To the DIY CO2 Experts....

[daileene]

Will you please let me know if I can connect the two litre bottle and my bubble counter to the penn plax sponge filter? Is that possible? I was thinking of having that internal filter as the diffuser for the CO2.

Also, can a long length airstone be a diffuser too? Will I need the pump for both possible diffuser or not anymore?

Please let me know. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[daileene]

oppss one more question....is there any way you can turn off the CO2 at night or the check valve is already going to do that job?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BigJim]

Using the filter as a diffuser will work, but the agitation of a sponge filter will off-gas a lot of your CO2. You'll still need an air pump. If you've got enough CO2 pumping into the tank that you can run a sponge filter, you'll poison the fish.

Airstones can also be used, but they put out bubbles that are larger than optimal.

DIY CO2 runs day and night. A check valve only stops water from siphoning down the tube to the bottle. Pressurized setups use a solenoid valve to shut off the CO2.

 

[daileene]

Using the filter as a diffuser will work, but the agitation of a sponge filter will off-gas a lot of your CO2. You'll still need an air pump. If you've got enough CO2 pumping into the tank that you can run a sponge filter, you'll poison the fish.

Airstones can also be used, but they put out bubbles that are larger than optimal.

DIY CO2 runs day and night. A check valve only stops water from siphoning down the tube to the bottle. Pressurized setups use a solenoid valve to shut off the CO2.

Thank you for the reply BigJim. But I still have a question. Sorry. So with the filter, where will I connect the tube from the litre bottle? to the filter directly? That area where I will put the tubing is the area that connects to the pump. So how am i going to do it?

My airstones actually are those long slim rectangular that is connected to my hawkeye 201 pump. and as far as I see, the bubbles that comes out on that thing is not very fast and not a lot. Can I use this one as a diffuser?

 

[BigJim]

Try the air stone. Before I went to a pressurized system, I used a piece of the free chopsticks from the local Chinese restaurant. If it plugged, I'd just chop off a new piece.

 

[Sake]

As for turning it off at night there are a couple things you could do. What i do is went out and bought a cheap air control valve and when night time comes around i just take the screw part out. The CO2 goes out into the air instead of the tank. Also you could put an airstone on a timer so it turns on when the lights go out (or just plug it in when you turn the lights off) that would gas off the CO2 at night.

 

[daileene]

Try the air stone. Before I went to a pressurized system, I used a piece of the free chopsticks from the local Chinese restaurant. If it plugged, I'd just chop off a new piece.

Okay. I will do the air stone. I am not sure if i get the chopsticks in my head correctly. You connect the tubing from the co2 to one end of the chopsticks then put it in the tank?

 

[daileene]

As for turning it off at night there are a couple things you could do. What i do is went out and bought a cheap air control valve and when night time comes around i just take the screw part out. The CO2 goes out into the air instead of the tank. Also you could put an airstone on a timer so it turns on when the lights go out (or just plug it in when you turn the lights off) that would gas off the CO2 at night.

Thanks sake. I did hear about that unscrewing the tube from the air valve and it will go to the air. But they said it will ruin the valve faster?

The airstone method is a good one. I could do that. Thanks.

 

[Sake]

The valves are pretty cheap, I think you can pick them up for 2 or 3 bucks for 5 of them. And honestly I can't see it degrading the plastic valve all that quickly. I've had mine going for about 2 months and haven't noticed any degrading.

 

[uh.oh...]

build a diffuser that runs on electricity (many different kinds) and have the diffuser run with the lights. No lights = no diffuser. Sure the co2 will still pump, but without diffusion, there won't really be enough to effect the ph.

 

[daileene]

The valves are pretty cheap, I think you can pick them up for 2 or 3 bucks for 5 of them. And honestly I can't see it degrading the plastic valve all that quickly. I've had mine going for about 2 months and haven't noticed any degrading.

I just checked how much they cost and I found even a $1 for 10 of them. Cool. Thanks for this suggestion.

 

[daileene]

build a diffuser that runs on electricity (many different kinds) and have the diffuser run with the lights. No lights = no diffuser. Sure the co2 will still pump, but without diffusion, there won't really be enough to effect the ph.

hmmm...that actually sounds interesting. I just have to research again on how I can build that kind of a diffuser. thanks uh.oh.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Why do you want the Co2 off at night?

I'm looking into DIY diffusers.

I don't want to steal your thread but I do have a quick question. If I have an extra HOB filter that i'm going to use for the purpose of co2 distribution, can I have the filter on a timer so it turns off with the lights, thus turning off the co2?

 

[Sake]

Why do you want the Co2 off at night?

I'm looking into DIY diffusers.

I don't want to steal your thread but I do have a quick question. If I have an extra HOB filter that i'm going to use for the purpose of co2 distribution, can I have the filter on a timer so it turns off with the lights, thus turning off the co2?

I actually tried this last night! It didn't go well for me I have a topfin cheap kit HOB filter that I wasn't using, put it on the timer with the lights, woke up this morning to it trying to prime. If you had a self priming HOB filter I would bet it would work.

 

[daileene]

Why do you want the Co2 off at night?

I'm looking into DIY diffusers.

I don't want to steal your thread but I do have a quick question. If I have an extra HOB filter that i'm going to use for the purpose of co2 distribution, can I have the filter on a timer so it turns off with the lights, thus turning off the co2?

Because plants do not need CO2 during night time. they actually use oxygen during night time.

And no, it's okay that you asked that question. We are all here to learn.

 

[daileene]

I actually tried this last night! It didn't go well for me I have a topfin cheap kit HOB filter that I wasn't using, put it on the timer with the lights, woke up this morning to it trying to prime. If you had a self priming HOB filter I would bet it would work.

when you say prime, what does it mean?

 

[Sake]

Well some pumps you will have to add a bit of water to get them started, other pumps you don't they start pumping without you doing anything. The ones that start pumping on their own are self priming pumps. Basically some you have to add water to (mine)to work, others you don't (not mine lol)

 

[daileene]

Well some pumps you will have to add a bit of water to get them started, other pumps you don't they start pumping without you doing anything. The ones that start pumping on their own are self priming pumps. Basically some you have to add water to (mine)to work, others you don't (not mine lol)

LOL. gotcha! I have two filters that are not self-priming then. woohoo i learn something today.

 

[daileene]

okay, so I would scratch my small world penn plax internal filter then to act as my diffuser. I would have thought it would work as well since I changed the carbon area of it into a sponge so both sides are sponge now. it connects to the aquatech pump. so i thought, aside from the airstone that i could use in my other tank, I can use this internal filter too as my diffuser in my other tank. i was thinking of connecting the tubing from that internal filter to my DIY CO2 bubble counter that is connected to the 2 litre bottle.

but, it might be questionable if it works or not. so, to make it easier, I am just going to use something else. i will probably buy another airstone and just do it that way.

 

[daileene]

Okay, you experts probably are tired of me already by now, but i got one more question.

How big of a bottle generator should i use in my 5g tank? If it is less than 2 litre bottle, is the recipe the same with the 2 litre bottle? Thanks.