Diy co2

[Hannibal the Bichir]

I'm having trouble with my DIY co2 system. I've read other forums about problems, but haven't been able to solve it. I siliconed the tops, and had to use needle nose pliers to pull the tubing through. I have one 2l production bottle and 1 20oz "trap" bottle (the bottle for safety). I used two cups brown sugar, 1/2 tsp yeast and old aquarium water at room temp. The yeast is good, when in the 2l bottle there was a lot of foam that diminished within 12hrs. I can squeeze the 2l bottle and observe bubbles coming out of my air stone. I'm using a super fine mist stone to disuse the bubbles. I have heard it can take up to three days, and since I have the extra volume of the safety bottle; that could affect production time. I have waited 1 1/2 days, but there has been nothing. Your input would be great.
Thanks

 

[phin]

Any reason you used brown sugar instead of regular sugar? What kind of yeast are you using (rapid rise or active dry?)

It sounds like it is the airstone though. You likely don't have enough pressure built up to diffuse through the stone. Can you count bubbles with your safety bottle?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I use this recipe and it works:
http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/09/diy-co2-recipe-duration-vs-intensity.html

I add the yeast to a small bowl of very warm water with some sugar in it. I use a fork to whisk to oxygenate the water so the yeast gets nice and "activated" before I pour it in the bottle with my sugar and baking soda. Also I think you should use very warm to hot water to get the sugar to dissolve nicely. I also use the baking soda as directed in the link I provided. It's suppose to help balance things out for co2 production.

Also, an airstone isn't a very good option for diffusing co2. You should use either a ceramic disk diffuser or something like the DIY mod for the Hagen mini elite... there's some YouTube vids on how to do the latter option.

 

[Hannibal the Bichir]

I heard that molasses, helps in the longevity of the co2 production. Since brown sugar is regular sugar+molasses, I tried that. Im using the active dry Fleischmann's yeast. I thought the airstone would work well, since it breaks up the bubbles nicely. Ill try the cotton method though. However, shouldn't there be a few bubbles noticeable?

 

[Trout11B]

I mix one cup white and one cup brown sugar. I didn't get an airstone to work either. Are you sure you don't have a leak in your system anywhere?

 

[phin]

I heard that molasses, helps in the longevity of the co2 production. Since brown sugar is regular sugar+molasses, I tried that. Im using the active dry Fleischmann's yeast. I thought the airstone would work well, since it breaks up the bubbles nicely. Ill try the cotton method though. However, shouldn't there be a few bubbles noticeable?

Are you using new yeast? If it has been opened before, it needs to be stored air-tight in the refrigerator in order to last.

 

[Hannibal the Bichir]

Yes, the yeast was unopened in my refrigerator. I would think it has enough pressure to go though the air stone. Seeing that with little added pressure, it does so at a rapid pace. I will see if there are any bubbles, when I remove the air stone.

 

[Hannibal the Bichir]

I just submerged the entire system and not a single leak. I think I'll redo the entire mixture and follows yours Brian.

 

[aqua_chem]

You need to submerge it and pressurize it. A plastic syringe is good for this.

 

[foster53]

Silicone doesn't stick to plastic bottle caps very well. I used a hot glue gun, and that solved my leak problem. If you use a juice bottle with a bigger cap, it's easier to seal. More room between the hole, and the edge of the cap.

 

[aqua_chem]

Silicone doesn't stick, but it can clog holes fairly well. Hot glue will probably be more robust though, possibly better at clogging as well. It may compromised your tube if you're not careful though.

 

[foster53]

Right, the hot glue runs in the hole much better, as its a liquid. I checked each piece of tubing after it was glued. No leaks. I don't know if its hot enough to compromise the tubing or not. Definitely want to avoid touching the tip of the glue gun on it though. Not that I would know about that

 

[Hannibal the Bichir]

I'm trying those suggestions soon. Have been really busy lately. My advice, use a toothpick when applying hot glue, has saved me many times.

 

[Hannibal the Bichir]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! The pressure has built up since this morning that it works! As I have heard, I record the bubbles for one mintute and that gives me the output? (A rough estimate)

 

[aqua_chem]

Or ten seconds. Depends on how good you are at counting. I downloaded a metronome app for my phone that has a 'tap out the beat you want' function. I just tap to the rhythm of the bubbles coming out and it gives you the bpm.