# D-D Aquarium Solutions CO2 Kit - advice please



## Vandal Gardener (6 Jun 2017)

Yet again I'm over thinking things to the point of going round in circles so thought I'd come here for advice.

Everything's hypothetical at the moment since my reg's away to be inspected/tested.

I bought the D-D freshwater kit (http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/regulator-set-refillable-co2-bottle) about a decade ago and it worked great for a while then I had a full cylinder dump into the tank when I was at work, luckily the casualties weren't as bad as could've been, but was enough for me to pack the lot up in the fish box of treasure and my interested waned.

Skip forward to now and I'm back and have put the wheels in motion to get the reg tested and either refurb it or replace.  At the time the solenoid was red hot, the thing was always hot but the day of the dump (hahaha sorry my stupid sense of humour) it was burn you hot - very technical (ahem).  Anyway rightly or wrongly I dumped the solenoid figuring that's where the problem lay.

My questions tho relate to the co2 bottles and refills.  I've tried welder co2 in search here and working my way through the threads, but lack of patience is getting to me!

I'd wondered if it's ok to use these




https://www.thewelderswarehouse.com/Welding-Supplies/Co2-gas-cylinder-disposable.html

apologies if links not allowed I'll remove, but there seems to be different kinds of welders co2 so wasn't sure if I can use these ones. If I bought three I'd be getting for £45 as opposed to the £63 odd that D-D are asking for 600g or even £25ish each for JBL at only 500g. (Thanks Supercoley for supplier info)

The other thing I wondered was if it is even possible to get a threaded converter type thing so I could convert the reg to use a FE?

Apologies since it was years ago I really read about this gear and even then I struggled so just fudged my way through it.  I'm still trying to work out if it's a dual or single stage!

Hope you're all tickety-boo


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## GHNelson (6 Jun 2017)

Hi
Look for Co2 adapters in search facility!
Carbon Dioxide is Carbon Dioxide l'm sure!
The above cylinder is okay to use....there are adapters available!
Cheers hoggie


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## Vandal Gardener (6 Jun 2017)

Nice one Hoggie,

Thanks for the steer, adapters will be my next search -  still working through the welders threads!

Well I'm sure co2 is co2 but there's different kinds of welders co2 - some with aragon or something mixed so wanted to be sure.  On the D-D website they claim to only have adapters for their new regs so wondered if anyone here had already done the ground work.

Anyways that's good news since I can get a 2 kg refilled for a tenner as opposed to £45 for 1.8 (3x600g) - now to find the adapter


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jun 2017)

http://www.swelluk.com/jbl-u-m-adapter/ yes co2 is co2, argon co2 mix will be labelled as such. You can also get the botles in machinemart and halfords although if your solenoid is mush and you need an adapter is it not time for a new setup, they've come down in price a lot. 

Just found this thread https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/jbl-adapter-for-fire-extinguisher.26416/ so maybe it's not what you're after. I think you want the one on the left of the picture. I bought mine from one of the sponsors years ago. I think it was aquaessentials but they don't appear to stock them anymore.


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## Stuart_B (6 Jun 2017)

Are you sure it was the full cylinder contents that got dumped and not just some when it was almost empty .  If you are going to buy new kit get one that will fit a fire extinguisher ...cheaper to buy ,holds more and easy to refill.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jun 2017)

Yeah was thinking the same thing. If it's dumped when the bottle was empty was probably a good thing that it was only small bottle. I wouldn't trust it on a bigger bottle and when checked if it's faulty or the diaphragm has gove at 10 yo not worth repairing. Check the for sale section or even post as wanted there's always some in there. By time you've bought the adapter etc you’re already well on your way to a new reg. The money you save in the long run will pay for it in no time plus a lot of the atomisers and diffusers people are using these days your reg prob won't have enough working pressure.


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## PARAGUAY (6 Jun 2017)

Machine Mart 600g mig welding bottles is were I get mine for the D.-D kit ,order on line and get it delivered to there nearest store to you around £14. Check the website as you don't want the similar looking Argon as Hoggie says.CO2 art   have regs for mig welding bottles.Mine is on 200 litre tank but I imagine that's its limit


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## Vandal Gardener (6 Jun 2017)

Hey guys thanks for all the replies, I started off with the search (still open in another window) and think I hit the golden one from Hoggie below, but that was the third I'd skim read where they all promise gold and have led a merry dance so now a bit more appreciative of Hoggie's endeavours at trying to find the answer.  Sincerely thank you Hoggie you're a Prince among men for doing that leg work. 

Re my CO2 nightmare - It was a full 600g D-D bottle that dumped. The reason I'm sure was because I only changed it the night before when I got home from work.  It all was uneventful all night and at lights off and before heading to work the next day. When I got in from work  that evening I just knew there was something wrong in the tank before I spotted the victims.  I think the thing that steered me down solenoid route was the scolding hot (not exaggerating) soft skin, broken spirit, tantrum - solenoid tossed in bin then justified to myself that it could've blown up the building.  I do tend to work myself up sometimes!That was over five years ago though. 

 Crux is I've contacted the people at D-D who have been bang on and will find out one way or another if I need a new reg.  It breaks my heart having it in the box and maybe stupid but I'd rather get that up to scratch than get a new one if it's around the same cost.  My cunning long term plan is to use the D-D for my Aquanano since I think the 600g would last long enough in the wee tank in my bedroom to seem viable and purchase a new one for the trigon when I'm a bit more au fait with knowing what's a decent one or at least if it's single or dual stage.

Sorry for the rabble, been out changing a mates water which took a bit longer than normal so delighted to get out of my soggy trainers and relax.   ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh   If truth be told it brought a smile to my grumpy dial that so many folk replied - Nice one cheers

(Copied from Hoggie's advice https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/d-d-co2-set-coverting-to-fe.28941/page-4)


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Jun 2017)

Quite a difficult bit to find. Plenty going in the other direction from din 477 to disposable but the one you're after is proverbial rocking horse doings. Thought it would be the opposite, why would anyone want a disposable when they can use refillable but then realised its so the bottle will fit in a cabinet.
CO2 supermarket seem to have a fine selection of adapters for regs. Does mention converting from din to disposable but I think you may need to combine fittings.


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## rebel (6 Jun 2017)

600g bottle? Most people use bigger ones for example mine is 2.4kg. Just have a good reg and solenoid. Having a reactor can also limit any damage from an accidental dump.


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## alto (7 Jun 2017)

FWIW I had the D-D kit some years back, it worked fine, don't recall the solenoid being particularly hot

While CO2 may be CO2, the impurity type & amount vary significantly, pharma grade shoud be life compatible, welding & other grades not meant for pharma use will tend to have less benign impurities -  easy enough to get around though, just don't empty the bottle into the tank but switch out as soon as bottle pressure drops (bottle should be at least  90%  empty at this point)


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## Vandal Gardener (7 Jun 2017)

Ha ha ha rocking horse makes me smile, it's all a bit hypothetical as said since i'm waiting to hear back.

I missed awb's point about keeping an eye on the boards, cheers, think I've seen one but better to keep a lid on it for now so that no one is disappointed here and I couldn't agree more about converters and why you want to go from refillable to disposable maybe availability? but double DIYing the adapter is all beginning to sound like running before I can walk.  As you've all said the kit's come down a huge amount since I last looked so a wee bit longer with yeast and sugar isn't going to kill me  

That's reassured me a bit hearing about your solenoid not being hot Alto although when I go deeper why would the solenoid cause the whole bottle to dump?  My reasoning now after really thinking about it would be more inclined the needle valve somehow opening or some other mechanism on reg but I think I'm better shutting up now instead of exposing how little I really know.  

Regardless it's all rather exciting and for some reason I feel like a kid who's written to Santa about getting my pressurised CO2 working and getting rid of that god awful hairy staghorn pube algae


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## AverageWhiteBloke (7 Jun 2017)

Vandal Gardener said:


> That's reassured me a bit hearing about your solenoid not being hot Alto although when I go deeper why would the solenoid cause the whole bottle to dump?



The solenoid may cause the whole bottle to dump because basically it's a metal sleeve inside a tube with a magnet at the end, when the solenoid is on the magnet pulls the sleeve to one end and opens the valve. If the sleeve got hot and swelled it may have locked in the open position and if the bottle was running low there maybe wasn't enough pressure to push the sleeve back and it can dump the remaining contents of the bottle into the tank. Had a couple of jams myself with a dodgy solenoid but luckily it got stuck in the closed position so got home to find no co2 in the tank.


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## Vandal Gardener (7 Jun 2017)

AVB,
 Think I'll be rereading that a few times before it sinks in but thanks for explanation -  it adds up and keeps the vibe positive for a repair.   

Paraguay,

How do you diffuse your CO2? - do you use inline (Up/JBL) or in tank difuser/bazooka?  The new hope brings new toys and am swaying towards up inline type of thing but wondered if the reg has enough working pressure to operate either of these.  It worked a cheapo fleabay ada rip off difuser now problem so just assumed it would fire either inline (Up/JBL proflora or bazooka)

I'm terrible I only sent the thing off and I'm already wondering how many sleeps til i get word


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## PARAGUAY (7 Jun 2017)

Always used ruwall type supplied diffuser,broke the first one that came when trying to change CO2 tube couldnt access a replacement ,emailed ruwall in Italy for U.K. supplier details,they just sent a replacement one nothing to pay ,free postage. Nice.Problem with some diffusers they are best at 3 bar,the DD only recommends a one bar setting so I have only used the ruwall ,think TMC have one similar. I would like to know anyone used it inline too


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## Vandal Gardener (8 Jun 2017)

Well good news, just got word that my reg's fit to go so it must've been the solenoid 

When I spoke to them I said about running an inline diffuser quoting 2-2.5 bar working pressure  and he said he couldn't be sure since it's at the top end of what the regs set at without going into actual numbers.  I was so happy that it works I didn't really grill him about the numbers and to be honest think I'm not sure I really understand well enough to ask or even understand the answers back.  

I've just checked the JBL website site for their pro flora direct where the FAQs it recommends 1-1.5 bar so looks like I'm laughing.  I'm now working through reviews for this although the first one from 2015 wasn't good.  Hopefully teething troubles but will keep reading through the threads.

Also I'm not sure if this is going back to the rocking horse do-do previously mentioned but the chap gave me the code for their converter "RUWADAPT".  It's the one on their website but will wait til I get my kit back before ordering.

I have to say a huge thank you to y'all for your advice and to the chap at D-D Solutions (I would say his name but haven't mentioned it to him about the thread so feels a bit inappropriate to) that's absolutely top class support for a product that's over a decade old.

So today is a good day hope it's the same for the rest of ya


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## Vandal Gardener (9 Jun 2017)

Another thing - I've been looking at the reg and wondered what the y symbol is.  It's got a back plastic screw in plug with a spring behind it.  Is this a safety release valve.  Apologies for all the questions.


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