DIY co2 question!

[Bert2oo1]

So I've read the DIY co2 guide in the stickys section ( very helpful ). I'm looking at setting a system up. I've seen u can buy DIY co2 kits for 2l bottles on eBay and was wondering if these are any good? (There about $20aus) or is it just worth me making a set up myself? The ones on eBay has a pressure gauge etc.

My next question is how do I turn the co2 off over night without the bottle exploding? I've heard that u shouldn't run co2 over night when the lights are off but if u turned the check valve off over night wouldn't the bottle build up too much pressure and blow the cap?

Also my tanks a 180l so would it be best to run 2 2l bottles?

Any advice would be great! Thanks guys


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[Alan79]

I have run DIY co2 for a long time. The production levels aren't scarily high. If you are worried about suffocating the fish you can disperse it easily by raising a filter outlet overnight to agitate the surface a bit. That will cause the co2 levels to decrease.

 

[Caliban07]

Or you could have a three way tap inline and simply vent the co2 off to atmosphere. At night it's wasted either way.


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[Bert2oo1]

Ahh yea never thought of that! Thanks for the ideas guys


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[Fresh2o]

When I was using a yeast based DIY CO2 setup I let it run 24/7 into the tank. The amount of CO2 produced was not very high as mentioned above. I monitored the drop checkers and they would be either blue green or green at best. If you are concerned about excessive CO2, then you can put an air pump or powerhead on a timer to run only at night.
With the citric acid based setup, one can simply turn off a valve and CO2 production will cease.


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[Bert2oo1]

With citric acid is there any bicarbonate that leaks into the tank? Will I need to put anything in the line to stop it?


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[Fresh2o]

With citric acid is there any bicarbonate that leaks into the tank? Will I need to put anything in the line to stop it?


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There should not be anything other than CO2 leaving the citric acid setup. I believe the valve controls the amount of one reactant being added to the second one.


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[Bert2oo1]

@fresh2o just 1 more question would it be more beneficial to run the line into the intake of my canister or use a glass diffuser? ( I actually like the bubbling look of the diffuser better than an ugly line into the inlet)


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[Fresh2o]

@fresh2o just 1 more question would it be more beneficial to run the line into the intake of my canister or use a glass diffuser? ( I actually like the bubbling look of the diffuser better than an ugly line into the inlet)


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I'm going to say running the line into the canister because in most situations there is no opportunity for CO2 to leave the canister in gas form. With DIY CO2 not a lot of gas is generally produced so maximizing dissolution (?) will get the most out of it. Also, glass/ceramic diffusers require a bit of pressure to work properly. With DIY it may take a while before you see any bubbles.
When I did DIY I directed the line into the HOB filter intake. Using pressurized CO2, I use a ceramic diffuser which is placed under the HOB filter intake.
Sometimes in place the diffuser under the filter output. This results in a mist of bubbles in the water column.

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