Diy co2 question

[Malupoo]

Hey guys,
So I have a question regarding diy co2. Basically I made mine a few days ago and it seems to be a good formula and I was told to undo my coke bottle lid at night. But when I start, my mixture begins to squirt everywhere.

Is this normal?
I think maybe it may be due to the water level in the bottle. What you guys think?

Thanks

 

[Fresh2o]

I don't think its necessary to do anything at night. Let it run 24/7. Unless you are introducing a large amount of CO2 and/or you have poor circulation, this should not be a problem. I have been running a pair of 1L bottles since May 2013 (recharging each bottle every other week or so) with decent results and no visible issues to the fish.

I keep mine at low pressure. Tried a ceramic diffuser a couple of times but did not like:
1. The amount of time it took to build up adequate pressure
2. The affect of that much pressure on a DIY setup (leaks, cracked bubble counter). It really challenges those check valves.

I simply pipe the end of the tubing into the HOB filter intake. I setup a second filter as a backup to the primary one; right now it only has floss in it. The idea is to trap as many fine CO2 bubbles in it so that the contact time with the water flowing through the filter will be maximized.

 

[Malupoo]

Ok cool I'm using a 2 Litre bottle on a 35g tank. I know it's not ideal on a tank this big but I'm trying to battle algae until I can afford pressurized co2. Think I would get away with leaving it on all night?

 

[Fresh2o]

Yep, leave it on all night. With the use of some decent check valves and a T connector, you can hook up a pair of CO2 generators. The check valves will allow you to remove one bottle for maintenance without depressurizing the system

I have had good results with DIY CO2, however, I am on the brink of taking the plunge in the dark side (pressurized). Just starting my research now.

 

[Alan79]

I've run 2 x 2L bottles at once in a 20g tank and had no issues. On a 25g you could run 3 easily enough. If you are worried about oxygen in the water at night just shift the outlet of your filter at night so it agitates the surface of the water a lot.