Need "the best" CO2 recipe!

A

abstrohl

AC Members
Jun 5, 2006
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I just purchased the Hagen CO2 system for my tank, and soon realized those *******s had included expired yeast packets! Regardless, I was planning to use my own recipe, and by "my own" I obviously mean "your own" best recipe! I have read about the following:

-Sugar (white or brown, any opinions?) to the first line
-1 teaspoon of yeast (champagne? Does it matter?)
-a bit more than 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
-Fill with warm water to the second line, and good to go.

Any changes you recommend?

Thanks for your input!
 
I don't use DIY CO2 but considered making a unit for a while...until I got my CO2 cannister. Anyway, while doing research for the setup, I came across this site which gives you everything you want to know about a DIY setup (well, almost):

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html#1

The most important thing you need to do is make sure you have a pressure relief valve built into your system. (Don't know if the Hagen system has something like that or not). You're also going to have be carful about sugar concentrations in combination with what type of yeast you use. If you don't put in a pressure valve, you might find yourself waking up to a sound that many homebrewers hear and dread.......the sound of your hard work blowing up in the other room. Not good. The type of yeast you use in combination with the sugar level and temp will determine how quickly that explosion takes place.
 
Well, I think I just recently made my best mix ever. The bubbles are coming out evenly and constantly, like one every second. I also have the hagen system and I used: sugar up to the first line like the box says and water up to the second line like the box says. Then I used a little more than half a teaspoon of regular baker's yeast and no baking soda.

First, I filled the cannister with the sugar then I got a container to put the water in. I filled the container with lukewarm, dechlorinated water to 14oz. I put a sprinkle of sugar in the water then added the yeast to the water. I mixed the yeast in the water with a spoon, until it completely dissolved. Then I poured the yeast/water into the cannister and mixed it and the sugar with the spoon to that it was completely homogenized. Then I tightened the cap on and set it where it wouldn't fall over. So far it is going consistently as long as I keep the room temp up; otherwise, it slows down.

Hope this helped.:dance2:
 
Whoops. I forgot that the hagen system comes with it's own container and equipment to generate the CO2. This is what happens when you've just gone a whole day at work with only 3 hours of sleep. Sorry about that pretty unecessary post (at least, unecessary for your situation). Still, if you ever need to make your own system, it's a pretty good article.
 
When I did yeast CO2 it always seemed to last longer if I used less yeast, added a half teaspoon of protien shake mix and a crushed up multivitamin to the slurry.
 
A bit of yeast here (1/4 tea sp.), a bit of sugar there. (3/4 cup) About 1 Litre of warm water.

Shove 1cm of wooden chopstick at the end of the tube and I get fine bubbles for 2 weeks. I aim the bubbles at the filter output so they flow about 2ft thru the tank. Too easy.
 
ChicoRaton said:
When I did yeast CO2 it always seemed to last longer if I used less yeast, added a half teaspoon of protien shake mix and a crushed up multivitamin to the slurry.
Click to expand...

Can I ask what made you think of adding protein shake mix and crushed up vitamin? Sounds interesting.
 
well, it was nothing I read, and totally just a hunch, but I know it is impossible to synthesize all the amino acids and such required for life from just sugar, so I figured making sure the yeast's growth medium had a bit of every amino acid and some other vital minerals found in all living things couldn't hurt, so I tried it and it seemed to work.
 
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