DIY CO2 question

[swanandmokashi]

I am in process of setting up my 29 gallon FW.
I would like to do DIY C02 as I am planning to make it a planted tank.
I think I understand how it is done.

My question is where do you put the tube that carries the CO2 in the tank. I don't have a air pump and don't want one.
The filter I am using is Emperor 280 HOB.

TIA

 

[BillyZ]

I'm a planted newb so someone else might have better advice. But you want the CO2 to come out in as small a bubble as possible so it will get absorbed into the water rather than float to the surface and be released into the air. I think they're called diffusers (?) and you can probably do a search for a DIY one of those as well. What I did was used a small air-stone placed inside the intake for my whisper HOB filter. The air-stone introduced small bubbles that were then mashed to tiny bubbles in the filter's impeller. I know thats not the best, but I didn't have a highly planted tank either.

 

[julicat]

Check out the following link. It's great.

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

I am totally new to C02-ing. Thus far all my lazy...aspidistra...could be bothered with is a two liter bottle with a fermenting C02 mixture and a tube siliconed into the two liter's lid. The tube affixed into the lid is a few inches above the fermenting mixture. From there the tube runs directly into my hang-on-back filter. An airstone that makes pretty fine bubbles is attached to the other end of the tube that's in the filter box.

I remove and and check the airstone every couplefew days to make sure it is not clogged. Also, white gunk accumulates around the airstone every few days...I clean this off with hot water.

To read most descriptions of DIY C02 systems, my system must be a very incomplete system and most of the C02 produced must be escaping at the surface instead of diffusing into the water. But thus far (three weeks running) I definately see that the plants are benefitting. I do need to make a new C02 mixture, like, today.

When I started this, I did indeed just lower the airstone directly into the tank. This, too, benefitted the plants therein. Honestly, I can't afford a store-bought diffuser right now.

Something may go wrong...I am not suggesting my lazy way as a sure, good, foolproof way. I am just presenting this...because it's what I've done so far.

Very possibly, the plants have just a .00001 per cent increase in C02. But they are more healthy, growing better.

What I HAVE NOT noticed is a lower pH. This is discouraging, because naturally lower pH is one benefit I wanted (I have tetras, and tetras reportedly thrive in 6.5 -ish pH).

Not sure if algae growth has slowed.

julicat

 

[balasharkfreak]

Ok, Im in the process of reasearching substrate and filters...but I wanted to know about CO2. I plan on having live plants in a 55g with 110W of light.

Do I need to purchase diffusors, reactors, regulators, solenoids, etc..and do these items make up a DIY kit?
If not, is a DIY CO2 using 2 Liter bottle, tubes, etc..?

Thanks all,
Dan

 

[shawmutt]

My question is where do you put the tube that carries the CO2 in the tank.

I am about to do (another) diy yeast co2, and this time I'm probably going to take lots of pictures and breathe life into my old website. The least expensive, easiest, least complicated, most efficient way I have seen thusfar was to get this bubble diffuser here: (click). Other methods I have seen have some of these qualities (the airstone is the least expensive and least complicated but not very efficient, while CO2 gas injection is very efficient, but expensive and complicated), but the bubble diffuser seems, imho, to be the best way.

I don't have a air pump and don't want one.

You don't need one, all the co2 bubbles you see come from the yeast's reaction with the sugar. As a matter of fact, you definitely don't want one--an air pump will release your co2 from the water.

 

[shawmutt]

Do I need to purchase diffusors, reactors, regulators, solenoids, etc..and do these items make up a DIY kit?
If not, is a DIY CO2 using 2 Liter bottle, tubes, etc..?

Usually, you would want to start your own thread for all these questions .

There are two types of DIY CO2 injection. The first produces CO2 using yeast's reaction with sugar water, and the second uses compressed CO2 gas. The sticky on top of the freshwater-planted tank section by rex grigg explains a lot about that.

 

[swanandmokashi]

thanks for the info. Please post the pictures of DIY CO2 system (step by step if possible)
That would be really helpful