OK, With the AC's, and if keep the water level high, you think that the co2 disturbance won't be all that bad?
INserting Co2 into the tank,
- Thread starter Paintballer99
- Start date
Like I said, my CO2 levels hold steady at around 25ppm with an AC and DIY CO2 (2 liter bottle, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp bread-machine yeast and a pinch of baking soda) I replace my mixture about every 10 days or when I notice it slowing down a little. Don't wait for it to stop producing bubbles to redo your mixture. Also, do your mixtures at night before the lights go out so the bottle will be producing plenty of CO2 when the lights do come back on the next day.
be careful with co2 until you are familiar with it... do not mix it and go to bed until you know what you're getting. i do not disagree with this method... just with starting this way and waking up to all your fish dead from lack of oxygen.
yeast that has been exposed to air is useless and very inconsistent so scoop it from underneath the top layer.
i seriously HATE air stones for co2... i tried it once and in a week i had to clean one out 3 times to get anything out of it. it tends to grow a fuzz that blocks the air stone up... what a hassle!
most people say diy is no good for a tank above x amount of gallons... hogwash. it really depends on your setup and dedication coupled with your immediate funds. if you cannot go all out because of money right now you can make it work! maybe not with a hob and med-high lights but there is a way.
extra filtration is never bad unless you go overboard on chemical filtration.
for an hob filter it really helps if the water level reaches at least the brim of the outlet to reduce surface agitation and co2 loss.
i find the hagen diy style system works very well and comes with the ladder diffuser that although you lose some at the top works pretty good for my purposes. i am running it on a 50 gallon with pretty low light. i do not use their "packets". rather i use about 1 cup of sugar and about 1/32 tsp of yeast. i add about that much yeast 3 more times over about 2-3 weeks until all the sugar is used up. this may not be enough for your tank but it is a level i suggest starting at and increasing from there to get what you're looking for safely. if this is not enough for you or you don't want to spend the money on a marketed diy system then go diy and use a powerhead for diffusion. diy is easy and you can find instrucions for at least one method by searching diy on any site that includes a planted tank section nowadays.
awesome cheap reactors: http://www.rexgrigg.com/diy-reactor.htm http://www.barrreport.com/articles/3444-dual-venturi-diy-external-co2-reactor.html http://www.barrreport.com/articles/41-diy-internal-reactor-great-yeast-co2-users.html ... that's 3 links btw.
please guys, keep in mind i tend to communicate in an "as a matter of fact" manner. i am by no means saying any methods mentioned here do not work... as a matter of fact they all do! just sharing my experiences and what i know in an attempt to help. i hope i have.
yeast that has been exposed to air is useless and very inconsistent so scoop it from underneath the top layer.
i seriously HATE air stones for co2... i tried it once and in a week i had to clean one out 3 times to get anything out of it. it tends to grow a fuzz that blocks the air stone up... what a hassle!
most people say diy is no good for a tank above x amount of gallons... hogwash. it really depends on your setup and dedication coupled with your immediate funds. if you cannot go all out because of money right now you can make it work! maybe not with a hob and med-high lights but there is a way.
extra filtration is never bad unless you go overboard on chemical filtration.
for an hob filter it really helps if the water level reaches at least the brim of the outlet to reduce surface agitation and co2 loss.
i find the hagen diy style system works very well and comes with the ladder diffuser that although you lose some at the top works pretty good for my purposes. i am running it on a 50 gallon with pretty low light. i do not use their "packets". rather i use about 1 cup of sugar and about 1/32 tsp of yeast. i add about that much yeast 3 more times over about 2-3 weeks until all the sugar is used up. this may not be enough for your tank but it is a level i suggest starting at and increasing from there to get what you're looking for safely. if this is not enough for you or you don't want to spend the money on a marketed diy system then go diy and use a powerhead for diffusion. diy is easy and you can find instrucions for at least one method by searching diy on any site that includes a planted tank section nowadays.
awesome cheap reactors: http://www.rexgrigg.com/diy-reactor.htm http://www.barrreport.com/articles/3444-dual-venturi-diy-external-co2-reactor.html http://www.barrreport.com/articles/41-diy-internal-reactor-great-yeast-co2-users.html ... that's 3 links btw.
please guys, keep in mind i tend to communicate in an "as a matter of fact" manner. i am by no means saying any methods mentioned here do not work... as a matter of fact they all do! just sharing my experiences and what i know in an attempt to help. i hope i have.
Thanks for your input. I was looking into the hagen system before, and i might just buy it and use the home formula. I have to look into the system more though.
Edit: I only have a 20 long, so it should be enough
Edit: I only have a 20 long, so it should be enough
also i meant to mention i mix the water and sugar. some of which falls out of solution. then i go back to the tank with the canister thingy, the top and my yeast and scoop. after that i quickly add the yeast, screw on the top and put the hose back on. then i attempt to hang it again (that's another story). this starts the co2 moving immediately since the sugar is dissolved and the yeast is at the surface. it quickly sinks and starts a slower more stable reaction but that first burst is important to capture as it fills the hose within a couple minutes and gives you a good idea of your bubble count from there on.
ok... another trick... i searched high and low... baking stores, walmart, craft stores, hydroponics stores, the list goes on and on... yadda yadda. i couldn't find any measuring spoons less than 1/8 tsp. after searching forever i figured out i was an idiot while reading a post by tom barr (plantbrain) on aquatic plant central (apc). he mentioned that you can use known measurements to figure out the measurements of other things. i quickly jumped up, ran and measured the scoop i got with my red sea fresh lab deluxe. it turned out that it took a little over 4 or 8 scoops from the iron test scoop to make 1/8 tsp. i think it was 8 which gives me 1/64 tsp approx. anyway that means that that 1/32 of yeast i mentioned above equals 2 scoops. i can only assume that a regular iron test kit from red sea would be the same. i'd have to test it if i picked up just an iron kit though cause i haven't yet, but it should be small enough regarless. moral of the story if you find you need something smaller than 1/8 you can definitely use a red sea iron test kit and the search is over. i'd just test it to see if your measurements come out like mine to be sure.
i think that should help also. sorry for the story of my life, but i think the details might help you... idk.
ok... another trick... i searched high and low... baking stores, walmart, craft stores, hydroponics stores, the list goes on and on... yadda yadda. i couldn't find any measuring spoons less than 1/8 tsp. after searching forever i figured out i was an idiot while reading a post by tom barr (plantbrain) on aquatic plant central (apc). he mentioned that you can use known measurements to figure out the measurements of other things. i quickly jumped up, ran and measured the scoop i got with my red sea fresh lab deluxe. it turned out that it took a little over 4 or 8 scoops from the iron test scoop to make 1/8 tsp. i think it was 8 which gives me 1/64 tsp approx. anyway that means that that 1/32 of yeast i mentioned above equals 2 scoops. i can only assume that a regular iron test kit from red sea would be the same. i'd have to test it if i picked up just an iron kit though cause i haven't yet, but it should be small enough regarless. moral of the story if you find you need something smaller than 1/8 you can definitely use a red sea iron test kit and the search is over. i'd just test it to see if your measurements come out like mine to be sure.
i think that should help also. sorry for the story of my life, but i think the details might help you... idk.
i think it will do the trick just fine. i just figured if you were considering it i would share some things. if you wanted to go diy equipment i suggest using a diffuser like one of the ones i listed. the design doesn't have to be exact. if you find one you like (for looks or ease... whatever) go for it. carbon is carbon as far as diy and pressurized so long as you can keep it stable. there are cheaper ways than in the pet trade for your equipment if you decide to go pressurized. i sure want to! you may want to look into paintball setups, welding setups and maybe even some plumbing shops. also check out ebay, craigslist... yadda yadda. see if you can find pressurized in your price range. if you cannot at least you will have an idea how much the best case scenario will cost. it doesn't pay to use inferior equipment, get frustrated and then give up or spend the money you tried to save anyway. if it's just not gonna happen... then yeah the hagen system gives you everything you need for $30. and if you don't like the can or the ladder you have the other to make things easier.
Yeah, for my setup, I really don't think I need preassurized, because one: for the pricetag, and I don't plan on high light/many plants. DIY should be fine for me. Thanks for all your help!
