How-To on DIY CO2 Injection

[Cichlid Woman]

Thanks for the idea, Irishspy, but I've already got two single-bulb fixtures up there sitting side-by-side--no more room!

And yes, Richer, I'd like to know more about watching the nutrients. Fire away! I think I'll start the CO2 today ... wish me luck!!

-- Pat

 

[wannabesan]

Paintball Anyone?

Anybody here play paintball?

Average paintball markers use C02 bottles of various sizes; 7oz,12oz,20oz, etc. bottles. I'm curious has anyone looked into a conversion or adaptation of the schrader valve for use in CO2 injection. A 20oz has got to last months for aquarium purposes. Refills are cheap too, usually when you plat at a field it costs $5 for all day C02 refills. The bottles are cheap too any where from $20-36 for a 20oz depending on wether the bottle is aluminium or crome molly and wether it has an ON/OFF valve or the normal schreader valve. AND paintball markers also use regulators, from simple to heafty w/ gauges. From about $20-80 for those. You would just have to work out the hose issues and make your own reactor.

 

[Cichlid Woman]

Okay, I did it ...

Followed the 1/4 tsp. yeast-2 cups sugar and a pinch of baking soda recipe. Warm water. Shook well. Attached air hose in cap. I put the other end of the air hose right next to the intake tube on my AquaClear 200.

... ... nothing's happening yet ... it's been about 2 hours.

-- Pat

 

[firetank]

it can take up to24hr to react properly...

 

[Richer]

It could take a few hours for the CO2 to be produced in enough quantity to produce enough pressure to force its way into your tank. If after a day you don't notice anything, use a bit of dish soap and water to check your connections for leaks. Leaks will normally show up as small bubbles forming around the dishsoap+water mix.

HTH
-Richer

 

[wetmanNY]

Is it too obvious to mention the DIY CO2 basic information at http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/ ? Not everyone seems to have absorbed this resource.

Further information about the jell-o variation is in two articles archived at www.aaquaria.com

 

[Cichlid Woman]

Yes, I was at that site, Wetman. Er ... did I miss something? If it appears I did, tell me, please!! (I've never tried tinkering with CO2 before.)

Thanks --

-- Pat

 

[Cichlid Woman]

The DIY CO2's been running for a bit over 24 hours now, and something appears to be happening--there's a large bubble in the airline, but there's also water in the airline. Is that normal? Did I set it up right?

I just checked the pH, and it appears unchanged (7.6).

Thanks,

-- Pat

 

[Cichlid Woman]

We have bubbles!!

I've got the end of the airhose hooked up to a bubble-wand that's only about four inches long. At first just an occasional huge bubble would come out the end of the bubble-wand (I don't have a good plug on there, where it connects to another bubble-wand. So I stuck a couple of toothpicks into the end of it and piled some gravel on top of it ...).

But now finer bubbles are starting to occasionally rise--I assume the bubble-wand is starting to work.

So ... now what? Should I measure the pH tomorrow?

I think it's WORKING!!

-- Pat

 

[Cichlid Woman]

Oops--back to a few intermittent BIG bubbles again. Rats.

-- Pat