# Cleaning CO2 diffuser



## neueklare_ein (Jan 25, 2012)

I think everyone has the problem before. In fact, I don't think that it's even a "problem", it's just something that everyone hobbyist has to face.

The CO2 diffuser is full of algae and its affecting the diffuser's efficiency...Is there anyway to clean it apart from using the ADA clean bottle and a few drops of their stuff? I literally don't want to go to LFS anymore until a few months later.


----------



## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

you can soak it in bleach or vinegar for 1-2 days for good results.


----------



## KookScape (Oct 31, 2011)

Just let my diffuser soak in a 1:1 bleach/water solution over night and plugged it in this morning..... The difference in how fine the mist is now is just crazy.


----------



## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

I soak in bleach as well. Followed by a soak in prime. works like a charm.


----------



## wastedtime (Oct 27, 2011)

+1 for soaking in bleach followed by soaking in prime.

I soak it bleach for 45mins followed by a good rinse to get rid of most of the bleach, I then soak it in a cup with 10x prime overnight, before i plug it back in.


----------



## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Why do you soak in prime? Seems like a waste of time.


----------



## wastedtime (Oct 27, 2011)

Household bleach contaims chlorine....prime wikl neutralize it


----------



## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Haven't you ever bleached plants, you can just rinse and toss in, plus it's said you can do up to a 20% water change with chlorine in the water and the fish will easily survive. We are just paranoid about chlorine.


----------



## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

TWA said:


> Haven't you ever bleached plants, you can just rinse and toss in, plus it's said you can do up to a 20% water change with chlorine in the water and the fish will easily survive. We are just paranoid about chlorine.


 why would you want to take that risk when a cap full of prime costs you about 3 cents.


----------



## JoraaÑ (Jun 29, 2009)

Use Tilex works fine.


----------



## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Not quite a risk but that's fine, I will not argue nope!


----------



## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

the cermaic disk is porus and mine actually stinks like bleach even after a soak in prime. the inside chamber even gets some bleach in it, so i soak in strong prime / water solution, then turn the diffusor upside down and pump some co2 into it (usually smells strong of bleach) to pump the bleach out, give it a few more mins in prime and a rinse and its good to go.


----------



## neueklare_ein (Jan 25, 2012)

The problem is not the fish. Given their body mass (even the smallest ones), they can survive tap water chlorine at ease. The main issue is the beneficial bacteria. Their body mass...well...single-cell organisms, they really have no mass. They will be killed instantly by the trace amount of chlorine. And Ammonia goes up, nitrite left cannot be converted into nitrate...and that's how fish die...



TWA said:


> Haven't you ever bleached plants, you can just rinse and toss in, plus it's said you can do up to a 20% water change with chlorine in the water and the fish will easily survive. We are just paranoid about chlorine.


----------



## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

jreich said:


> the cermaic disk is porus and mine actually stinks like bleach even after a soak in prime. the inside chamber even gets some bleach in it, so i soak in strong prime / water solution, then turn the diffusor upside down and pump some co2 into it (usually smells strong of bleach) to pump the bleach out, give it a few more mins in prime and a rinse and its good to go.


 
This is the main reason I use the Prime. I try to remove as much of the water inside the diffuser that I can and then soak with the OD of Prime. As the water works its way back into the diffuser, it will take care of anything left behind.

Call it peace of mind if you will. And I don't mind doing it as that's why we get Prime in the first place right?


----------



## xgteen (Mar 7, 2012)

Using bleach is good but you have to make sure that the bleach is totally gone by the time you put it back into the tank.


----------



## sunyang730 (Jan 30, 2012)

I do with bleach and prime too works very well.


----------

