Trying DIY Co2 for 1st time.

[AngeloG]

Ok. Ive set it up yesterday. Im using a 2L bottle,check valve and a diffuser stone not an airstone. Its spitting out a fine mist. I dont think the bubbles can get any smaller. Ive read that this wont be enough for a 55gal so Im thinkin of addin a 2nd bottle. Would this be ok? Is there anything I should keep and eye on? Fish seem ok. ....Tank is a 55gal, kinda over stocked with a good amount of plants. Thanx in advance for any suggestions.

 

[ODPILOT]

I have alot of experience with a DIY CO2 generator, with similar setup to yours. My live plants were doing terrible, but once I started the CO2 going, they grew like they were on steroids !! Sounds like you're going fine. As the bubbles make their way to the surface, some of the CO2 is absorbed by the water, and the rest occurs when the CO2 bubbles pop at the surface. Some goes back into the air, some absorbed by the water. In a 55 gall tank, as long as you've got a decent stream of bubbles, this should be fine for any plants you put in their. You don't want to over do it and cause the fish to have CO2 poisoning either. The generator, I'm assuming you added dry yeast, sugar and water -- produces huge amounts of CO2 at first then it slowly changes to what is called anaerobic respiration inside the yeast chamber (the 2L bottle) and then CO2 production will come down -- but it's OK -- just keep it running and when the bubbles have almost stopped, time to make a new one. When I add tap water to the 2L bottle, I put alittle dechlorinator in it -- since the chlorine in the tap, can kill the live yeast and thereby decrease CO2 production. Have fun !!

 

[jpappy789]

You'll definitely need more than one 2-Liter IMO.

 

[halfmoonplakat]

Watch out for algae growth

 

[Jspigs]

Watch out for algae growth

The co2 will actually help prevent/decrease algae growth. Not sure why but it does.

 

[confusion]

It reduces algae because, with abundant CO2 and proper lighting, the plants outcompete the algae for resources.

 

[halfmoonplakat]

It reduces algae because, with abundant CO2 and proper lighting, the plants outcompete the algae for resources.

Whoops my bad- I read in a thread that someone had experienced more algae problems with DIY CO2 than without due to the irregularity of CO2 infusion into the water compared to the regularity of CO2 infusion of pressurized systems that algae thrive on (?)

 

[confusion]

Whoops my bad- I read in a thread that someone had experienced more algae problems with DIY CO2 than without due to the irregularity of CO2 infusion into the water compared to the regularity of CO2 infusion of pressurized systems that algae thrive on (?)

Yes, that can happen, and it can happen bad. If something is out of balance and the plants don't use the CO2 for growth (deficiency of some nutrient) or too much light for the plants, etc, then yeah, you'll get crazy algae.

 

[AngeloG]

Thanx for the co2 input ODPILOT. Ive just hid the tubing behind the intake of my penguin filter with suction cups. The bubbles now get sucked into the filter.

I also heard about algae problems. I hope I wont have any.

 

[mes1234]

I have had first hand experience with DIY co2. It created a algae bloom like no other. I even turned it off for a week, the algae disappeared, and then turned co2 back on to find algae bloom like crazy. So DIY co2 is definitely not the way to go. I do not know what it is about the irregular amount of co2, but it just creates so much hassle.