DIY co2

[FishCr8zy]

Fill the bottle a little less than 3/4 full with water.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Oh ok, what if I coat the tubing in silicone, I don't want to order anything online

 

[FishCr8zy]

Coating it in silicone may/may not work. I have never tried it so I don't know if it will keep the co2 in or not.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Jesus, well I guess trying it out is the only way to find out

 

[Tparkening]

Yeah trial and error, better to undershoot than over shoot if you have fish in the tank. Just realize the output is kinda parabolic that's why people run two bottles feeding into one bubble counter then to tank. Change one bottle every week, leaving the older bottle alone, and vice verse for the next week. This helps with the fluctuation in output.

Don't worry so much about CO2 resistant tubing if it's just DIY. It's really not that big of a deal unless your running a lengthy line to the tank. Regular air line is permeable to CO2 so the idea is that with pressure you lose a large amount of gas passing through the air line material. Its kind of trivial in some sense because O2 is a smaller molecule than CO2, and no one uses O2 resistant line for aerators. With pressurized systems you are usually running higher pressures as well (~50 psi) so there is more concern with air line CO2 permeability.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Oh ok, think I get it now
So I think I'll run 2, 1 liter bottles connected to the bubble counter
So now I need to make 3 holes in the bubble counter right?

 

[Fresh2o]

Oh ok, think I get it now
So I think I'll run 2, 1 liter bottles connected to the bubble counter
So now I need to make 3 holes in the bubble counter right?

Not necessarily. You could use a "T" connector to combine the two CO2 generators into single line. I would suggest using decent quality check valves between each generator and "T" connector. This will allow you remove one generator to refresh it and NOT depressurize the system.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Oh ok, think I have those t's lying around somewhere
Are those pressure checks expensive?

 

[Fresh2o]

Oh ok, think I have those t's lying around somewhere
Are those pressure checks expensive?

I picked up a few from Petco/Petsmart for a couple bucks a piece. Not the highest quality but if you are using low pressure (no ceramic diffuser) them these should be fine.

 

[andresdeo]

Another way to achive the same goal is including in the t-valve a way to switch the flow. I have used before in a DIY CO2 system (not the one I currently run) a dis extension or triple outlet IV line. It allows you to select where you want the flow to go. Here is a photo of what I mean:

Edit: I did not use a ceramic difuser on that setup, just an air stone. So pressure was not that high, I might try it soon with my current setup.