:confused: Help for first time DIY CO2 reactor.

[WinterWind]

I have a 10 gal aquarium, and I’m going to try to do a DIY co2 reactor. This is my first time, so I need some help.

How many liters should my bottle with the yeast have? I read that a lot of people use 2 liter bottles, but that seems to be for bigger tanks. Should I use the 2 liter bottles? Or 1 liter? Or even better, can you guys give me a good mixture amount I should use for a ten-gallon aquarium for example:

· 2 cups water
· 2 cups Sucrose (cane sugar)
· ¼ teaspoon Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
· ¼ cup tepid (ideally 104ºF) water

(But scaled for a ten-gallon aquarium).

[Swimfins]

The 2 litre bottle recipe is for 2 cups of sugar, a half teaspoon of yeast, and a pinch of baking soda to bring up the kh. This was good enough for my 25 gallon tank.

I'd do a 1 litre bottle and cut the recipe in half for your ten gallon. If you need more, you can just put up a 2 litre on the next batch.

Welcome to the fun! I'm running 5 x 2 litre bottles on my 66 gallon tank, but I'm thinking 3 might in fact do it.

[jonathan03]

You can use any container the liquid will fit in but pop bottles are strong since they have to support the pressure from the carbonation. Also, add a second container between your yeast bottle and tank.

Your yeast seems low. I use the standard formula with 1 tablespoon of yeast. 1/4 teaspon is very little. Maybe a second opinion would be good on this though. I haven't tried to tweak the formula too much yet.

I'm not sure that your mix will be creating very much pressure. The full formula that I use barelly has enough pressure for a 38 gallon tank after a few days.

You might consider to just use the full formula and change your diffusion sytem to fit your tank. I think that if you use an inverted bowl for the size of your tank, the excess Co2 will just go up to the top and not be adsorbed. I have heard that its very difficult to overdose with DIY. Maybe someone who has tweaked their diffusion system can suggest the way that they have done it. I would think that a smaller bowl with the standard formula should work for you. I'm sure someone has tried this and can verify it or suggest another way.

[WinterWind]

Ok, so I can probably go ahead and use the abouve formula but with 1 teaspoon of yeast instead of 1/4 teaspoon in a 2 litre bottle without worrying about overdosing on CO2?

[WinterWind]

BTW, what is a "check valve"? Is it like a T shaped thingy that is used to connect two more lines to one airstone?

Can check valves be bought at a LFS, or should I have to go the hardware store?

It would be good if someone could show me how to connect the check valve thingy. I see some diagrams that is connected to a check valve and then into another bottle, and then into the aquarium. Is it absolutely necessary to have the bottle before it goes into the aquarium?

[Harlock]

BTW, what is a "check valve"? Is it like a T shaped thingy that is used to connect two more lines to one airstone?

Can check valves be bought at a LFS, or should I have to go the hardware store?

It would be good if someone could show me how to connect the check valve thingy. I see some diagrams that is connected to a check valve and then into another bottle, and then into the aquarium. Is it absolutely necessary to have the bottle before it goes into the aquarium?
A check valve is a little cylindrical shape about 2 times wider than airline tubing that has nipples on either end to connect to your airline tubnig. You can find them at any LFS, Wal-Mart that carries fish supplies, PetCo, etc. You connect it by cutting the airline in two, connecting both ends to the check valvae making sure the airflow passes through in the direction you need it to, so in your case, from bottle to tank. You can look at the little arrow on the valve or simply blow on the airline and check. I used my DIY CO2 without an additional bottle.

[WinterWind]

How about the tubing?

I read a site that said you should only use silicon tubing, b/c regular aquarium tubing will rot b/c of the CO2. I also read a site where it said it was OK to use aquarium tubing.

And what width should the tubing be? Does it have to be thicker than usual, or smaller than usual, or the same as standard aquarium airline tubing, or does it even really matter?

Thanks.

[Harlock]

How about the tubing?

I read a site that said you should only use silicon tubing, b/c regular aquarium tubing will rot b/c of the CO2. I also read a site where it said it was OK to use aquarium tubing.

And what width should the tubing be? Does it have to be thicker than usual, or smaller than usual, or the same as standard aquarium airline tubing, or does it even really matter?

Thanks.
You can use regular old standard aquarium tubing if you want. CO2 will make even silicone airline tubing brittle over time, but it does take longer for that to happen to silicone whereas it happens more quickly with the standard stuff. For width, standard airline is what you need.

[WinterWind]

You can use regular old standard aquarium tubing if you want. CO2 will make even silicone airline tubing brittle over time, but it does take longer for that to happen to silicone whereas it happens more quickly with the standard stuff. For width, standard airline is what you need.

How long will it be before I have to replace non-silicon tubing?

BTW, is silicon tubing available at most LFS? Or would I have to go to specialty stores for that?

[Swimfins]

I'm using standard airline tubing, its pretty cheap. I would think you'd replace it once a year or whenever it looks like it needs it. A good check valve is important (you can get some that are made for co2, but I use a regular one py pennplax, $3.99) to keep the mix from backing up into your aquarium or worse, draining all the water out if your co2 bottles are kept under the aquarium. Like if the cat goes poking and knocks the bottles over, for example.

I've got 2 x 2 litre bottles on my 66g as of today and the ph is 6.8 and kh is 5, which means about 24 ppm of co2.

I'd really go with the 1 litre mix and add 3/4 teaspoon of yeast and a teasoon of baking soda for a buffer if its too bubbly. I'd rather be safe than sorry. The 2 litre bottle on my 25g dropped my ph as low as 6.6, and you don't want to go below 6.0, for safety's sake or the fish will show signs of stress.

[WinterWind]

How about diffiusing the CO2 into the aquarium.

I heard of the method where you put a bell shaped thing into the aquarium and let the gas collect under there, where it will eventually diffuse into the aquarium.

I don't have the option of putting the tube into a canister filter because I use a power filter.

What other ways are effective and easy to set up?

BTW, do fish stores have good CO2 dffusers like those ladders and cups, or will I have to order online for those?

[Swimfins]

If your using a power filter you can cut your tubing at an angle and insert it into the intake of your power filter. I did it with an aquaclear 200 and it worked great. You can hear a bit of pinging and popping when the bubles hit the impeller, but that's how I knew the co2 was oozing.

Or you can use an overturned shot glass (whiskey glass) and just slip the tubing under the glass. The co2 will pool at the top of the glass creating an air pocket, and this will dissolve into the water. A glass is good because you can see the co2 pocket at the top of it.

It works very well and you'll be surprised how simple it is and how inexpensive because all you really need to buy is the tubing, check valve, sugar yeast and baking soda. Save your money for plants :)

[WinterWind]

How should I use the glass?

Should I set it on the gravel and just slip the tube underneath?

What do you guys do it? Is there some way to suspend it in the water by using the side of the aquarium?

[Harlock]

I made a bell diffuser out of a smaller pop bottle. I believe it was a 20 oz. Minute Maid Fruit Punch bottle. I drilled it just like the reactor bottle, put the tubing through, siliconed it in place and used a suction cup from an old heater that I clipped on the neck of the bottle to place it in the aquarium.

A bell diffuser look sort of like a bell. You cut the top part of a small pop bottle off a little downward of where the curve starts. And, bippity-bobbity-boo it's all done.

[Swimfins]

Tis a good system Harlock. There are many ways, just look around and see what you have on hand. It has to stay on the bottom or be fixed in place. Obviously plastic floats. You can use a pill bottle, the clear ones like drug stores put pills in. Just put a few rocks or pebbles in the bottom (really the top of the bottle, which is updside down)add pebbles
to hold it down, cut a hole at the bottom , insert the your airline tubing, and there ya go. Or fix it a la Harlock, so it stays put.

With the whiskey glass, just put it upside down on the gravel and slip the tube under it...thats it! The weight of the glass should be enough to hold it down, if not, you can put a rock on top and hide it in the back near the side where yu can peek at it from time to time.

[WinterWind]

Thanks for the help.

I think I will use the bottom of a water bottle to use as a bell diffuser. Hopefully, I can find some kind of suction cup to hold it up so that it doesn't take up room on the bottom.

Well, now that I have all this stuff cleared up, I'm going to start getting the supplies and putting this thing together.

I still have some questions though. How long does a yeast mixture last? How often do I replace it? I have a ten gallon aquarium, btw. If I do replace it, do I just open the bottle and pour it out, give it a rinse and replace the yeast solution? How will I know it is safe to open the bottle, since there is so much pressure?

[Maj0rFiSh]

http://www.plantedtank.net/co2.html

[Swimfins]

Thanks for the help.

I think I will use the bottom of a water bottle to use as a bell diffuser. Hopefully, I can find some kind of suction cup to hold it up so that it doesn't take up room on the bottom.

Well, now that I have all this stuff cleared up, I'm going to start getting the supplies and putting this thing together.

I still have some questions though. How long does a yeast mixture last? How often do I replace it? I have a ten gallon aquarium, btw. If I do replace it, do I just open the bottle and pour it out, give it a rinse and replace the yeast solution? How will I know it is safe to open the bottle, since there is so much pressure?

I change mine every week to keep it up as much as possible, my tank is big and takes more co2 and more yeast to keep levels up which burns out faster of course.

You will probably get by with 2 weks before a change. If you use the jello method, it may last a month or so.

Make jello as you would, using half the water. Let it gel in your co2 bottle.
Add your sugar on top of the set jello, then your yeast mix, some baking soda to buffer, and then fill 3/4 full with water. :) The idea is to slow the yeast down so it doesn't consume the sugar so fast and will live longer.