Co2?

[lexmarkz22]

i've read many different post on here about CO2 in 2 liter bottlesand each seem to be different. so which one is right? i have a 29g tank with 4 plants and 3 fish. the plants are okay looking but only one seems to be growning. the rest are alive but real scrawny. i am going to try and add CO2 using the 2 liter bottles because i can't afford a co2 tank and it seems kinda dangerous. can anyone with experience tell me the best mixture?

 

[Shiftaltumlock]

Do you have 2 watts or more of light per gallon?

If so, added Co2 will help, if not, increase light levels.

DIY Co2 is guess work. Start with a conservative recipe and adjust as needed.

A good recipe to start out with would be 1.5 cups of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of yeast. A pinch of baking soda will help to keep the mixture from foaming to much. If this is not giving you enough Co2, bump the yeast to a half a teaspoon.

What is just as important as your recipe is how efficient your diffusion method is. In other words, 10 bubbles per second wont help out alot if it is just running thru an airstone and escaping into the atmosphere. On the other hand, 1 bubble per second can be effective if you are getting 100% diffusion, such as you would get thru a good Co2 reactor.

BTW: Are you planning on any fertilizer?

What is your substrate?

 

[lexmarkz22]

i have flourite and laterite mixed together and maybe a cup of old gravel i had when i first started and realized thatwouldn't work for plants. also i add plant gro which i got from the pet store. my light isn't powerful it's only 15watt nutri grow plant lamp. i going to buy a light strip tomorrow that i can place two light in so it will be 30watts. i've seen only one other type of light that could be bought but didn't want to spend $120 on a light because i'm just experimenting now and that's kinda pricey. my light is on a timer and i stays on for 12hrs a day. maybe if this tank work on i will try investing more money into a bigger tank and better features.