DIY CO2

water needs not be any higher in the 2 liters than the label would have been before it was removed. that's ok for now though.

after 2 or 3 days it shouldn't hurt to add a bit of yeast... not too much, though. if it triggers what you've already added it could easily make co2 pour out at tremendous rates... you just want to get it started. if that don't work start from scratch again.

your tubes are not too far down into the separator... they're about perfect actually.

flexible tube would make better seals than rigid tube, fyi.

if you had $250 for me to borrow, i'd have pressurized co2 myself. :welcome: to the club, lol. argh

always remember... yeast is picky/inconsistent. you're not likely to have the same experience too often... except random complete fails to produce. they do happen from time to time... especially with old/open yeast.
 
k thanxs dundadun.

The cheapest 10lb co2 tank i found at one of the weilding supplies stores was $115. So I'm gonnna try and save money up to get the tank, might take me about 4 to 5 months. I had found another weilding supply store charges $10 for refill on a 10LB CO2 tank. Once I get the tank then I just need to work on getting rest of the equipment.
 
cool rig. I am currently using a hagen yeast c02 generator. (this one here: http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...?&query=hagen+co2&queryType=0&hits=12&offset=) It worked fine for a 10g but ive recently moved up to a 29g. it is bubbling well, but I think its going to be insufficient and and thinking about upgrading. That said the following may not apply due to your increased volume

I also have some experience actually cooking breads and such with yeast. :)

here are some observations:

One thing i notice is there appears to be no activity in the jars. Yeast seems to form a kind of a mucky layer at the top if not a frothy head pretty quickly. How fresh is your yeast? You said you mixed some up

If the yeast is alive and happy you may just have to wait for the water in the bottles to saturate with CO2. Do the bottles feel pressurized? (ex: squeeze a bottle of water and a bottle of cola that has been shaken) The bottles will feel closer to the shaken cola of hardness than the plain water hardness before you see gas. then again, shaking of them a little to see if you can unlodge some c02 can't hurt ... maybe?

If the bottles don't seem to be pressurized, then you may have to wait as other suggested. Yeast can metabolize sugar aerobically and anaerobically. As with most life, aerobic metabolism is easier and more fruitful. You wont see much c02 until it switches over to anaerobic.


my "recipe" was adapted from various internet sources and "DOA yeast tests" (read: i made it up)

I have never used the packages hagen provide. I use bread machine yeast (about $6-7, dark brown jar about the size and shape of the really expensive jellies at grocery story, sold next to flour usually. Never seen it refrigerated)

all I do is add sugar up to the "sugar line" and water to the water line inside the hagen reactor jar (less than 20 oz of liquid probably with 1/4 of that volume dry sugar) and add 1/4 teaspoon yeast. It starts bubbling almost immediately, but takes 24-48 hours to purge the air from the system where i start seeing the bubble size diminish indicating that the c02 is being dissolved in the water.

edit: I noticed quite a bit of condensation on the inside of the bottles. What temperature is the room where you are keeping this. if it is cool, you will see significantly reduced production. It drops pretty quickly also (where 60F will produce almost nothing)
 
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maaltan... you may just need a better diffuser than the ladder for your 29. you could use a 2 liter and make your hagen canister a gas separator also... it's an option.
 
yes i know the sytem maaltan, i been up to hagen site and downloaded the pdf. for my tank (55g) would require 3 of those system, is why I went to this DIY setup and eventually to a pressurize system.
 
dundadundun said:
maaltan... you may just need a better diffuser than the ladder for your 29. you could use a 2 liter and make your hagen canister a gas separator also... it's an option.
Click to expand...


Sorry, I'm not trying to hijack SiNiStEr's thread, but what kind of diffuser do you recommend? I am actually looking for one. All the ones I've seen so far are huge and ugly (taking up pretty much the entire corner of tank) and require a power head. i saw this multilevel spiral ladder contraption once, but cant find it again.
 
if you're running a decent canister you could just put the end of the hose in the intake. others use chopsticks, plastic air stones, powerheads, co2 reactors like the one on rex griggs site, etc., etc.. depends how far you're willing to go and what works for you.
 
SiNiStEr said:
hmmm the use of chop sticks, then your fishies will feel like they are in china. lol
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hmm ..chopsticks. According to the great oracle Google, i could use those and replace it every 1-3 months, or i could buy a $20 glass diffuser that imitates this and have it forever.... or use a cigarette filter (spun glass last time i checked)...choices.

My rainbow fish would probably shatter the glass defuser thing and i dont smoke... but I love me some good chinese food.
 
Cool looking set-up. I would use more yeast at least 10 grams

If there is the slightest leak it will not work,

take a bottle at a time , pinch the hose and turn bottle upside down and squeese as hard as you can, if it leakes at the cap it will not be working.
 
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