DIY CO2 basics (and some not-so-basics)-discussion thread

[msjinkzd]

The article can be found at the link below, please feel free to share your experiences in this thread.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152401

[bitbot]

Great article.
How much yeast are you supposed to use?

[Bk718]

Great article.
How much yeast are you supposed to use?
about 1/4 of a teaspoon

[Deanthoreu]

article i read and use is 1/2 tsp yeast 2 cups sugar...
they say will last 3 weeks with shaking every 3 days....and i toss in a flintstones multivitamin every 3 days ( grand kid didnt like them but the 2 litre soda bottle yeast reactor does ) and it has lasted me about 5 weeks and counting so far now that i am tossing vitamins.

i followed the instx on www.plantedtank.net (http://www.plantedtank.net)

[alfbennett]

Nice Article.

On the way to work I was actually thinking....

I wonder if I can brew some beer AND have a CO2 reactor all in one shot.:evil_lol:

I may give it a try, once I know more about planting tanks.

[Sploke]

No reason not to. I would strongly recommend using a gas separator though - I have had several ferments get pretty vigorous and foam out of the airlock. Wouldn't want that stuff ending up in the tank.

[rithunder916]

OK so for a 2l bottle, 2.5 cups of sugar and 3/4 tsp of yeast. Fill the bottle how much water? and i'll be mixing in some vitaminwater that i don't personally care for!


Mike

[Fish-Addict]

OK so for a 2l bottle, 2.5 cups of sugar and 3/4 tsp of yeast. Fill the bottle how much water? and i'll be mixing in some vitaminwater that i don't personally care for!


Mike

I usually go for the following:
Add all the other ingredients, then top up with water until the bit where the bottle starts to slope inwards. Good luck!

[Sploke]

Yep, thats about how much I fill it as well.

Be careful with prepackaged juices like vitamin water - they can contain preservatives that can inhibit yeast growth.

[coach_z]

i usually do 1/4 tsp yeast for 2 cups sugar

[Opicana]

I am planning on making a DIY CO2 very soon for my new planted...I've researched it quite a bit, and I'm confident in how to make the mixture, the 2L bottle, etc...

What I am confused about is the part that is always mentioned in instructions but never explained....people always throw out terms like "bubble counter", "check valve" and "gas separator"....What is it that I need? And where do I find it? I know its supposed to go between the 2L and the intake (I'm going to use the intake on my canister to diffuse)....but that's all I got.

[Sploke]

A gas separator is just an empty bottle that will catch any foam that accidentally gets into the CO2 line. You can use a smaller bottle, like a 20oz soda bottle. You'll need two holes in the cap. The line from the CO2 mix comes ffrom the 2L bottle and into the 20ox bottle, about halfway down. You put another line into the top of the 20oz bottle, only into the bottle about 1" or so, which goes to the tank. Sometimes ferments get a little overactive, if its warmer than usual or if there are lots of solids in the solution or too much yeast. If it foams up far enough to get pushed into the tube, it spills over into the gas separator instead of getting pushed into the tank.

[Opicana]

Thanks, sploke, sounds easy enough. If I have this, do I need a "check valve" like I have seen on many diagrams?

[Sploke]

If the whole setup is below your tank, then it would still be possible for the tank to back-siphon into the bottle.

[rithunder916]

alright thanks! That is what I was looking for!


Mike

[jon jon]

Hi, congratulations and thanks for the article, one of the best, clear and accurate I’ve read on the web, this even have references, something you not see on a regular basic in most articles out there.
Keep the good work
Greetings
Jonathan

[Sploke]

Thanks!

[carolinyens]

Im so doing this. I need my plants to get juiced up and pumpin like there aint no tommorrow.

[jnb1985]

I'm pretty excited about doing this, light will be my next issue. Awesome article.

[insectheart]

great article. i am starting a planted tank in the near future and will be taking the DIY route the whole way. this really helped clarify the process quite a bit.