Making A DIY C02 Unit and C02 Mixture Article

[depthC]

Well temperature does matter. How cold does it get in your house? In the summer my room gets pretty cold at night and my C02 still produced and my fish still lived w/out heaters. So it should still produce C02, but its true you should keep the yeast warm so it produces a steady flow of C02. Also the mixture should look cloudy. Mine looks cloudy for almost 2 weeks then its turns clear but even when its clear it produces C02 but not at a steady rate. You could try to insulate the bottle, im unsure of how much this would help but its worth a try. Also if you do, remember to post back with the results. Im still learning and by no means am i a expert on DIY C02 im just trying to provide useful info to those that need it.

- depthC

[werebot]

Hey DC,
Me too. And save some $$$$.
I will shirley(surely?) keep everyone current.
Winter is coming so it will be perfect for experimenting.
I'll see if the water clears up first.
Maybe it has been working and I have been looking for the wrong thing.
Is there anyway to tell if it is working?
Or will my plants just go nutty?
Thanks.

[depthC]

Uh, yeah there is a definate way to tell if its working. How are you injecting it into your tank? If its producing bubbles thats how you tellif its producing, it doesnt matter how the bottle looks. If its not producing bubbles make sure you seals are tight and u have the cap on tight enough. Also it may be your yeast that is inactive. But dont resort to that yet because its very doubtful.

- depthC

[Lotus]

I know some people keep their CO2 reactor in a bucket with a heater during winter months. It really depends how cold your house gets at night.

[werebot]

I'm using a plastic bell down in the corner of the tank. I'll keep a closer eye on it.
I made clips to help seal the possible weak points.
I want to try and keep the hoses as short as I can, but if I have to I'll try the heated bucket method.

[Lotus]

Yeast works best between 75 and 85 F (that's the optimum). Below 70F it will still produce, but at a lower rate.

The easiest way to check the effectiveness is to measure your PH and KH, then use the CO2 chart to see if you have the right amount

[depthC]

And just incase anyone needs a link to a nice C02 chart the link is right here :

http://www.aquabotanic.com/charts.htm

Just get your pH and KH levels and compare them to that chart to get your C02 level.

- depthC

[Somonas]

I have a comment re: recipies

I have been using 1/4tsp/2 cups for the last couple months, 2x 2L on a 33. I seem to be running out of co2 at the end of the month even alternating a week between refills. Might go back to 1/2tsp alternately 3 weeks.

[rescottpac]

I have put together the 2L bottle setup, but added an airstone to increase the contact time with the CO2. Setup is for a 55 gal tank. Is this a BAD idea??? Thanks

Randy

[depthC]

Im not sure of the difference between diffusion between one big bubble or a bunch of tiny bubbles from a airstone. Either way there isnt much diffusion going on when the C02 bubbles rise to the surface so i dont think the airstone will be effective.

The most simple method i can suggest to you is to inject the C02 into your filter so it can chop up the C02 bubbles and trap some to diffuse. What kind of filter are you running on your 55g tank? If its a powerfilter just pop the tube into the filter intake tube and youll be able to hear to bubbles churning in the filter. I use this power filter injection method and it works nicely so i can only speak highly of it since ive had only good results. But if your using a canister filter there are some models that can cause some troubles.

- depthC