"...a mod/addition to a popular CO2 reactor type, which can be effectively applied to both Cerges and Griggs reactor designs.
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I see plenty of Qs and debates here (and elsewhere) as to which is better "reactor vs diffuser."
My initial quest was driven by the desired to quiet down a Cerges reactor (started a separate thread on that), but what I have found and devised accomplishes 2 things:
1. Pre-diffusion of CO2 as it's being injected into a Cerges/Griggs reactor.
2. Gurgling/etc sound reduction of said CO2 as it enters the reactor's chamber.

While I can only speak of my own system and experience, I have managed to reduce the gurgle/"dripping water" sound of my Cerges reactor by 80-90%. A second benefit is small, pre-diffused (partially) CO2 bubbles entering the reactor container instead of "globs" of full sized CO2 bubbles, and smaller CO2 pocket in top section of the reactor.
This reduces dwell time req'd for the CO2 to dissolve in Cerges/Griggs container.

Anyway,
I've added an in-line air-stone to the plumbing of my Cerges. While you can add a commercial inline diffuser similarly into your piping, it's a PITA (especially in tight spaces) and flow reductions + fittings matching can be a nuisance. This approach places an air (CO2) stone "at the waters edge," per say, eliminating troublesome plumbing, etc.
It's fully and easily serviceable (or replaceable, rather), and anyone who uses 1/2" or greater fittings/pipes for their plumbing can easily adapt to place this in-line threaded "air stone" as a gateway between their CO2 line and the water.

Equipment - the star of the show:
0.5 Micron Home Brew Aeration Stone Inline Oxygenation Stainless Steel Diffusion Stone 1/2" NPT Carbonation Stone 1/4" Barb
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Joywayus 2pcs 0.5 Micron Home Brew Aeration Stone Inline Oxygenation Stainless Steel Diffusion Stone 1/2" NPT Carbonation Stone 1/4" Barb: Home & Kitchen

Shop Joywayus at the Amazon Home Brewing & Wine Making store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.
www.amazon.com
$20 for two
1/2" threaded, with 1/4" barb on the end.

If you utilize any type of plumbing design where you introduce CO2 through a 1/2" threaded nipple, all you have to do is unscrew it, thread a 1/2" PVC extension (if you don't want the in-line stone to protrude deep into your pipe thus blocking water flow), then thread the air stone itself into the extension. Reconnect your CO2 tubing and you're done.
*Any sized plumbing can be easily adapted to accommodate the 1/2" threaded tee.
**If your CO2 tube is of smaller size, and I assume most are, then you will need a piece of 1/4" tubing, and a 1/4" to 3/16" barbed reducer of one kind or another. What you see in the pics below is what was available at my local Lowes, but yo can easily use anything else. I have this on order from Amazon, and will use it to further simplify this portion:
Brass Hose Barb Reducer, 1/4" to 3/16" Hose ID
www.amazon.com

Metaland Brass Hose Barb Reducer, 1/4" to 3/16" Hose ID, Reducing Barbed Hose Splicer Mender Coupler Warter Fuel Air (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Metaland Brass Hose Barb Reducer, 1/4" to 3/16" Hose ID, Reducing Barbed Hose Splicer Mender Coupler Warter Fuel Air (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
Parts, as described above, prior to assembly:
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Assembled:
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Example of airstone threaded into a 3/4" tee (with a threaded 1/2" top)...to show how much it protrudes into the piping, if no extension is used:
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A look "down the barrel of the gun" to show how it looks on the business end, once fully threaded into the 1/2" extension-no more flow reduction:
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BEFORE video (pay att to the sound and the size/shape of CO2 entering the container on top, if possible to see):

AFTER video (apologies for loud k-board clicks in the background and external noise in general; my 10yr old was busy at "owning the n00bs in Fortnite"):

Extra video of the in-line air stone with CO2 applied, inserted directly into the tank itself to show how it "flows" the CO2.
Can't be really considered a "fine diffuser stone" like many normal C)2 stones sold today, but rather an air stone.
Bonus points if you're laughing at the fish like I was....so curious and interested by the gas of doom and demise, and they don't even know it!


Again, this can easily be implemented for Cerges and Griggs reactors, to tame their sound and to inject smaller CO2 bubbles into them, thus helping dissolvement.
Hope you find this useful and if I bored you all to death with the length of this post, I apologize.
-99

PS:
If something like this is/was already devised and I'm just late to the party, I apologize in advance, and mods feel free to delete my sweat and blood here.
 
Bonus post.
Early prototype, if anyone is interested.

I initially made this out of some PVC pieces and a "real" air stone from Petco. The black air stone was cheap, and easy to file down, which I had to do in order to fit it in the PCV coupling .
This design worked, but not as good as what you see in post #1. This design is obviously not serviceable, thus would need to be redone periodically if/when the air stone gets contaminated enough to reduce CO2 throughput. It takes a bit more time to make, and worse of all, the CO2 bubbles coming out of it were much larger than the metal in-line air stone (and more audible).

This is for fun/reference only, and this design has been abandoned.
-99

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Update: I've made another prototype to see if a "real" CO2 stone will perform any different or better:
(brass fittings, and a CO2 stone from Amazon, 3/4" size)
20221208_171020-jpg.1049210



20221208_171229-jpg.1049211



Installed and re-tested.
As expected this design's output was "finer bubbles" entering the reactor, but here's what happens with sound: while it's quiet in the reactor, until a pocket forms after some time, I can clearly hear a constant hissing sound from the stone itself. Since it's forcing a lot of CO2 through that small round "interface" it "fizzles." I have experienced pretty much the same behavior from an in-line diffuser which I tried a while back as well.
Still too noisy; discarded.

At the end of the day I have tested 3 viable options (one with an addition from previous attempt):
Option 1: CO2 injected straight through a 3/16" nipple fitting into the reactor.
Noisiest of all, as the large unbroken CO2 bubbles fall into the container and simply make bubbling/gurgling sound.
This is especially pronounced once a pocket forms, as the water coming into the reactor has a void and simply splashes into it through the CO2 pocket.
I added a sponge to the top of the reactor too, in this configuration, and it did not make a big difference, because the bubbles are still large, and it still made a very similar noise.
Option 2: Metal threaded in-line "air stone" (from initial post).
Almost quiet, as the bubbles are broken up. No hissing, no gurgling. However once a pocket forms it was still sounding like water dripping a bit, randomly, for the same reasons as in Option 1 - while a better mix of gas+ water entered the container, it was still splashing around through the pocket and making noise.
Option 2.ver2: Same as Option 2, but added 2 sponges to the container itself. Bottom one doesn't do much, but the top sponge buffers the sound of the mix coming into the container to the point where you can't hear it. Reactor now makes almost zero noise; once in a while a faint sound of a bubble can be heard, but very sporadic and unheard outside of the cabinet.
Option 3: CO2 diffuser stone.
This makes smaller bubbles than Option 2, but it does make a hissing sound and since it's before the mix enters the reactor there is no way to mitigate it.
Nothing changed inside the reactor made a difference in sound.

Winner: Option 2


CO2 diffusion in all 3 configurations:
(which config dissolves CO2 best, and are there any micro-bubbles going out to the tank?)
Option 1: Large bubbles for a "steady"CO2 pocket, and while there isn't a lot of visible mixing, it makes the CO2 dissolve best before that water is sucked down below to output.
No noticeable (or very few) micro-bubbles going back to the tank.
Option 2: Mid-sized bubbles created a more turbulent environment inside the reactor. CO2 pocket formed is smaller, but it also puts more smaller bubbles swirling inside the reactor.
This in turn makes some micro-bubbles reach down, and go out to the tank. Tried my best to show that in the video, but I don't thin you can notice them.
Option 3: Smallest bubbles entering the reactor are lighter and mix much more than Option 1 and 2. While CO2 dissolves well, this config also produces fine micro-bubbles which go back to the tank.

Winner: Option 2
**This is my opinion only, for my setup. I 'd rather have some micro-bubbles make it out of the reactor, than hear it.
This is all with my FX4 filter; if you have less water flow through the reactor, and/or your CO2 injection rate is lower, this effect is minimized, if not eliminated all together.
One way of eliminating this factor, for me, would be to have a 20" long reactor housing instead of 10", as that will give the micro-bubbles more dwell time inside a much larger container, before reaching the bottom output hose.

Last but not least, here's the video of the final configuration:

-99
 
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