# Boyu - co2 Diffuser



## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

Anyone seen this product? I picked one up for $20 at my LFS. Probably over-priced, but they were out of the one I was looking for, and this one looks just as good, IMO.

It is solid glass, has a spiral passage for the gas to go through before entering a compartment that will be filled with water. There is a ~2" diamater airstone cap at the top that the co2 will be pushed through.

I am hooking it up today and will be able to tell how well it is working.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

The general consensus has been that these glass CO2 diffusers are not so great. Just watch, you should be able to see many bubbles reach the surface and escape - too much CO2 loss IMO. I had a glass diffuser, but it was nothing more then a really expensive wooden airstone. An inline reactor would work far better. This reactor has worked wonders for me. I suppose if this was a small tank with a very slow bubble count these glass diffusers would be workable. 

Here is a picture of the one Spar is talking about.


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

In the reactor you use, what is the best Foam to use?

Do you get it at the Pet Store, or Home Depot, or what?

Looks pretty easy to setup. I may try it out.

I also assume it is best to set it up near the output of my Fluval Canister Filter? It agitates the surface of the water a lot (FYI) if that changes the answer.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

I assume you're talking about the reactor that is fully submersed, and not the inline right?

You can use pretty much any foam you want, just make sure there are no chemicals in it. I used one of those round silver scrubbing pads from the grocery store made for tough grease.

It doesn't matter where you put it. You ought to stop the surface agitation though.


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

Rolo said:


> I assume your talking about reactor that is fully submeresed into the aquarium, and not the inline right?
> 
> You can use pretty much any foam you want, just make sure there are no chemicals in it. I used one of those round silver scrubing pads from the grocery store made for tough grease.
> 
> It doesn't matter where you put it. You ought to stop the surface agaitation though.


Could the problem with the surface agitation be minimized by just adding more co2 flow? It is hard to explain without a picture, but the background has a hole in the side of it that the Fluval output hosing goes through, and is unfortunantly near the water line. I will see if it is possible to kink the tubing enough to be lower down, but doubtful. maybe i could just point the ouput a little more downward, rather than straight out?


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## aquatic-store.com (May 24, 2003)

The main complaint i have from my customers on this is it does not come with a suction means


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

I just used a airline tubing suction cup. hooked up to the stem of it perfectly.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

I think I get what your saying about the spraybar. Maybe you could just use a piece of tubing to extend the length more and lower the spraybar under the surface. Let us know how the glass diffuser works.


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## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

ok, so this Boyu thing doesn't make sense. maybe I am just being impatient with it, but I am doubting that any gas or liquid can even get through the ceramic dish on its top! I hooked up a co2 injector to it that was already making co2 and 15 minutes later, nothing was happening! I released the tubing and immediately heard a huge decompressing sound from the bottle and the remaining co2 in the tubing.

is there a chance that the ceramic dish is just too tight? Boyu doesnt seem to have a website and no other google searches had any info on them.

What is a safe way to try to see if a few hours or more of waiting will cause something to happen? I was thinking of hooking up a air pump to it? I do not want co2 mix all over my kitchen.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

My glass diffuser did make my DIY bottle go under some pressure, but it wasn't so much that there was a "huge decompressing sound" as you stated. Besides the fact that I was losing CO2, I stopped using a glass diffuser b/c I wasn't comfortable with the DIY bottle building pressure.

Personally though, I think the glass diffuser will give in before the yeast bottle. But go as far as you are comfortable with this product. I would just end up going with one of the DIY CO2 reactors.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

DIY CO2 and fused glass or ceramic diffusers are a very bad combo. Most of the require a pretty good pressure to operate. Enough pressure that it can possibly cause bottle failure. And since DIY CO2 is not actually that clean and contains other fermentation byproducts they can clog. And that will cause bottle failure.


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## aquatic-store.com (May 24, 2003)

just replying cause i got a pm on this.


I agree with Rex it needs a real co2 set up and not diy for this type of diffussor to work.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Many glass or ceramic diffusers need a working pressure around 10-15 psi to operate. I doubt you can reach and maintain that with a DIY rig and plastic bottles.


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## bbkid43 (Aug 4, 2004)

I have pressureized Co2 and my boyu diffuser works just fine. I have a power filter so an inline reactor is much of an option for me but I think my glass diffuser works fine for now.


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## Mavvy (Aug 15, 2004)

Rex Grigg said:


> Many glass or ceramic diffusers need a working pressure around 10-15 psi to operate. I doubt you can reach and maintain that with a DIY rig and plastic bottles.


I'm using the Boyu glass diffuser with one of those bottles used for carrying water for camping-'Nalgene', I thnk the brand is-and I've not had a problem with backpressure or clogging (it's a REALLY strong bottle). The diffuser is affixed with an airline suction cup almost directly under my HOB filter intake. It works extremely well. The leetle eetsy-beetsy bubbles flow right into the filter-haven't heard a 'clank' yet. I renew my brew every three weeks. Plants are happy (I'm prunin' and thinnin' weekly). Fish ain't complainin'. :fish: 

Having said all that, I might just be an anomaly. I'd like to think not. The less expense I have to go to, the better. I'll probably go to pressurized on my 55-gallon as I'm setting it up next year. For now, DIY and the Boyu on my 10-gallon suffice just fine.


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## kyrie26 (Apr 12, 2007)

Hi Mavvy,

How did you make the airline-to-bottle connection? I assume you drilled a hole through the Nalgene bottle cover, pushed the airline through, and put some sealant around the joint on both sides? What kind of sealant? Please do share... thank you!!! Just curious what will work for the type of high pressure we're trying to achieve with a DIY rig.


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## kyrie26 (Apr 12, 2007)

Oh one more thing Mavvy - what size bottle did you use?


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

Uhm, I just looked at the thread details and Mavvy hasn't posted since like April 2005


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