Hi, folks,
My pH is running from 7.5 to 7.8, and I want to lower it to breed Rams and maybe other things. And my plants aren't doing so well, either. So ... DIY CO2! I tried to search the site for it, but was unsuccessful. The terms "DIY" and CO2" are both too short to run a search, and "dioxide" resulted in only a few posts, none of which addressed the how-to's of CO2 injection. So here goes ... new post.
My 38-gal planted tank gets 40 watts of sunlight-spectrum fluorescent light, and I can't (yet) afford compact fluorescents. I consulted a KH/pH chart that determines CO2 levels in the water, and mine is low. So, for now, trying DIY CO2 seems to be the answer. From what I've been able to find out, here is the procedure:
1) Drill a hole in the cap of a 2-liter pop bottle
2) Run some airline tubing through it and seal, with aquarium acrylic (which I don't have) or a hot-glue gun (which I do have)
3) Half-fill the bottle with warm water and add a package of yeast and a cup of sugar. Wait 24 hours, until it starts to bubble.
4) Connect the other end of the airline tubing to my tank. (And here's where it gets crazy--how to diffuse the CO2 bubbles into the tank appears to be limited only by the aquarist's imagination ... ) I figured I'd dig out that 18" bubble wand I've got somewhere and connect it to the yeast bottle, then put it in the center back of my tank next to the substrate. Small bubbles will dispurse the CO2 bubbles before they leave the tank, right?
Concerns and questions:
1) Do I have the procedure right?
2) Will this stuff kill my fish if I do it wrong? (How do I measure the CO2 going into the tank, and do I need to?!)
3) WILL THIS THING EXPLODE ALL OVER MY LIVING ROOM AND MY CHRISTMAS TREE?!
I'm waiting until I hear from more experienced minds than my own before I try this.
Eagerly awaiting your advice, info, and thoughts. Thanks,
-- Pat
My pH is running from 7.5 to 7.8, and I want to lower it to breed Rams and maybe other things. And my plants aren't doing so well, either. So ... DIY CO2! I tried to search the site for it, but was unsuccessful. The terms "DIY" and CO2" are both too short to run a search, and "dioxide" resulted in only a few posts, none of which addressed the how-to's of CO2 injection. So here goes ... new post.
My 38-gal planted tank gets 40 watts of sunlight-spectrum fluorescent light, and I can't (yet) afford compact fluorescents. I consulted a KH/pH chart that determines CO2 levels in the water, and mine is low. So, for now, trying DIY CO2 seems to be the answer. From what I've been able to find out, here is the procedure:
1) Drill a hole in the cap of a 2-liter pop bottle
2) Run some airline tubing through it and seal, with aquarium acrylic (which I don't have) or a hot-glue gun (which I do have)
3) Half-fill the bottle with warm water and add a package of yeast and a cup of sugar. Wait 24 hours, until it starts to bubble.
4) Connect the other end of the airline tubing to my tank. (And here's where it gets crazy--how to diffuse the CO2 bubbles into the tank appears to be limited only by the aquarist's imagination ... ) I figured I'd dig out that 18" bubble wand I've got somewhere and connect it to the yeast bottle, then put it in the center back of my tank next to the substrate. Small bubbles will dispurse the CO2 bubbles before they leave the tank, right?
Concerns and questions:
1) Do I have the procedure right?
2) Will this stuff kill my fish if I do it wrong? (How do I measure the CO2 going into the tank, and do I need to?!)
3) WILL THIS THING EXPLODE ALL OVER MY LIVING ROOM AND MY CHRISTMAS TREE?!
I'm waiting until I hear from more experienced minds than my own before I try this.
Eagerly awaiting your advice, info, and thoughts. Thanks,
-- Pat