My DIY CO2 adventure

[Punkymom]

So I decided to make my own CO2 tank. I got all the parts that I needed including those things you buy from a hobby shop. I get it all put together and it seemed kind of funny. The fuel injector thingies didn't fit flush with the bottle cap, and I got a very loose seal with the air hose. I fit it with zip ties and figured that would work. I put together everything and made my first CO2 solution that never started making CO2. Also, sometime during the night the tubing got a siphon in it and the water from my tank leaked into my gas separator. Good thing it did bc those seals with the fuel injector thingies leaked big time! So rethinking the whole design, I got rid of the injector things. Mad about that, they cost me $13. Lesson learned. Also got rid of all elbow joints as they leaked as well. I ended up finding a drill bit that fit snug inside my air line tubing and I drilled my holes with that. Then I took a pair of medical scissors (only way I know to describe them, one side has a hook on it) and stuck them into the holes and carefully widened them a little more. Then I shoved the air line tubing into each hole. This was a PITButt bc the holes were small. Got them in and then tested them for leaks. I filled the bottles with water, plugged the hole and squeezed. Nothing came out. I read about doing this on another site so I'm pretty certain I did it right. Got it all hooked up again and made another solution of yeast that again didn't work. Googled CO2 recipes and tried one more. Success! My DIY CO2 machine is working finally! And thankfully, some annoying mishaps made me aware of other potential problems that now will not go wrong. I'm so happy! Will post some pics shortly.

 

[Purrbox]

Please note that when using the Fourmost Bulk Head Fittings you need the large ones (blue and yellow) to fit the airline tubing rather that the small ones (red and green) that are pictured in this article.

 

[Punkymom]

Well then that's what I did wrong. I bought the small ones. Wish I had known that before. Oh well.

 

[Purrbox]

No worries. I made the same mistake. After switching to the large fittings they worked perfectly and I wouldn't have done DIY CO2 without them.

 

[Punkymom]

I may consider purchasing them later on. I'm going to a 55 gal this fall. Right now the way I have it is working fine, no leaks, so I'm going to leave well enough alone. Is there a cheaper place to get them?

 

[Purrbox]

I got them at a local hobby shop for around $4-5 a few years ago if I remember right.

 

[Punkymom]

I wish I could find one nearby. I tried looking it up online and every number I got was either disconnected or the store was no longer a hobby shop. Ugh. On a better note, I'm already getting some pearling from my plants so yay!