DIY CO2 made easy

[gatotsu77]

Howdy, long-time AC member, haven't been on here in quite some time. I'm considering setting up one of these DIY CO2 generators for a 7g planted tank I'll be starting in about a month. I have to ask a really stupid question... how badly do these bottles smell once they are ready to be changed out? If it is fairly pungent, do any of you simply trash the whole bottle and contents, and rig up a new bottle to be used?

 

[fancytail]

Oh my gosh! That's sooo cool! I was wondering when you were going to use that cute little peep in the set up while I was reading the directions. I WANT to use CO2 system in my aquarium but it seems super complicated. I hear scary stories of fish getting hurt from CO2; Knowing how clumsy I am, I definitely don't want risk it. If I ever need a CO2 set up and not spend a bajillion dollars on a fancy one, I'll look back at this handy-dandy DIY.

 

[James0816]

how badly do these bottles smell once they are ready to be changed out? If it is fairly pungent, do any of you simply trash the whole bottle and contents, and rig up a new bottle to be used?

They do smell pretty potent. But then again, it's a high level of alcohol. They clean right up though. No need to throw out the rigging.

I WANT to use CO2 system in my aquarium but it seems super complicated. I hear scary stories of fish getting hurt from CO2; Knowing how clumsy I am, I definitely don't want risk it. If I ever need a CO2 set up and not spend a bajillion dollars on a fancy one, I'll look back at this handy-dandy DIY.

Not complicated at all. It's actually fairly easy to construct and use. It's extremely rare that fishies get gased from DIY CO2.

 

[Unikorn]

Do you think that it would be ok to set up this type of CO2 diffuser in a 5 gallon or will there be too much CO2? Also, stupid question, could you run an airstone along side the CO2 diffuser?

 

[James0816]

I would have to suggest you use a drop checker to be on the safe side especially if there will be fauna involved. I have been known to turn me DCs yellow with this mix from time to time. They stay a steady green for the most part.

You can run an airstone, but it would kind of defeat the purpose during the day time. I usually run them a short period at night to break up the bio film that develops on top of the water.

 

[James0816]

Me last few bottles have been running very well of late. So well that I have to change out the diffusers due to the algae build up. I've tried clamping the line to hold the pressure but unfortunately that doesn't work very well. Time to look at placing a valve in line somewhere so as to not degas the line and waste all that CO2.

Now my question is, can I use just a normal check valve with the CO2 or should I be looking for a different type of valve? I was kinda toying with the idea of two valves; one at the reactor vessle to be able to change bottles easily and one near the diffuser which should allow me to only change the diffuser out.

Once I put in a new bottle, I'm going to treat with H2O2 every couple of days or so and see if I get the results I want without having to worry about swapping out diffusers.

 

[iheartbettas]

James, thanks for creating this thread. It really helped me out making my diy co2 set up for my 40g breeder planted. Some of the differences are that I used a gallon plastic water jug (with a bit of a larger opening than normal), I used a glass separator bubble counter, I used bread yeast, and I used lime flavored jello. The set up works wonderfully. I'm keeping track of the bubble count as well as the duration the mixture stays constant. I've also thought of using different types of carbs besides rice that may last longer. Some other carbs include potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and some other weird grains like bulger or quinoa.

I've noticed the protein film on the surface of my water, so I'm planning on adding more filtration or using a powerhead. I also have a drop checker ordered so I'll see what co2 levels I'm looking at.

 

[James0816]

I've been contimplating a larger vessel size for a bigger tank. Just not sure how the mix should be. What is your recipe for the 1g size?

 

[iheartbettas]

pretty much identical to what you have listed. Except that I added water to about 4 inches from the top. I noticed that a lot of bubbles formed so I'm glad a left some room at the top. The bubbles have since dissipated. It's probably not much different than using the juice bottle.

 

[iheartbettas]

Quick question: while doing water changes, should I just lift the diffuser out of the water? I wouldn't want to suffocate the fish in co2 since there is very little water movement and aeration. Or should the fish be ok with the co2 still going? Thank you.