DIY C02 Reactor

[SittingDuck]

After doing research on the net for some kind of DYI C02 solution I came across this link:

http://www.hoftiezer.net/personal/aquaria/aquaria_construction_co2reactor.htm

It's an External C02 reactor. My question is, after building this thing, what in the world do you do with it? Does it need anything in it like Yeast, baking powder and sugar? Does it need a powerhead attached to it? The instructions for making it are crystal clear, but implementing it after you're done aren't very helpful...

I'm a n00bie for plants, but am very interested in getting a 130 gallon aquarium setup for plants. Most commercial C02 solutions are very costly, so any DYI alternatives would be preffered.

 

[black udder]

I'm no expert, but this appears to be just the reacter/diffuser. You still need something to generate CO2. That would feed into this device and it would mix the water and CO2 to give you the best mix rate.

From what I've garnered reading the boards, 130G tank would be too big for normal DIY stuff like 2 litre bottles.

If you're talking about spending the money on a 130g tank, I'd just go all the way. As somebody had said previously, it'll save you time, effort and heartache to just do it right the first time. I think folks have said you could get a setup for $200+, which isn't that bad considering that it's the initial cost of everything and you really get much better control over the injection when you get a good system.

I have a 46g tank with two 2 litre bottles that is working fine, but I also have the hassle of mixing the yeast and such. If I was single, I'd just get the CO2 done right so I'd have no worries about how much is getting into the tank.

It makes a huge difference though.

There's a sticky on CO2 in the planted forum with a lot of info if you haven't been there already.

 

[SittingDuck]

Thanks for the input. Ya, I'm starting to think that doing it right the first time is the way to go. I've put 2 plants in the aquarium as an experiment to see what will happen, and so far they're doing quite well. One of them has split into two plants. I don't think I'm looking at creating a jungle in my aquarium, just a few plants to give it a little more life.

I think when you go with the C02 solution you're trying to create a landscape of plants. That's not my case...it does look very interesting and cool, but I don't think that level of commitment is something I'm ready for at this point.

I've given up on C02 injection for now, but somewhere down the road I may look into it again.

Thanks for the help!