DIY CO2 System Help

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mr.waffles1842

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Hey guys. In my 20 gallon, i dont have many plants. 1 anubias on driftwood barely hanging on, some java moss, and a banana plant. I want to get it a fully planted aquarium, and want a DIY co2. Havent done one before, but i could use some help with it. Im aware the basic process is that you mix yeast water and sugar in a bottle, which creates co2, and you run the gas through some airline tubing into the aquarium. Thats a very rough description, i know. Im planning on using something like a gatorade bottle as my container. Please let me know if thats too small or big or whatever. Also, im unsure of the amounts of the ingredients, and also the step by step process. Could really use some advice in this guys. Last couple times ive posted a thread in this corner about planted tanks, not much response...
 
Well, i setup a diy co2 generator 2days ago, and its working great. First of all, i think your going to need something alittle bigger than a gatorade bottle. I use a gatorade bottle as my gas separator.
I would use one 2 liter bottle as the actual generator. A small gatorade bottle wouldnt do much at all.
All you need is. a 2liter bottle, silicone tubing, check valve, a smaller bottle for a gas separator, and tape. I kind of suck at writing so i would google diy co2, and the first couple of links will probably tell you how to build it

As for a recipe, I used 1 and 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and before adding all that i had filled the bottle 2/3 with dechlorinated tap water. The sugar needs to be dissolved in the water, which means alot of shaking. And you must activate the yeast before adding it. (one of the links should explain that
Oh , and a diffuser!!!
 
lemme make sure i got your list down.
-2 liter bottle (coke bottle???)
-Airline tubing
-check valve (petco version???)
-Gatorade bottle for gas seperator or whatever that is
-Duct tape
-Chopstick
Is that it? anything with 3 ? next to it means id like your opinions. And by googling DIY co2, i came up with a chopstick for a diffuser.
 
Alright ive read it. Very interesting. Who knew there were so many factors in a Co2 system? So now i have more questions. Of course i do right?
-What is the check valve for?
-What airline tubing should i use? Like the petco variety?
-What size should my gas separator be? is gatorade still a good idea?
-and finally can i use duct tape to make it airtight?

Anyone who can answer these questions will have my gratitude.
 
I just made mine myself.

Any 2 liter bottle is fine!

I used a powerade bottle for my separater so the gatorade bottle should be perfect.

I used silicone tubing and any check valve should be fine, this prevents water from the tank being sucked out if the co2 flow should stop.

I used a 1 gallon tank filter to put the Co2 into my tank... I am not sure how well that part is working though.

Oh, and I used silicone to seal everything.
 
youtube has a step by step process.
Just put in diy co2.
The gas separator I think he means bubble counter
 
lemme make sure i got your list down.
-2 liter bottle (coke bottle???)
-Airline tubing
-check valve (petco version???)
-Gatorade bottle for gas seperator or whatever that is
-Duct tape
-Chopstick
Is that it? anything with 3 ? next to it means id like your opinions. And by googling DIY co2, i came up with a chopstick for a diffuser.

Replace the chopstick with a diffuser.
ebay under 10 bucks.
 
1 LARA said:
youtube has a step by step process.
Just put in diy co2.
The gas separator I think he means bubble counter

Yes sorry, the site calls it a gas separator. But even tho it iscalled that, i cannot count bubbles....
 
I did watch a few step by step vids on YouTube, and I took what I felt were the best suggestions from each and did my own thing, sort of.
 
Also, although everything says 1 bubble a second, I find its more like 5 bubbles and then nothing for like 3 seconds and then like 5 bubbles in fast succession, if that makes any sense at all. It isn't super steady in my bubble counter.
 
Alrighty, thanks for all your help. heres my plan now.
Im going to use a 2 liter apple juice container. I will hammer a nail into the cap, then slide in my airline tubing. its for aquarium use. anyway that will run into a gatorade bottle into the water withing. Then it will exit out a shorter tubing into my aquarium. seeing as how i cant find any small filters, im going to try a new method from 6th grade chemistry. Using a medicine bottle (boiled and stuff) ill run the tubing into that bottle. I'll submerge the bottle, then run the tubing into it. the co2 will make a co2 pocket. the water and gas will mix as the bubbling churns it all up, especially in the confineness. Eventually the co2-rich water will mix into the tank water. and thats my co2 system. point out my mistake. I cant find one, but im the novice, u guys the experts.
 
When I decided to do the DIY co2 thing I thought the whole coke bottle thing looked kind of tacky so I decided to build my reactor from 3 inch PVC pipe from home depot. I don't run a bubble counter or check valve because I wanted to eliminate the possibility of leaks. I think the only way you can siphon water back in from the tank or vice versa is if you accidentally squeeze your coke bottle or whatever you use. Since mine is solid, i dont have to worry about that. I might add one just to be safe since i know it works now. Anyways mine cost me about 15 bucks which I don't think will kill anyone's pocket.

On another note, I found when drilling the holes for the airline be sure to start small and slowly work up larger size drill bits until you can barely pull the airline through with some pliers. I didn't even have to use any silicone around my tubing and it's leak free and running well.

Also, I might end up ordering one of those fancy glass diffusers but for now I found one that actually works really well at petco. I'll post some pics of my setup.
 

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Please let me know how you pill bottle works. I feel like the bubbles that come out of my little 1 gallon filter might be too big!
 
When I decided to do the DIY co2 thing I thought the whole coke bottle thing looked kind of tacky so I decided to build my reactor from 3 inch PVC pipe from home depot. I don't run a bubble counter or check valve because I wanted to eliminate the possibility of leaks. I think the only way you can siphon water back in from the tank or vice versa is if you accidentally squeeze your coke bottle or whatever you use. Since mine is solid, i dont have to worry about that. I might add one just to be safe since i know it works now. Anyways mine cost me about 15 bucks which I don't think will kill anyone's pocket.

On another note, I found when drilling the holes for the airline be sure to start small and slowly work up larger size drill bits until you can barely pull the airline through with some pliers. I didn't even have to use any silicone around my tubing and it's leak free and running well.

Also, I might end up ordering one of those fancy glass diffusers but for now I found one that actually works really well at petco. I'll post some pics of my setup.


Id like to know the name of that diffuser. So far my pill bottle thing is just getting started. I read somewhere that my airline tubing shouldnt be the standard petco tubing. this true?
 
Id like to know the name of that diffuser. So far my pill bottle thing is just getting started. I read somewhere that my airline tubing shouldnt be the standard petco tubing. this true?

I heard that the only other choice is the blue and I think black silicone tubing in comparison to the clear tubing something lyne but I hear the co2 wont have chemical reaction with clear.
Myth I thinkm
Most diy I seen was clear
 
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