[jlui83]

Thanks for the info!

Well there is definetly pressure from the bottle. Every once in a while there will be a spur of bubbles that come out of the airline tube.. then it just stops... then picks up again later.... Is this normal? Or is it supposed to have a constant flow of bubbles?

 

[John N.]

That's normal as it starts up. It will be erratic, and then will be constant, shooting out 1 or 2 bubbles every 4-5 seconds.

This takes about a day or two, and after that, it will be constant for about 2 weeks, and then will become erratic again as the yeast eats up all the sugar. That means you should being to replace it.

-John N.

 

[jlui83]

YAY.. so its working.. lets hope it will keep it up... Im going to attempt a 1L mixture after work today.. with 1 cup sugar. 1/4 tsp yeast...

 

[troybernard]

so what do you do at night when the light in the tank is off and the co2 is still going. do you have a pump that you plug in?

 

[jlui83]

pump? no... I just let it run just like I would during the day......

 

[John N.]

Yes you probably won't need a pump. DIY CO2 doesn't usually produce enough CO2 that will harm fish or inverts. However if you feel more confortable, you can run an airpump at night on a timer to oxygenate the water.

-John N.

 

[troybernard]

Cool. Thanks for all the great info.

 

[jlui83]

well since I made my first 2L bottle and it was giving me 1 bubble every 20 seconds (I haven't checked for leaks) I made another bottle, A 1L bottle and put it in the tank as well. So just for now I have a 2L bottle and a 1L bottle giving about 1 bubble every 8 seconds. Strangely enough, the 1L bottle had bubbles coming out of it within 1hr. I guess that means the hole I drilled for the first one was probabbly too big. I'll check for leaks tonight.

Thanks for the great information!

 

[morefishies]

I have a question about bottle size vs. co2 production vs. the amount of time the reaction lasts.

I have a 2 Quart juice bottle (1.89 L), and i was wondering if this would be sufficent co2 for a 10 gallon aquarium and how long would it probably last?

would a bigger bottle mean it lasts longer? because i'm looking for as low maintenance as possible... but i don't want to put too much co2 in my 10 gallon.

just wondering...

 

[Jimbo205]

I like 3 liter soda bottles.

Purchased from my local Price Chopper grocery store (at midnight).
I don't remember if I poured the Soda down the drain to use the bottle. Or, if I let the kids finish the soda off.
If I am not careful, my family will throw the bottles out instead of recycling.

Good luck with what you are looking for.

 

[AMP]

In regards to DIY using a powered reactor for which I believe I am going to do for now, until i get the money together for a CO2 setup, Can you utilize the airline tube on the power head to allow the CO2 to enter the chamber?

DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium

 

[John N.]

I would be weary connecting the CO2 line directly powerhead using the venturi section because it typically sucks in air. When connecting the CO2 line directly you run the risk of having your yeast mixture getting sucked up into the powerhead and into your tank.

I would instead simply stick and wedge your CO2 tubing in the intake of your powerhead so that it will suck in and break down the bubbles coming out of the tubing.

-John N.

 

[AMP]

I thought about that John, What I did was use the penguin PH Attached the CO2 line to the discharge side of it there was a port to add airiation to the discharge end.

I then created the Generator and attached it to the PH Needle valve


This is how it ended up

 

[John N.]

Ah, I see where you're going. It looks good. I'm having trouble seeing in the picture where you are sticking the CO2 line, inverted and centered in the clear tube with blue top? It looks like it'll work, keep us posted on how effective it is.

-John N.

 

[AMP]

Ok on the first picture of the PH if you look at the black tube attached to the needle valve that 90 degree looking thing, that is where the CO2 line is going, if this works I believe I will add the Pressurized unit to it, when I get the Cash

 

[K20A2]

For everyone using the Hagen ladder.. Where do you guys place the ladder in the tank? Near the outake of the filter or far away from it?

 

[erijnal]

I've been using the 1.89L Gatorade bottles, and I changed the amount of yeast I add from 1/4th of a teaspoon to 1/8th. It took almost a full day for the pressure to build up, but the mixture has lasted me a month with good results. Luckily, most of my CO2 hasn't been wasted in the form of big bubbles off the glass diffuser, so I've been getting efficient dissolution.

When I was adding 1/4th of a teaspoon of yeast, I would get around two weeks of good CO2 production, and it would take maybe 5-8 hours for the pressure to build up where I would get bubbles through the diffuser. So in conclusion, although it takes longer for the pressure to build up with 1/8th of a teaspoon, I got another two weeks out of my mixture

 

[Jimbo205]

At any time when you wish to see more bubbles, I say it is perfectly fine to shake the bottle as hard as you like..

And then watch what happens....

It's fun.

 

[spoof]

in my tank i have one of those hollow rock/tree trunk things that hold filters, heaters and stuff
and on the side there is this grill/grid thing that sucks up the water(its pretty powerful) so i put my co2 canister to a tube with an airstone at the end right next to the grill. so im hoping that by the time it comes out the filter waterfall it will be dissolved, will it?



P.S. it seems that when i turn of my light my fish start gasp a lot and bottom dwellers go to the top trying to breath air. should i put in an airstone?

 

[John N.]

It sounds like your the CO2 is being dissolved properly in your set up. A tell tell sign is to watch your pH drop by measuring the before and after.

In regards to fish gasping, DIY CO2 usually doesn't create that many problems, but it sounds like an airstone is needed in your case to get that needed dissolved oxygen in the water column.

-John N.