# co2 art soda stream system



## glenn farrar (9 Oct 2014)

Hi guys I have decided I need some sort of co2 in my tank and have been looking at co2 art's soda stream setup, so I was just wondering if anyone is or has used this and if it is any good?

Thanks in advance

Glenn


----------



## Worshiper (9 Oct 2014)

Hi Glen.
I have used the sodastream co2 set up and it works well for me. ☺
I purchased it from another retailer but I do think that the co2 art is a good one!
There are a lot of tuts on how you can set it up as well on this forum. Easy set up and does what it is supposed to..


----------



## glenn farrar (9 Oct 2014)

Hi Worshiper

Thanks for the reply sounds like it might be the way to go for me! Where do you get your sodastream bottles from, presuming you are in the UK that is.

Thanks again

Glenn


----------



## Worshiper (9 Oct 2014)

Yes. Either Robert Dyas for £9.99 or argos for £11.00.
Ur first one will 19.99 as you need the cylinder. .after that its gas exchange.

It lasts me for 4 months at 2bps for a 20L aquarium so you may be better off with an FE if you have a huge tank. Just a thought...

 I like soda stream because the set up is neat and doesnt look bad in my lounge. ☺


----------



## glenn farrar (9 Oct 2014)

Thanks I have a 600 tank so I may look at a FEW but it was the size and neatness that drew me to the sodastream also. Maybe I will try the sodastream and see how it works out financially for me.

Thanks again

Glenn


----------



## darren636 (9 Oct 2014)

Co2 art are good to deal with
 I like their kit.
Sodastream bottles won't last long on bigger tanks.
About a month on my 1 wpl nano


----------



## glenn farrar (9 Oct 2014)

Hi Darren thanks for the reply I have just seen my predictive text has decided that I have a 600 tank?? That was meant to say 60 litre! Any idea how long the sodastream would last on that?

Cheers

Glenn


----------



## nelly9 (9 Oct 2014)

Hi Glen,

I use SStream on roughly 60L at around 2bps bottle lasts 2 1/2 to 3 months I reckon.
 Get some spare seals for the adaptor as they harden and distort after bottle changes, also recommend proper CO2 tubing rather than airline. I recently purchased a bazooka diffusor from Aqua essentials and despite reading some one else using this type there wasn't the 2.5 to 3 bar pressure required to get anything out from it.
The Soda stream suits my set up currently as no cabinet and tank in lounge so I hide the bottle down the side of the tank, would love extinguisher but just no room.

Cheers..


----------



## Ben C (9 Oct 2014)

Hi Glenn,
I have SodaStream on my 54l and it lasts me about a month. A replacement canister is £7.99 from Robert Dyas.
I like the compactness of the set up, and use the CO2 Art adapter which is very good - far better than the CO2 Supermarket option I started with, which often leaked whilst changing the canister (lost an entire canister once - gutted).
I'd say its a good introduction to CO2 injection - midway between the mini brand-name set ups you buy and an FE. I'm happy where I am..
However, I'm about to upgrade my tank to a 80l-ish TMC Signature, so expecting to get about 3 weeks out of one.. (that's a bit of a game changer, so I might have to revisit the idea)

Hope this helps.


----------



## X3NiTH (9 Oct 2014)

I use soda stream. 10 hour continuous injection period into a 40ish Litre system with 24hr aeration to keep the O2 up (into a surface sponge to minimise surface agitation and adjusted through a t-junction with a flow clamp to fine tune), 0dKH 1.2pH drop (lime green dc all day), soda stream bottle lasts 2 weeks before it goes off bottle pressure, when it does go off bottle pressure I reduce the aeration or up the injection rate daily to maintain the 1.2pH drop, the bottle lasts a further 5 days then needs changing.

£9 for returns at ASDA.


----------



## darren636 (10 Oct 2014)

glenn farrar said:


> Hi Darren thanks for the reply I have just seen my predictive text has decided that I have a 600 tank?? That was meant to say 60 litre! Any idea how long the sodastream would last on that?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Glenn


It all depends on your set up
 Water hardness, plant mass and light intensity play a part.
 Good seals and tubing is essential for longevity.
Putting the co2 bottle onto the regulator is fun...
Whoosh!


----------



## ddam19 (10 Oct 2014)

I have been using it on a Aqua nano 55 and is still going after about 2 and half months.


----------



## darren636 (10 Oct 2014)

ddam19 said:


> I have been using it on a Aqua nano 55 and is still going after about 2 and half months.


That's impressive longevity


----------



## glenn farrar (10 Oct 2014)

Thanks for all the replies people!
@nelly9 interesting that you mention the sodastream not powering the bazooka diffuser as the co2 art set I am looking at is supplied with one so you have just confused me even more
@Ben C at £7.99 a month it's not too bad for a starter setup and thanks for the heads up for Robert days too
@X3NiTH not even sure what you are saying there  when you say 24hr aeration what do you mean is that with an air stone? And I presume that after 2 weeks the bottle loses some pressure?? Sorry if I am being dumb
@ddam19 thanks
@darren636 I think I will be starting from scratch when I have collected all the hardware I need managed to get a fluval 305 so far to replace my interior jbl so on the look out for the co2 system (hence all the questions) and also looking to replace the hood with some sort of lighting too. Just wish I had the funds for an ADA system!

Does anybody know if the co2 art sodastream regulator can be used on a FE? I am wondering if the adapter for the sodastream is removed it will fit?

thanks again for taking the time 

Glenn


----------



## X3NiTH (10 Oct 2014)

Yeah I'm using an air stone next to my crook outlet, about 2 inches from the surface blowing into a slightly submerged filter sponge, it's wrapped around the crook and covering that corner so the gas can escape up through it rather than roiling the whole tank surface and losing even more co2 (increases surface area that O2 can contact the water beyond what my 12" square surface can deliver, thus allowing me to keep the fish alive and still have a lime DC).





I'm using an inline atomiser to inject co2 run through a 20" reactor to get 100% co2 dissolution. This means more gas use as the co2 is fully saturated into the water and it has to come out of solution first to turn the DC green, whereas having an in tank atomiser with the champagne effect going I found it turned the DC green before the requisite 1 point pH drop was met. It takes me about 8 hours to fully degass the co2 from the tank after solenoid off without me increasing aeration.

When the bottle pressure goes of 500psi after two weeks and the pressure starts dropping I have to increase injection (a smidgen of a turn on the needle valve each day) and decrease rate of aeration in the morning (I decrease until I reach the pH I want then slowly increase it again to reach an equilibrium of gas in and gas out), if I don't do this I don't make the 1 point pH drop and the plants will melt (e.tenellus tips go first).


----------



## X3NiTH (10 Oct 2014)

Soda stream is 425g of Co2 lasting me 20days, if I scale up to a 2kg FE I should theoretically get 94 days out of it at my rate of injection (80 would even be good).

Barring the initial cost of the SS cylinder (£20) the refill costs over that period of time probably adds up to a brand new 2kg FE, if you can get refills for that it's way cheaper.

Soda stream for me is just more convenient as it's a quick trip for a refill, it also takes up less space so I can have it in my cabinet. The o-rings are a PITA but you can find them dirt cheap from b&q in an assorted size multipack.


----------



## glenn farrar (11 Oct 2014)

@X3NiTH Thanks again for taking the time for an in depth explanation you have given me more to think about as I think I can fit a smaller FE in the cabinet I am about to butcher (don't tell my wife) so that would work out cheaper in the long run, it would also save me the £10 for the sodastream adapter. I am pretty sure I will be buying from co2 art as I have only heard good stuff about them.

Thanks again

Glenn


----------

