DIY co2 or compressed? - Equipment

Ovrkill · 11-22-2009, 10:23 PM

I am going to add co2 to my 29 gal again and had a few questions. The tank had DIY co2 in the past but I got lazy with it as I wasn't seeing much come out of it. I know now that it was because I didn't have enough light and ferts do make everything click. I can say though that my java moss did turn a deep green and did take off.

1. Should I go for DIY co2 or should I use compressed? Compressed may/may not be an option depending on $$$. I have a TON of yeast lurking around (wife bought some to make some bread, lost it, bought more and then found the old stuff then never made anything with it lol.)

2. If DIY is the better option would 3 2-liter bottles be too much for a 29 gal? Don't wanna choke my little fishies lol.

3. On average how much do you pay for the tank rental and a fill? I know you may not live near me but I'm just trying to get a rough idea. I tried to call a welding company that was open today and he said they don't rent out their tanks anymore. I am working 16 hour shifts all this week to pad my next paycheck for the holidays so not sure if I can catch a break to call around this week and would like a rough guesstimate.

4. In the past I used a powerhead with a 3/4ths inch pvc painted black and filled with polyfill with the airline tube coming from my DIY gas/crud separator at the end so the bubbles would lift into the pipe and get churned into the water. It breakes them down to super fine bubbles and also helps to add circulation to my tank, even if I go with compressed is this a good setup or should I go another route? I don't care about the whole visability thing as I hope to soon have a DIY background that will hide everything and a sump so all you will see are bubbles shooting across the tank if I stay with the powerhead.

Anyway, I would appreciate all the help and suggestions that I can get. I am pretty open to ideas and love to learn from people who have been there/done that. Thanks all.

On a side note sorry if this post seems kind of like rambling. Haven't gotten much sleep and feeling ill and little out of it from the medications for my back.

Chris

ghengis · 11-22-2009, 11:09 PM

If you have the bucks, there really is no question. Pressurised, FTW. That yeast you lost and found is likely off, anyways. Also, DIY will always fluctuate in it's output, meaning you will battle algae, constantly. Pressurised won't entirely eliminate the problem, but the consistency certainly helps... Can't help with costing, I'm afraid, since I live quite a ways from where you do.

Ahura-sama · 11-24-2009, 10:14 AM

Craigslist first
Then local beverage suppliers
If both fail then Beveragefactory. They ship from San Diego, CA.
100 for both the regular and 5lb tank.

Tank might be cheaper if you buy locally, as long as it is certified.

bsmith · 11-25-2009, 12:36 PM

The above posted comments are 100% correct. I purchased my pressurized system over a month or so just piecing it together off of craigslist, ebay, and other resources. My system will more then likely outlast me and I have about $70 in it with a very very precise needle valve.

aquatic_clay · 11-25-2009, 03:26 PM

I would go pressurized like everyone said it more consistent. I'm currently using diy and wanting to make the switch to pressurized since i'm tired of mixing new co2 every 3 weeks.

Clay

Seattle_Aquarist · 11-25-2009, 06:16 PM

Hi Ovrkill,

I did DIY on my first planted setup until I was sure that it was going to work for me. I did 2 each 2 liter bottles on my 45 gallon and it worked very well. I hooked them both up to the aquarium and "recharged" one or the other every week. Once I set up my second tank, I decided DIY was too much work and went pressured...which gives me more time to work with the plants!

Ovrkill · 11-28-2009, 08:56 AM

Thanks guys for the replies and suggestion. I have decided to go with the pressurized tank but unfortunately have had to put my searching on hold with the holidays and a recent chronic back problem that is rearing its ugly and severely annoying head again. Hurt my back in high school wrestling and at least once a year I do something to re-injure it so I am trying to take it as easy as I can.

I just started DIY on a new Betta tank (I will make a journal of it when I find a spare moment with work and the fam taking up all my time right now lol). I don't have too many plants in it right now but I will be filling it with cuttings from all of my other tanks and I will be getting more of a green/red needle leaf plant (not sure what it is yet, I am going to need some help from you guys to ID it, have to redo the pics of it because some of them didn't turn out right) from the walk park lake as soon as I go back out there.

I fixed my DIY CO2 last night. I had it running into the jet head of my Cascade 300 Internal filter which spit out some pretty big bubbles. I wasn't really happy with it but it was late at night when I first did it and just wanted to get it done. Last night I fixed it up. I have a hole that I drilled into the bottom with an airline tube running out of it. I attached that tube to a dosing cup from one of my bottles of de-chlorinator. Then I drilled another hole in the side of the cup and attached another airline tube from the DIY CO2 bottle. Now the way that I have it I am getting pretty fine bubbles. I made my own bubble counter /gas/crud separator and I am getting about 1 bubble every second so hope its enough for a 10 gal.

All my plants are pretty small/damaged as they were trimmings/rescues from my other tanks. The L. Repens are tiny because the stem they came from was left floating for about a month because every time I planted it my pleco would uproot it. My sword plant is crappy because it was a side shoot that I clipped from my main one and then had in my crab tank and it just never did very well. I think it only grew 2 leaves and the rest just kinda died off. I haven't put any ferts in the tank yet because with the high light (52 watts 6700k on a 10 gal ^_^ and soon I hope to add a halogen 62 watt for a mid-day burst) and just starting CO2 I don't want to battle algae just yet. I just battled and finally won green water in the 29 gal, don't want to do it again so soon lol.

Anyway, sorry for no pics, I will upload them tonight when I get home off work. And thanks again for the help/comments.

Chris