co2/diy vs automated

[nitrous]

what kind of test kits do you need for co2 also is it better to make a diy co2 or the kit from big als
http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19237;category_id=3349
i was thinking diy becuase you can refill cheaper and also the refills for that 1 only last 3-4 weeks and how hard and expensive is it to make the diy co2 system?

i have 18 watts now for a 20 gallon and i want to buy a 2 light hood for 17$ and then with that ill have 40 watts and then thats where ill run into co2

 

[Purrbox]

It's better to go with DIY. While the Hagen system looks nice, the canister really isn't big enough to supply enough CO2 for most tanks. It will also be less expensive to build your own and if you're reasonably handy, it's very easy to build.

As far as refills, you can just substitute your own yeast instead of buying their premeasured packets. The packets are actually just 1/8tsp Champagne Yeast and 1tsp Baking Soda. The Hagen system just DIY CO2 in a pretty package with premeasured ingredients.

 

[ringfinger]

Get a GH/KH and a pH test kit.

DIY is for sure the way to go with the setup you have. The Hagen setup is alright, but really only good enough for maybe 10 gallons...? You would be much better off to make your own using a 2 liter bottle and one of the many yeast recipes from this site. Just search the forum and you should be able to come up with all the info you need. Cost will depend on what you already have and what you need to buy. Think 2 liter soda bottle, Co2 tubing, diffuser of some sort, yeast, sugar, baking soda, and a method to drill the bottle cap for connection to the tubing. There are many methods, once again just search the forum.

Just like Purr says, the Hagen system looks nice but really isn't anything special that you couldn't do on your own.

 

[nitrous]

with the diy co2 system can it cause people any harm if it gets into the air? and also do you kno of a post on here that shows how to do it and what you need?

 

[ringfinger]

No harm to people.

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/co2-narten.html
http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Diyco2.htm
http://www.fishforever.co.uk/carbondioxide.html
http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/DIY-Yeast-CO2/7/

That should keep you busy for a Saturday afternoon. I didn't follow any single plan, but just used what I had available along with many of the ideas on these sites to create my system. All those results from a "DIY Co2" google search.

Here is some advice for you new test kits as well:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=73569

 

[nitrous]

alright so tell me if im correct, you take a 2 liter bottle drill the cap and then silicone the tubing into it and then what do you do from there? just put the tub in your tank or what? they said you can make a reactor but what does that consist of? and do you have a picture of how you did yours?

 

[ringfinger]

You are on the right track with the bottle cap. Rather than just attaching the tubing itself, you will want something like a bulkhead fitting like what is described in the first link I listed. This will help make sure you get a good seal. I used a small 1" piece of hard plastic tubing rather than a bulkhead fitting, and put it in the bottle cap hole and then pushed the softer Co2 tubing down over it. I will post a picture of mine. It just depends what you have access to.

The reactor can be a passive or powered unit. The Vortex Reactor at plantguild.com is a good choice for a powered unit and even comes with 8' of Co2 tubing and the bottle cap fitting already made for you. But it does come at a high price of $50. This is what I bought because I don't have much time for DIY projects. You can also look on eBay for Co2 diffusers.
http://plantguild.com/html/co2.html

A passive unit would be a ladder(like what comes with the Hagen kit), fine bubble air stone, or a glass diffuser.
http://www.petsolutions.com/CO2+Glass+Diffuser-I-12516801-I-.aspx
http://www.petsolutions.com/Rena+Micro+Bubbler-I-17103704-I-.aspx
http://cgi.ebay.com/GLASS-CO2-REACT...oryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Azoo-CO2-Diffus...oryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You could also run your Co2 tube into the intake of your filter depending on the type. A lot of people do that with AquaClear HOB filters with success. This would be the most economical choice if you already run an AquaClear.

 

[nitrous]

yes i have a hob filter so then i can just do the 2 ltr thing with the cap like that then just put it into the intake of the hob or the top of it?

 

[greenmaji]

they make an adaptor that takes your normal air line down to 1/8" for ordements (like the treasrue chest LOL ) use one of those and put the 1/8" line into the intake of the power filter..

now.. if you have a tetra tech or a whisper it might be advisable to not try this long term (some power filters have a hard enough time not getting airlocked on water LOL) If you have a decent HOB this should work though. Prime example being a AquaClear.

 

[nitrous]

its a topfin and came with the tank, this was before i figures out its better tro buy all pieces seperate

so if i cant do this long term what is another option?

 

[greenmaji]

you can give it a shot..

a powered defuser would be the best option otherwise..

czcz has links to exellent plans for power diffusers.. Tom Barr wote them up..

 

[nitrous]

what do they consist of because now i have an air pump on this tank and i kno if i do do co2 i wouldnt use it anymore bc itll just kill the co2 so maybe i can reuse that

 

[greenmaji]

It doesnt have anything to do with an airpump..

it consists of a syphon tube (usually the same as the one that comes on the end of your water changer) and a powerhead (one plan reculates the venturii to disolve the CO2 even further)

the plans are numerious.. and I dont have any bookmarked anymore.. sorry.

 

[ringfinger]

The air pump won't be any use that I can think of...

Here are the plans for a diffuser from one of the links I already posted. This would be for a larger tank, so you would simply cut the tube smaller and use a smaller pump/powerhead. Reading and understanding those links will help you more than anything.

 

[greenmaji]

thats a good one.. but I like the ventui loop design better..

 

[ringfinger]

And the loop design...

I agree with the green guy. Not a bad choice either.

 

[nitrous]

so its pretty much just a powerhead on the top of a cylendar and a tube going in with co2 and a tube going out to take the co2 to the tank or is that thing inside the tank and the hole on the bottom just lets it out into the tank?

and it could be done with out that right but this just makes the co2 go in at a faster rate right?

 

[greenmaji]

Its in the tank.

and I dont think anyone has ever called me "the green guy" ROFL!!

 

[nitrous]

ya i think ill go without the reactor and just have this

thats will be my basic plan with a 2 liter bottle and some tubing along with the mixture

 

[greenmaji]

I will stand by my first oppinon.. I think the absolute best way to dislove the CO2 in your situation (considering the cheap HOB) is to build and use the venturi loop powered CO2 reactor in your tank.. the above diagram is correct, its the absolute best design Ive seen yet.

The lack of quality CO2 diffusion can make a CO2 injection system close to useless.