7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
So here's the story:
I'm on my 2nd or 3rd batch of 2L DIY CO2 using my standard mixture (2 cups sugar, yeast, pinch of baking powder). This last batch has been a pain. I originally used the same amount of yeast but had slow production, added some more, slightly better production, but still not great.
Then yesterday (maybe a week into the new batch with still poor production) I dump out a cup or two of water and refill with tap water (about same temp). I do a slow stir, and walk away.
I come back 30min later or so and have a perfect stream of bubbles (probably 2 a second where previously it was one ever 2 seconds or so). I come back an hour later and am shocked to see yeast has now started to make its way through the tubing because it has foamed up. Fortunately none made it to the tank (I do not have a secondary container hooked up).
I disconnected the tubing from the bottle, washed out the 2L cap, dumped out a cup or so of the mixture. I then syphoned (yes with my mouth, fortunately didn't even get a drop in my mouth) the tank water out of the tubing to clean any yeast that has made it into the tubing. I drained about a cup or so of tank water then raised the tubing up to drain the water back into the tank (I know this isn't the best but I figured most (if not all) of the yeast had been flushed out of the tubing).
I then reconnected the tubing to the 2L bottle and waited...
The bubbles slowly started, and when I got home 2 hours later, it was back to the fast bubble rate, but since the level in the 2L was lower I no longer had any problems.
Here's my question:
What the heck would cause the yeast to be so stagnant for almost a week and then suddenly decide to produce at such an increased rate? I didn't add more yeast, didn't add more sugar. The only think I can see is that some of the sugar water (and baking powder dissolved in the water), and a small amount of alcohol produced was removed.
I just don't see though that this entire batch (even at the beginning) I never saw this good production of CO2. The thing I keep coming back to is if there was some small trace nutrient/element in my tap water that was needed to speed up metabolism of the yeast.
We have had a few warm days this week, but my DIY CO2 was producing at this level back when I started (temp in the house was between 50 and 65F), so I don't think it is just a temp related thing.
I now have a BBA and brush algae problem in the tank because I've been slowly trying to figure out this problem instead of just making a new batch (med-high light, with ample nutrients, but low CO2 is NOT a great thing)
Thanks for any insight,
justin
Oh and as for any questions regarding baking powder addition it has been shown to slow CO2 production (my first 2 batches produced too much CO2 and my pH was dropping quite low). I've since learned that it ALSO can harm overall production and will not be using it in the next batch.
I'm on my 2nd or 3rd batch of 2L DIY CO2 using my standard mixture (2 cups sugar, yeast, pinch of baking powder). This last batch has been a pain. I originally used the same amount of yeast but had slow production, added some more, slightly better production, but still not great.
Then yesterday (maybe a week into the new batch with still poor production) I dump out a cup or two of water and refill with tap water (about same temp). I do a slow stir, and walk away.
I come back 30min later or so and have a perfect stream of bubbles (probably 2 a second where previously it was one ever 2 seconds or so). I come back an hour later and am shocked to see yeast has now started to make its way through the tubing because it has foamed up. Fortunately none made it to the tank (I do not have a secondary container hooked up).
I disconnected the tubing from the bottle, washed out the 2L cap, dumped out a cup or so of the mixture. I then syphoned (yes with my mouth, fortunately didn't even get a drop in my mouth) the tank water out of the tubing to clean any yeast that has made it into the tubing. I drained about a cup or so of tank water then raised the tubing up to drain the water back into the tank (I know this isn't the best but I figured most (if not all) of the yeast had been flushed out of the tubing).
I then reconnected the tubing to the 2L bottle and waited...
The bubbles slowly started, and when I got home 2 hours later, it was back to the fast bubble rate, but since the level in the 2L was lower I no longer had any problems.
Here's my question:
What the heck would cause the yeast to be so stagnant for almost a week and then suddenly decide to produce at such an increased rate? I didn't add more yeast, didn't add more sugar. The only think I can see is that some of the sugar water (and baking powder dissolved in the water), and a small amount of alcohol produced was removed.
I just don't see though that this entire batch (even at the beginning) I never saw this good production of CO2. The thing I keep coming back to is if there was some small trace nutrient/element in my tap water that was needed to speed up metabolism of the yeast.
We have had a few warm days this week, but my DIY CO2 was producing at this level back when I started (temp in the house was between 50 and 65F), so I don't think it is just a temp related thing.
I now have a BBA and brush algae problem in the tank because I've been slowly trying to figure out this problem instead of just making a new batch (med-high light, with ample nutrients, but low CO2 is NOT a great thing)
Thanks for any insight,
justin
Oh and as for any questions regarding baking powder addition it has been shown to slow CO2 production (my first 2 batches produced too much CO2 and my pH was dropping quite low). I've since learned that it ALSO can harm overall production and will not be using it in the next batch.
