CO2 troubles

Yoemen

Yoemen

In Boogeyman's closet
Nov 2, 2005
765
0
16
Galveston
I switched my DIY CO2 system around. I originally did it by running the tube through the cap in my 2 liter bottles and then using aquarium sealant on it. Well as I had read in other places, the sealant doesn't bond well to soda water bottle caps, so I was noticing leaks and my CO2 production wasn't very good so I ordered some bulk head fittings.

Well, I got the fittings and have been getting horrible CO2 production ever since. My Red Sea Reactor used to lose its whirlpool from time to time and if nothing else I could shake the bottle to get it going again. Well, with the bulkhead fittings, I cannot get any whirl wind action no matter what I do. I even remade my mixture to try and get better production. I am getting nothing.

I have a 2 2-liter bottle setup with 2 check valves between the bottles and the T-valve. I also have a check valve going between the T Valve and the diffuser because I was having water come up my tubing.

There isn't anything in my tubing because I have even blown through the tubing to make sure there wasn't anything blocking it and it comes bubbling out the diffuser perfectly when I do that....


So does anyone have any ideas as to what is up with my CO2 system since adding the bulkhead fittings?
 
hmm

nope, I tried just refreshing it when I put in the bulkheads, but I completely redid it from scratch today.
 
"There isn't anything in my tubing because I have even blown through the tubing to make sure there wasn't anything blocking it and it comes bubbling out the diffuser perfectly when I do that...."

See that's what throws me. I just sounds like you are not getting enough pressure from you mixture. I had the same thing happen with a bad batch of yeast before. One of the main reasons I switched to a pressurized system.

Trashman
 
I count my bubble rates with teh red sea bubble counter with integrated check valve. When the rates get a bit irradic (released a bunch of bubble then stops then another small bunch of bubbles) I know it is time to change my mixture.

For the Yeast reactor I have a very simple system. I heated up a screw driver with a lighter the same diameter or maybe a little smaller than the tubing and shoved it into the soda bottle cap. I squeezed the CO2 resistant tubing through the hole I made (it was already pretty air tight at this point). Then I used clear RTV silicone (availablr at walmart, autozone kragen pepboys etc) and let it cure for a day. No leaks and great CO2 rates. In fact I was getting so many bubbles I changed my recipy (was using the one in the sticky on the first page) to 3 cups sugar (shaken in warm water), 1/2 TBS baking soda, and 1/2 tsp yeast. 1 tsp yeast was just creating too many bubbles (like 4-5 a second, i could not even count!) although the mix still lasted over 2 weeks. If you want to use 2 bottles (not sure it is necessary unless you want to use even less yeast in each bottle to increase change intervals) you could still connect the 2 bottles together by making 2 holes in one of the caps. My CO2 tubing fits very tight over the red seas bubble counter inlets.

Hope this helps! I have been getting some kind of slime in my reactor so I have to pull the front off and clean it every week...Maybe I don't have enough phosphates or something.
 
hmm

After browsing some of the recipes on here, I am thinking I haven't been using enough yeast. I only used 1/4 tsp of yeast 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 2 cups of sugar.

thinking I need to increase to 1 tsp of yeast and 3 cups of sugar.
 
Yoemen said:
After browsing some of the recipes on here, I am thinking I haven't been using enough yeast. I only used 1/4 tsp of yeast 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 2 cups of sugar.

thinking I need to increase to 1 tsp of yeast and 3 cups of sugar.
Click to expand...

That should definately add some more pressure!
 
Yoemen, where did you get your bulkhead fittings? Are you using the kind that you get at hobby shops for fuel lines on model planes?

I'm planning on using these to upgrade my system, so I'll be curious to see if you keep having problems, or if you solve them with a new yeast recipe.

Cheers!
 
hmm

yeah I am using the airplane fittings everyone says to use.

The problem appears to be that I can't get them to seal. the bulkheads let air out between the top of them and the top of the lid.
 
Last edited:
hmm

seems the issue was that no matter what I did I couldn't get a seal witht he bulkhead fittings. Went back to using sealant with the tube going throught he lids and it seems to be working correctly right now.
 
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