success with DIY CO2

[brendan]

In a few days I'll be setting up my 35g FW tank. I've been reading a lot about DIY CO2 injection using yeast, powerhead and a home made mixer. I was wondering what type of success people have had with thim method.

TIA

 

[betowess]

Sounds like a bit large tank for that. But, I have a mini vortex which is the same principle and it cranks 30ppm of CO2 with a 26 gallon as long as I have a 7pH and KH around 7. So its sorta do able. But I use pressurized CO2 to get that kind of ppm. You can get a Milwaukee all in one regulator needlevalve and electric solenoid for (amazingly low price of) $76 from http://www.aquatic-store.com/ The mini vortex has a small cylinder inside the bigger one where the powerhead goes thru. The CO2 actually goes inside the smaller cilinder I believe first. On bottom is a round cyliinder sponge which acts as media. Building an in line reactor, my next project is the best way to go and I'll retire my mini vortex to a yeast CO2 2 liter setup. I got the mini vortex from http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html

 

[patryuji]

I recently did a little DIY CO2 setup for my 29G tank. I connected the container with my yeast and sugar to a gang valve with my airpump. This way I have the pressure to push the CO2 out of an airstone at the bottom of my tank and I can control how much comes out.

Results: my tapwater's PH is around 7.4-7.5 and my tank has been holding a constant PH of 7.0 for 2 weeks now.

 

[William]

Do you keep your fish in the tank during the PH change?

and how quick is the change?

 

[Guest]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...tid=8981&R=6277&N=2004+2021+113565&in_merch=1

Hagen Co2 system. I just buy the bubble counter/diffuser (comes with co2 proof tubing). Its the ladder-looking thing in the picture. Hook that up to a 2 liter DIY co2. Very efficient for folks like me who are diy challenged! (plus, I like to watch the bubles go up the ramp and get smaller till they dissapear as they go. I just think it's neat to watch the co2 dissolve into the water. Silly me.)

DIY co2 on a 35 gallon isn't going to be as helpful to plants as pressurized co2, but it's a good place to start. I use this setup on a 25 and it does make a difference in ph and plant growth.

 

[Mr Burns]

DIY is good up to 30 gallon tanks, but what if the tank is a long 65 gallon? would it be possible to have a powerhead on each end of the tank with it's own DIY CO2 source?

i plan on having two power heads for the UGF anyways, so i was wondering if it'd be worth feeding a CO2 line into the filter-powerhead pipe of each one.

how do you regulate how much C02 is getting to the tank from a DIY setup without having it blow up the 2 litre bottle?

 

[Guest]

how do you regulate how much C02 is getting to the tank from a DIY setup without having it blow up the 2 litre bottle?

You don't! Impossible to regulate the pressure AFAIK.

65 long? Get a pressurized co2 system. Even with several bottles, it'll be really hard to make a difference with that size tank. not to mention the fact that you will very rapidly get sick of mixing up new batches of mixture all the time. The amount of money you'll spend on sugar for 6 months or so will prolly be close to what a pressure system will cost you.

 

[Mr Burns]

this isn't going to be a heavily planted tank - some green/giant hydro, java fern, and xmas moss... does that matter?

 

[patryuji]

Do you keep your fish in the tank during the PH change?

and how quick is the change?

If this was to me, I don't worry about it as it isn't significant enough to warrant any worry.

30% water change with a PH of 7.5 (that is water with 1X10^(-7.5) M of H+) going into water with a PH of 7.0 (1X10^(-7)M of H+) yields a PH of roughly 7.1 if I could instantly change the water. I usually use a siphon to slowly replace the water and I add the new water right where the airstone (with CO2 and airpump) is as the new water will more readily absorb the CO2 due to having less of it in solution as compared to the water which has already been aerated. It currently takes me about 45 minutes to get the new water in (roughly 8.5 gallons).

 

[Guest]

this isn't going to be a heavily planted tank - some green/giant hydro, java fern, and xmas moss... does that matter?

Yes, it matters.
In that case, don't bother with co2. Never kept Christmas moss, but the others will be OK with no co2.

 

[TankGirl]

I have had a lot of success feeding DIY CO2 into my canister filter, just feeding the tubing into the intake tube. Doubled my ppm this way compared to ladder diffuser method.

 

[Madame_X]

I just think it's neat to watch the co2 dissolve into the water. Silly me.)

I like to watch them, too. I even kept my bubble ladder when I switched from the Hagen to a CO2 injector.

FWIW, my husband ordered my Milwaukie regulator from www.aquatic-store.com too. Their price seems unbeatable.