PinchHarmonic

Hi Guru

I also read the paper for DIY linked here: http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html#2

It talks about the diffuser made with a powerhead and a siphon.. how would you compare it to the other diffusers mentioned?

namely, the hagen ladder, nano diffuser, the spiral one in the video, and the Spio VIII Co2 diffuser (which looks like a combination of the spiral one and a nano diffuser).


I'm definitely going to do a DIY c02 application first before I try the compressed one. I feel like i'd learn so much from building this and trying.

plantblr

Hi

I have a 15gl tank with plants and no CO2.After going through this thread Iam really excited to set up DIY CO2 for my tank too.

I have heard that CO2 can be relased to the tank using your powerhead filter,but dont know how....

Please clear my below queries(may look a bit foolish coz am new to this):

>How do i connect the outlet to the filter that I use(picture attached) so that the filter outlet releases the CO2 in the tank using a diffuser.
>How do I control the flow of CO2 and how many bubbles per second/minute need to be allowed.
>Does the CO2 flow need to be stopped during the night when the lights are off,if yes how do I do it.



Regards,
Ravi

John N.

The Hagen ladder works very well, but is large and unsightly at times. Works best in 20 gallons or less.

The Nano glass diffusers and the other types of glass diffusers work well when placed under a flow, powerhead, or filter intake. This maximizes the dissolution of C02 while spreading the CO2 bubbles throughout the tank. Works best in 20-30 gallons or less (with DIY CO2).

The powerhead/siphon tube combo is another good one, which I've been prefering over the others. Dissolves CO2 well, and doesn't require much cleaning like the other two. I would purchase the Red Sea Reactor 500, since it's small. Works best in 20-25 gallons or less.



Same dissolving principle of the Reactor 500, and powerhead/siphon combos. Power Vortex Reactor at work.

Ultimately, since they all work pretty well, it's based on your preference of look and style.

-John N.

John N.

Hi Ravi,

1) People diffuse CO2 straight into their filter by placing the CO2 tubing directly underneath the intake or wedged in between the intake strainer. The filter will suck up the bubbles, break them down, and will dissolve the CO2 inside the filter and spit out what doesn't get dissolved.

2) You can't control the C02 flow rate with DIY CO2. But there is no worries, with DIY CO2 expect around 1 bubble every 4-6 seconds.

3) There is no need to turn it off at night. The amount of CO2 that gets "injected" and dissolved isn't going to harm fish in any way. However if you are really concerned about too much CO2 at night, you may place an air pump and airstone on a timer to run at night, thereby degassing any C02 in the tank.

Have fun with your DIY CO2 setups! You'll love it when you see your plants grow better.

-John N.

nova

Has anyone tried generating CO2 by mixing baking soda and vinegar? The amount of co2 generated is way more than the yeast recipe. Ive seen it being used to fill balloons, so I know the pressure is more.

Would having more bubbles per minute (since the CO2 is under more pressure than the yeast method) end up lowering the pH too quickly?

Thanks

Homer_Simpson

I am not sure but I don't think that a vinegar and baking soda mix would give you C02 production for very long. You would get an initial burst, then things would fizzle out quickly. With yeast, you may not get the same pressure immediately, but you would likely have more sustained c02 output over a longer period of time before the brew fizzles out. Also, I don't think you want to saturate your tank with too much c02 all at once. Your fish could die from the excess c02 build up over such a short period of time.

jackh

i really dont understand the whole syringe bubble counter thing. can someone give me a link or explain it to me? big pictures would be great

timwu12

Hi,

I'm new to this, but I have a 20 gallon tank and I want to run a CO2 system through it. My question is, I have a 1 gallon syrup container, and 1 gallon is about 4 liters, so is it ok to just double your 2 liter soda bottle recipe so that it works for a gallon or is that too much that it'll burst the bottle and add too much co2 into my tank?

also, for your yeast muck catcher that you made out of a check valve and a syringe, are you supposed to fill the syringe with some water as in seen in your post? Because if so, won't the CO2 get dissolved into that water? I'm assuming that the pressure won't build enough to make it out of the water, up the tubing, and into the diffuser.

Thanks for the help guys!

hoppycalif

The first question: you are right - just scale up the quantities when you use a bigger bottle or jug.

Second Question: it is the water in the "muck catcher" that catches the "muck". Yes, CO2 dissolves in that water, but CO2 comes out of solution as easily as it goes into solution, so the effect is the same as CO2 just flowing right through the water and into the outlet tube.

timwu12

Cool, Thanks for the help... now that I know it'll work, should i fill the whole syringe with water or leave some air in it like in the picture?

Also, I have a Penguin 660 powerhead, and it's got a little opening on the top by where the water rushes out and that opening is attached to a line that lets oxygen in so that the water gets oxygenated. Can I pull that out and directly add the CO2 line there?

I have a co2 diffuser that'll get picked up by the powerhead and dispersed throughout the tank, but that's coming in the mail and it won't arrive for quite some time, so i was wondering if this method would sufficiently suffice for now or is it too close to the top of the tank that any co2 produced would just evaporate? THanks again!