Thinking about trying the DIY Yeast Co2 Injection Again but...

DJLEN,

Thanks again, the only reason I am worried is that I have 4 whimpy Emprorer Tetra's and a spotted puffer which currently have ich/velvet despite being quarantined for 4 weeks before going into the display. They currently are in a serperate 15 gallon being treated with quick cure and a antibiotic.
 
I currently use DIY CO2 on two tanks and run an airstone in those tanks for about 4-5 hours soon after the lights go out to gas off some of the CO2 in the tank and add oxygen. But, I am pumping a lot of CO2(2+ bubbles per second) in to the tank. One morning I saw the fish breathing at the surface and two dead Amano shrimp plus a really low ph. I agree with Len that trying to stop the flow of CO2 at night or adjusting will probably lead to trouble. Also, you can put a very small air pump on a cheap timer and then it is automatic, which is always nice. To me it is always better safe than sorry. DIY CO2 can possibly be quite variable, especially using grocery store yeast- IME. Seeing those fish laboring at the top of the tank was too much for me.

BTW- Doesn't a traditional spotted puffer prefer brackish water?
 
Originally posted by DIYMatt
I currently use DIY CO2 on two tanks and run an airstone in those tanks for about 4-5 hours soon after the lights go out to gas off some of the CO2 in the tank and add oxygen. But, I am pumping a lot of CO2(2+ bubbles per second) in to the tank. One morning I saw the fish breathing at the surface and two dead Amano shrimp plus a really low ph. I agree with Len that trying to stop the flow of CO2 at night or adjusting will probably lead to trouble. Also, you can put a very small air pump on a cheap timer and then it is automatic, which is always nice. To me it is always better safe than sorry. DIY CO2 can possibly be quite variable, especially using grocery store yeast- IME. Seeing those fish laboring at the top of the tank was too much for me.

BTW- Doesn't a traditional spotted puffer prefer brackish water?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. Well I have heard that they find them in straight freshwater too. Anyway the emporers have problems too, so I am sure that is not the issue here.
 
Okay one more question,

When I tried the DIY C02 before it was with a 21 oz bottle on a 5 gallon Amazon themed plant tank that sat on a desk. The tubing that fed the co2 to the aquarium was maybe 1 foot.

Now I am trying it again on my 29 gallon.

So I started off using some questionable yeast in our fridge. The first batch seemed to do nothing. The next, I guess I filled it too full because I got a white mess in my tank. (Did a good 30% water change, not to worry.) The third I am now trying is using some fresh store bought Fleishmans yeast. It has been connected to the tank for a few hours now and does not appear to be bubbling. I thought maybe it just didnt have enough oomph to get up to the tank, so I shortened the tubing and stuck the bottle on top of the canopy so that now it only has to go about 1.5 feet to get to my tetratec hob filter. Still it does not seem to be moving. When I squeeze the bottle gently I get a great push of bubbles, but it wont do it on its own. As I mentioned before its been a few hours and its not really getting there.

Should I give it more time?

Seems like the one on my 5 gallon started right away but that was like 4 years ago and I only did it once so I could have forgotten that it took some time to build up.

Thanks for any replys.
 
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leaks?

Possible leaks. Screw that cap on tighter. Does the cap have a good gasket init, most soda bottles do, some juice bottles do some do not.

Submerge the bottle under water, or what I do is skip that and just glob on some Liquid Nails where the tubing connects to the bottle. works even while the unit is under some pressure.

Often handling the bottles makes for small leaks -- which is why the Hagen is so great for small systems, no leaks. Every few months I pull on the bottles by accident and have to re glue the line with Liquid Nails.

Also, temp sensitive, put bottle on top of lights for gentle warming. You should see tiny bubbles moving thru the liquid.
 
I hotglued the tubing to the cap, so I believe there are no leaks.

I will have to try submerging the bottle.

I saw that hagen system and thought it was okay, didnt like the reactor too much, huge footprint. Plus $30 is a bit much for something you can make your self for free.

I made sure the water was luke warm.

This morning the lights were off so it was hard to see if it was working, I will check again this afternoon.
 
Take a small cup....put 1/4 tsp. of sugar into it and 1/4 tsp. of yeast as well. Add enough(tepid) water(maybe and inch) to mix the two. Take a spoon and stir it vigorously for a min. or two. Set it aside
Take a 2 liter bottle(clean). Into it pour 2 cups of pure sugar.
If you have soft water, add 1/4 tsp. of baking soda. Fill to 3/4 full, again with tepid water, and shake to dissolve the sugar. Add 1/4 tsp. of yeast to the bottle, cap it, and shake the h*ll out of it checking to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Leave the cap on and set it down and wait for 15 mins. The reason for the wait is that the original cup of sugar you made up should sit for 15 mins. or so. This is not rocket science and the times don't have to be exact.
After 15 mins. pour the small cup of "starter" yeast and sugar into the 2 liter bottle. I mix my "starter" up in a measuring cup to make it easier to pour into the bottle.
This should leave you with a couple of inches of space between the solution and the top of the bottle. Add some more tepid water to the bottle to fill to within about 1 1/2" of the top. Cap it and set it down for 1/2 hr. or so to "cook". If you've done it this way, when you put it on the tank it will start to bubble within 1/2 hr. Initially you should see, within 1hr., a bubble every 2 - 5 secs. It will increase as time goes on and last for anywhere from 1 week to 10 days fairly consistently.
If you want to maintain pH you need to watch that bubble rate and re-make a fresh solution as needed. Don't let it fall off too much. It's much easier to maintain with two bottles by replacing one of them every 7 - 10 days.
Tepid water is defined, I think as body temp. I read somewhere that optimum temp is 109°. To me, it's ridiculous to go to that extreme. The bottle will eventually go to room temp anyway and still perform for you. Some people put it in a small tub of water with a heater in it to help it along. I've never done this and get good results at room temp.
If you have good yeast, and follow the above fairly closely and don't have any leaks, I guarantee you success with this recipe.

Len
 
Djlen,

Wow you are hardcore lol! update it is bubbling about every 4 seconds now. I will have to put your suggestions to use DJlen thanks.

Also I am happy to report that my anubia are pearling which I know is not the ultimate sign of their health, but it is none the less a good sign and I am extremely pleased.

Now if I can get the corkscrew val, and sagitaria subulata to pearl well be in business.
 
Don't worry about 'pearling'. To me, that's over rated and many plants will not pearl without super high light and maxed out CO2.
All it does is leave people dissappointed that the sinkin' things aren't pearling. Just watch your plants and they will tell you if they are happy.

Now that you've got the bubbles going, keep an eye on it and try to keep it as consistant as possible. I think inconsistant CO2 injection is worse than no CO2 at all. Your fish will not like pH swings.

I've never been called 'hardcore'...............thank you.

Len
 
Okay, so this may be a little late for you, but I found a link on a DIY CO2 with the addition of plain gelatin.

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/plants/carbondiox.shtml

Basically you make most of your solution a sugar/gelatin mix and add a yeast mix to the top. The gelatin is supposed to contol the amount of food (sugar) that the yeast gets, hence the CO2 produced.

I plan on trying this when I set up my tank in the new year. I'll post my results. In the mean time, it may be something worth trying.
 
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