[Updated March 2021]
CO2 Becomes Affordable
When I first saw this DIY CO2 kit on Taobao, it just blew my mind away.
As a DIY CO2 planted tank owner, you will know the bane of low or inconsistent pressure produced by existing kits in the market. And most typical DIY CO2 setup will hardly last a week.
Furthermore, typical DIY CO2 kit lacks the minimum pressure to deploy atomizer diffuser. (Atomizer diffuser can produce really nice micro bubbles. Micro bubbles dissolves into water much faster and efficiently than large bubbles.)
How Long Does It Last?
For two bubble per second (2 bps) running non-stop 24/7, a single reaction (200g baking soda + 200 citric acid) can last about 12 to 18 days.
For 1 bps running non-stop 24/7, a single reaction can last about 20 to 30 days.
For my 48 gallon, I run TWO 2L high pressure canisters! Running 1 bps non-stop, the reaction can last about 28 days.
Advantage of running two canisters
- You double your service cycle. You refill both your canisters both together in one go, instead of having to perform the refill twice.
- You can use smaller atomizers
- You can spread out your CO2 diffusion at two different ends of your tank
- You now have a fail-safe
GOOD NEWS!
Singapore Readers: SGD75 shipping included via Amazon.sg!! Mai tu liao! No longer available🥺🥺 Only AliExpress delivers to Singapore but the price is doubled now.
This DIY CO2 reactor kit is now available for North America!!!!! Via Amazon!
It cost USD$85 USD79 prices fluctuate between USD65~90 with free shipping for a 2L version. The good thing about this high pressure DIY CO2 kit is that it has got everything you need to start injecting CO2 into your aquarium right away.
Unlike typical pressurised system which requires you to research and buy your separate regulator and solenoid.
Content
Intro: Single Reaction Canister
Construction
Kit Content
How to buy
Shipping Issues
Where and how to get it
How to Set up
Operation
Single Reaction Canister
This new type of DIY CO2 kit canister replaces your soda bottles A and B. It is now a single chamber reaction canister. The pressure produced is good for any kind of diffuser and atomizer in the market and the pressure is consistent enough to provide weeks of stable CO2.
Bye bye squeezing of bottle till your hand cramp. No more priming. Just pour the ingredients in and tada! CO2!
CO2 in seconds
When you have become familiar with this kit, you can get CO2 up and running within a few minutes. High pressure CO2.
For those using pressurised tank CO2, this can become an emergency CO2 contingency plan. The high CO2 supply can last till you get your pressurised tank refilled or replaced at your LFS.
DIY CO2 Kit: Construction
The tank is made of high grade stainless steel. The tank also received a good high shine polish.The overall build quality is very good and sturdy – very untypical of Chinese made products.
In fact the tank looks so good that you can have it displayed alongside your aquarium without being a sore-eye.
The recommended safety level is 25kg/cm2, which is 5 times of those soda bottles. A standard reaction will create 20kg/cm2 of pressure for a 2L tank and can easily last more than 2 weeks for typical use. It last 2 weeks on my 75 gallon running 2 bubbles per second for 12 hours. On my 11 gallon running 1 bubble every 2 seconds 24 hours a day 7 days a week it lasted 45 days!
I do not recommend exceeding the recommended amount of ingredient of 200g citric acid and 200g baking soda.
DIY CO2 Kit: Items
A typical kit will come with the below items:
- a bubble counter with built-in check valve.
- airline tube with suction cup.
- a base stand.
- a small 300ml plastic measuring cup
- a small funnel.
There are options (combo) for an electric solenoid, ceramic diffuser, co2 checker, etc. They will usually label them as “set meal A, set meal B, etc.”
Good news! This reactor is now available on Amazon US!
Where and how to get it
Currently, to my knowledge, there are only two a few online retailers you can buy the canister from. AliExpress, and finally on Amazon US!
DIY CO2 Kit: Amazon US
Finally! I managed to find a retailer on Amazon to sell this reactor. It is not cheap as compared to the original price in China, but a cool $85 with free shipping. Better than having to arrange for a third-party purchaser to buy and ship on your behalf.
DIY CO2 Kit: AliExpress
The AliExpress merchants will settle for you the shipping. Shipping cost is usually not included for USA and Europe. Shopping on AliExpress is safe and they have insurance and dispute centers. So far I have not encountered any problems since I started purchasing items on AliExpress.
Click here for the link to the AliExpress merchants selling the canisters.
DIY CO2 Kit: How to Set up
To get things going, the setup is very fast and easy. Much faster than the Bottle A + Bottle B citric acid baking soda setup.
Step 1: Unscrew the regulator from the tank.
Step 2: Pour in 200g of citric acid powder.
Step 3: Pour in 200g of baking soda.
Step 4: Pour 300ml of water at a 45 degree angle.
Step 5: Screw back the regulator.
Before you pour in the water, make sure the regulator is readied by your side. The moment the water hits the ingredient the reaction is instantaneous.
Immediately you could feel the tank turning cold! Cold enough to have condensation around the tank. The pressure gauge shot to 10kg/cm2 instantly. After a few hours I managed to get 20kg/cm2 of CO2 in the tank! Holly cow!
The screwing back of the regulator can sometimes be challenging especially when you can feel the pressure gushing out. PANIC!
Stay calm and make sure the regulator’s thread fits the tank nicely or you risked damaging the screw threads.
One trick is to use ice instead of water. Measure 300 ml of water and pour them into small tray that makes small cubes. So the reaction will only start when the ice melts.
This way you can take your own sweet time to screw the regulator back in place. However, do note that if you use ice instead of water the pressure build up will take about 1 hour to reach 10kg/cm2, and no less than 4 hours to reach 20kg/cm2. This is because of the low temperature. When the canister return to normal room temperature is when the pressure will reach 20kg/cm2.
DIY CO2 Kit: Operation
The regulating valve knob is also very smooth and precise. I can fine tune it to achieve 1 bubble per 4 seconds! And it held the rate true throughout the day weeks in operation.
When I changed from using an atomizer to a reactor to inject CO2, I managed to get 22 days of CO2 running at 2 big bubbles per second for 14 hours per day!
This is because when using an atomizer, towards the end of the tank the pressure will drop below the minimum working pressure to power an atomizer. However, the pressure within the tank is still sufficient to power a reactor for another 4 days at least!
Good luck!
[Update March 2018] I have since upgraded all my soda bottles DIY CO2 to the high pressure canister tanks!
[Update May 2018] After converting from diffusers to a CO2 reactor, I managed to get 22 days of CO2 running at 2 big bubbles per second running for 14 hours a day for my 20 gallon, and 23 days for my 11 gallon running at 1.5 big bubbles for 14 hours a day! Check out my commercial CO2 reactor review here. When using a diffuser or atomizer, towards the end of the tank the pressure will drop below operating pressure for ceramic diffuser or atomizer. However, if you use a reactor, the minimum working pressure is low and you can actually get another 4 more days or more!
Tanks details in this page
Dwarf Hairgrass tank equipment list
Tank size: 60cm x 30cm x 24cm 43 litres or 11 US gallon
Light: Aquael Slim Leddy
Filter: Fluval C3
CO2 Diffusion: INTENSE fine mist Atomizer
CO2 Indicator: UP Aqua CO2 Indicator
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Water pump: 180L/H
Cooling fan: Dymax Vortex Cooling Fan
Surface skimmer: Eheim Skim 350 Surface Skimmer
Iwagumi tank with HC equipment list
Tank size: 60cm x 30cm x 24cm 43 litres or 11 US gallon
Light: Chihiros A Series
Filter: Fluval C3
CO2 Diffusion: INTENSE fine mist Atomizer
CO2 Indicator: UP Aqua CO2 Indicator
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Cooling fan: Dymax Vortex Cooling Fan
Surface skimmer: Eheim Skim 350 Surface Skimmer
Cube Tank equipment list
Tank size: 45cm x 45cm x 45cm 91 litres or 24 US gallon
Light: Aquael Slim Leddy
Filter: Fluval 206
CO2 Diffusion: INTENSE fine mist Atomizer
CO2 Indicator: Generic Glass Drop checker
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Circulation pump: 180L/H generic water pump
Cooling fan: Dymax Vortex Cooling Fan
Surface skimmer: Eheim Skim 350 Surface Skimmer
Hmm wanted to get one of this tank. But can’t find any D601 that cost 30USD. Are you able to share the URL?
Here’s the link.
https://world.taobao.com/item/534870751535.htm?spm=a312a.7700714.0.0.217c2f48G5ap8V#detail
Hi Chi Siang,
I am trying to buy this similar diy co2 tank from taobao. The problem is also the A & B powder are forbidden to be shipped. Can share with me how you finally get to ship over? And did you try using baking soda+vinegar on this new diy tank? Wonder if it is as effective.
Hi Marc
Yeah, unfortunately Taobao as of last week or so stopped shipping the A+B ingredients to Singapore.
I also tried using EzBuy, and even Peeka which helped me shipped on a few occasions.
Right now you need to buy bulk citric acid from Poon Huat. They sell in 500g. I called them last week and they daid if you need more than 2 kg can let them know in advance so they can prepare.
As for price wise, because it is food grade citric acid it will be slightly more expensive. If I recall correctly, they quoted me S$7 for 500g.
As for baking soda you can get from any supermarket. About $2+ for 400g.
Thanks for your response. Was hesitating if i should still proceed to buy the diy tank from Taobao when Ezbuy mentioned they cannot ship any white powdery stuff, till i see your blog. ? I will try to get the ingredients locally. Btw just to understand further, the ingredients you purchased locally are as equally effective? I mean in term of what the pressure gauge indicates and how long the mix last. Cheers.
You’re welcome Marc. When I started out it seems like I am the only one doing this and not much people talks about it. It was a frustrating learning journey for me so I decided to write my experience about it and share it.
The ingredients purchased locally actually are higher grades than those offered in Taobao. They are food grade citric acid powder and baking powder. They are more refined and more pure. I found those A+B ingredients offered in Taobao of inferior grade. The only draw were their prices. Much cheaper (if you order big bulk).
As for the pressure, yes, I get 20kg/cm2 of pressure for a new tank. And it will slowly drop bit by bit over the course of 10~14 days depending on your rate. There is no end of tank dump. The only issue is when it hits around 5kg/cm2 near the end of the CO2 supply, the pressure will become inconsistent. You need release the CO2 and reduce the pressure first before unscrewing the top for a refill or otherwise the thing will give you a scary pop sound like opening a bottle of champagne!
It last me 12 day easily running 1 BIG bubble (or about 2~3 smaller bubbles) per second 12 hr per day. I reckon the ingredient cost about SGD$4.50 per ingredient refill. So $0.38 per day. SGD$22.80 for 2 months of CO2 supply. The cost is quite close to Pressurised tank refill, but you save on traveling time to LFS for refill, and you also save on the hefty initial cost of buying the CO2 tank and regulator. With bulk purchase I reckon we can bring the cost down further. If we can bring the cost down to SGD$3 per ingredient refill, the running cost for 60 days should be around SGD$15.
Thanks Bro for your advices. Very clear and detail. Appreciate very much. ?
I just came back from Phoon Huat @ Toa Payoh.
Bought citric acid powder and baking soda. It’s SGD$5.10 for 500g of citric acid powder and SGD$1.80 for 600g of baking soda.
Total cost per refill SGD$2.64 for 10 days (or more). 60 days will be SGD$15.84!!!
Hi Chi Siang, may i know whether the D701 is able to import to singapore.? I have try to perchase from ezbuy but they have reject to ship it.
Even though i discard the citric & baking soda)
Have i left out out any other infomation?
Thanks for reading & replying, Vincent
Have you tried to buy it under sensitive shipment?
You need to inform them that it is a empty canister for aquarium hobby.
If not you can try to get it from Peeka!
I recently heard of a lone ranger shipping ng agent who will ship anything. Let me see if I can find out his contact.
Thanks for the reply.
No, i have not buy it under sensitive shipment & i do not know how to do it.
Do I need to inform the seller to declare the good is an empty canister for aquarium hobby?
Thanks for reading.
I’m gonna send you an email on the contact who can help you bring it in.
Hi, able to mail me the contact too. Seems to be hard to mail this huge tank over
Hey Han
Just use Peeka. I am shipping an unit over right now. Shipping rate is only $12 by sea.
You need to inform them that it is an empty tank and there’s no pressure in it. Tell them to discard the free baking soda and citric acid powder.
Hello , thanks ,
Please tell me how long it will run with a glass-ceramic deffuser at 1-2bps.And another thing is if the released valve or solenoid clsosed every night , will the pressure rises or it stays fixed , or going down bit by bit?
Hi SBM
I have not tried with a ceramic diffuser yet but I will assume it will be similar to a atomizer diffuser. I can get about 20 days with 1-2 big bubbles per second before it runs out.
The pressure stays fixed when the solenoid closes. Pressure will drop as you use up the CO2 throughout the course so I recommend making small minute adjustment every now and then.
Thanks for reply
Could you please provide Aliexpress link for D601?
Look what I found on AliExpress
http://s.aliexpress.com/AvINbEFf
Thanks for reply , let me check , if it is possible for them to send it out to India.(Without Acid and Soda of course)
Hi ,
Have received today from Alliexpress , 2L size.
Canister is bit damage , near the neck.
Its working though , overnight 200g acid + 200g soda and 300ml water creates a 24kg/cm2 of pressure. Very high I think.
Using ISTA UFO ceramic diffuser with it , working very well , fine micro bubble. @1bps
Be informed that this is not the D601s or D701 model you have mentioned . I think these model are much better quality. I got a model named WYIN , kind of cheap build quality.
Do not know why D601s and D701 are not available on Alliexpres
Thanks , will update on run time later
Best
SBM
Hi Chi – How did you tell taobao to not send the powder raw materials? I plan to order this online to the Philippines but not sure how to communicate to them the instructions.
Regards,
John
Hi John, Yes! You MUST discard the free raw material (baking soda and citric acid powder). The raw materials will cause your parcel to be detained by the custom, and in the future your shipper may decide not to ship similar item. To instruct seller to discard the raw material, use this > 小苏打和柠檬酸丢弃！谢了！
Thanks so much for the guide! I have also purchased one from a different seller, which claims to be a 4L strengthened version of the tank with dual gauges.
【臣凡 二氧化碳发生器 diy自制反应钢瓶 水草缸co2发生器钢瓶套装】https://m.tb.cn/h.3oiKaQK?sm=2d112f
This is my first time purchasing from Taobao, so I’m rather new to this. I tried ezbuy but they wouldn’t ship it for me despite convincing them many times on live chat that this item doesn’t contain any compressed gases. Hopefully peeka will accept my order.
I’ve also contacted the seller directly saying that I’ll be placing my order through peeka and not to include the powders.
Anyone has experience with the model that I purchased?
Hi Ong
Usually I will instruct Peeka to discard the powder. In addition you must tell Peeka that the tank is an empty tank for aquarium use. It is important that you mention the tank is empty.
The 4L is just like the normal 2L, except it takes 400g of ingredients as opposed to normal 200g. As such the pressure is higher and thus it is strengthened.
Should be good for more than 30 days of CO2 per reaction.
I saw this chemistry calculation that suggests that there is a more optimal mixing ratio for the chemicals. Ie For every 252.021 grams of soda mixed with 192.124 grams of citric acid we will get 132.03 grams of CO2. . Any excess soda or citric acid will be leftover and not react
httpss://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-co2-kit-for-acid-citric-and-baking-soda.30003/
Available on Amazon US now!!!!! USD$85 with shipping *phew*
https://amzn.to/2Xy38sM
hi my kit doesnt come with the filter. Does it still able to work or do i have to put my own filter inside the tube. I tried to look for the filter everywhere online but there isnt any. Can i Diy the filter?
Hi my kit doesnt come with the filter. Does it still work without the filter or can i like diy the filter. Mine comes with the metal tube which i believe i have to insert the filter but there isnt any in the box. I tried to look for the filter everywhere online but isnt available. The filter is to remove any debris from the cylinder right? can i just place aquarium filter wool inside?
Hi Hilmi, if I get you correctly the filter that sits under the regulator purposes are 1) to prevent tiny debris from clogging the valve, 2) to prevent acid from entering the valve thus corroding it. You can stuff newspaper inside.
Hi i saw your last post w.r.t filter. How long does the filter last generally? As it is near impossible to get filter replacement in SG, what other options do we have? Can the filter be cleaned/ recycled? U mentioned abt ‘stuffing newspaper’… Will that work? Any other materials?
Hey 👋🏻 are you referring to Fluval filters? I got them on Amazon.sg. You can try Nanyang Seaview as well. They carry Fluval filters and very good price as well.
Hi bro i was referring to the filter component inside the co2 canister tank (mentioned by hilmi 1-2 posts earlier). I was wondering how to perform regular maintenance on the co2 set, particularly on the filter part. What is inside the filter? Some form of desiccants? Like what you replied to hilmi, can we simply stuff newspaper into it? =) How often do we need to clean/replace/maintain the filter, roughly? Thanks!!!
ps: I bought anhydrous citric acid S$5/kg and baking soda $1.90/kg from bakewithyen. Really cheap!
Hey Eric, sorry for the late reply. The filter attached to the regulator, its main function is actually to keep the liquid within from reaching the regulator component which will cause it to fail. It only allows gas to pass through but not liquid. From my experience there are a few different types of such filters. I had one which simply used staffed newspaper! The easiest to maintain by far. The rest deployed some kind of fine mesh. You can soak them in warm water to loosen any debris caught inside, but you will experience CO2 downtime if you only have 1 canister. Most of my canister I did not clean them for years and they perform just fine.
Thanks bro for ur in-depth guide/explanation. U really deserve kudos for the knowledge!