Making A DIY C02 Unit and C02 Mixture Article

khisanthax · 03-04-2008, 08:03 PM

I think my airstone might be too long,it's about 8 inches long and i never see bubbles unless i shake the bottle, but then i don't sit in front of it for hours at a time.

ravichr · 03-29-2008, 08:23 PM

I have a 14g with 5 fishes (listed below). I have a bunch of plants in the tank. Has anyone experienced issues with the fish by using the DIY CO2. In a small tank as a 14g, will the continuous supply of CO2 deprive the fish of Oxygen. (I never did well in Chemistry). Please let me know.

Airborneguy · 03-29-2008, 08:58 PM

I just got mine going recently... I am waiting for one of those nano-diffusers I bought on ebay to hopefully spread the bubbles out a bit. Now, it jsut comes out as one big bubble and floats to the top where it bursts. I am not sure if this is even doing anything for the tank.

PS... I make beer also, so I know a little about yeast. The yeast actually never dies, it hibernates once it runs out of food. There are breweries in Belgium which are still using yeasts that are hundreds of years old. Theoretically, you could keep reusing your yeast, but it probably is not practical in a DIY set-up where the new yeast cost next to nothing anyway.

midmichman80 · 06-29-2008, 07:12 AM

Love this thread, this section, this site!!! This site and all involved have made my fish-keeping experience more pleasureful than I ever thought and super intriguing. I have read all post on this thread and found that DIY CO2 doesn't look that hard to do. I set up two 2L bottles for my 29g, I also have a 5g...erm....bottle for my 55g. Not really a bottle @ 5g but hopefully I can produce enough CO2 with that, vs using 4-6 2L to get a desirable amount of CO2. I just finished putting everything together, ran the tube into the filter, have a check valve between tank and T that connects the two bottles. Simple set-up, cheap start-up/keep-up, gotta love the DIY!!!!!

Bl33dy · 09-23-2008, 08:12 PM

i have a regular old hang on back filter, and im wondering, do i just run the tubing from the bottle into the into of the filter or what? im a little confused here

Bl33dy · 09-23-2008, 08:14 PM

im sorry, do i run it into the intake of the filter??*

epond83 · 09-23-2008, 09:55 PM

Yeah, the goal is to have the spline wheel that sucks the water up, chop up the CO2 bubble so there is more surface area and it can dissolve faster into the water.

Bl33dy · 09-28-2008, 08:27 PM

i understand now, i was confused because i thought that it would just chop the CO2 into tiny bubbles that would rise to the top, i didnt know it would dissolve into the water

PerenGee · 10-13-2008, 03:57 PM

This is sort of stupid but like Bl33dy, I too have a hanging filter, but I'm still confused as to where the tubing should go. Do I stick it directly into the top of the filter or submerge it next to the intake grating?

It would actually be really helpful if someone could draw it out, but that might be too much to ask. Oh also I should add that I haven't actually done anything yet, I'm just curious as to what the full process was, so no urgency.

PerenGee · 10-19-2008, 12:10 PM

nevermind, I figured it out. I'll be making mine this week...

03-29-2008, 08:23 PM	#192
ravichr Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Mansfield, CT Posts: 50	I have a 14g with 5 fishes (listed below). I have a bunch of plants in the tank. Has anyone experienced issues with the fish by using the DIY CO2. In a small tank as a 14g, will the continuous supply of CO2 deprive the fish of Oxygen. (I never did well in Chemistry). Please let me know. __________________ My 14g Tank: 1 Blue Platy; 2 Emerald Corys; 1 Sunset Sword; 1 Flame Gourami

03-29-2008, 08:58 PM	#193
Airborneguy Medium Fish Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 491	I just got mine going recently... I am waiting for one of those nano-diffusers I bought on ebay to hopefully spread the bubbles out a bit. Now, it jsut comes out as one big bubble and floats to the top where it bursts. I am not sure if this is even doing anything for the tank. PS... I make beer also, so I know a little about yeast. The yeast actually never dies, it hibernates once it runs out of food. There are breweries in Belgium which are still using yeasts that are hundreds of years old. Theoretically, you could keep reusing your yeast, but it probably is not practical in a DIY set-up where the new yeast cost next to nothing anyway. __________________ 72g Bow-Front Reef Tank - A constant work in progress!

06-29-2008, 07:12 AM	#194
midmichman80 Little Fish Join Date: May 2008 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 292	Love this thread, this section, this site!!! This site and all involved have made my fish-keeping experience more pleasureful than I ever thought and super intriguing. I have read all post on this thread and found that DIY CO2 doesn't look that hard to do. I set up two 2L bottles for my 29g, I also have a 5g...erm....bottle for my 55g. Not really a bottle @ 5g but hopefully I can produce enough CO2 with that, vs using 4-6 2L to get a desirable amount of CO2. I just finished putting everything together, ran the tube into the filter, have a check valve between tank and T that connects the two bottles. Simple set-up, cheap start-up/keep-up, gotta love the DIY!!!!! __________________ Happy fishies

09-23-2008, 08:12 PM	#195
Bl33dy Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vidor, Texas Posts: 81	i have a regular old hang on back filter, and im wondering, do i just run the tubing from the bottle into the into of the filter or what? im a little confused here __________________ 29 gallon 1 male convict, 1 female convict(breeding pair), about 50 babys, 1 albina chocolate plecos 55 gallon 2 healthy african leaf fish(hoping to breed) 1 bolivian ram

09-23-2008, 08:14 PM	#196
Bl33dy Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vidor, Texas Posts: 81	im sorry, do i run it into the intake of the filter??* __________________ 29 gallon 1 male convict, 1 female convict(breeding pair), about 50 babys, 1 albina chocolate plecos 55 gallon 2 healthy african leaf fish(hoping to breed) 1 bolivian ram

03-04-2008, 08:03 PM	#191
khisanthax Little Fish Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 195	I think my airstone might be too long,it's about 8 inches long and i never see bubbles unless i shake the bottle, but then i don't sit in front of it for hours at a time.

09-23-2008, 09:55 PM	#197
epond83 Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 470	Yeah, the goal is to have the spline wheel that sucks the water up, chop up the CO2 bubble so there is more surface area and it can dissolve faster into the water.

09-28-2008, 08:27 PM	#198
Bl33dy Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vidor, Texas Posts: 81	i understand now, i was confused because i thought that it would just chop the CO2 into tiny bubbles that would rise to the top, i didnt know it would dissolve into the water __________________ 29 gallon 1 male convict, 1 female convict(breeding pair), about 50 babys, 1 albina chocolate plecos 55 gallon 2 healthy african leaf fish(hoping to breed) 1 bolivian ram

10-13-2008, 03:57 PM	#199
PerenGee Little Fish Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 149	This is sort of stupid but like Bl33dy, I too have a hanging filter, but I'm still confused as to where the tubing should go. Do I stick it directly into the top of the filter or submerge it next to the intake grating? It would actually be really helpful if someone could draw it out, but that might be too much to ask. Oh also I should add that I haven't actually done anything yet, I'm just curious as to what the full process was, so no urgency.

10-19-2008, 12:10 PM	#200
PerenGee Little Fish Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 149	nevermind, I figured it out. I'll be making mine this week...