Co2 with pics stepBYstep

Matt Nace

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
#1
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#1
Changed to reduce the clicking back and forth, may take a little to load.

This is for a 2 liter bottle.


-Drill a hole in the cap, and silicone a piece of airline tube in. I usually cut it after a few inches for a connection to a check valve.


Let that sit over night.
-----------------
My ingrediants, I use Fleischmann's Bread machine yeast and regular sugar.

------------
You need to allow the yeast to be room temp, so measure out a 1/4 tsp and set it aside.



----------------
You will also need two cups of sugar. I suggest a funnel for putting it in...with the least spillage. Put that in your bottle awhile.

------------------
I use nice warm water(not hot or you can kill the yeast) I fill it half way, then shake very well to help disolve the sugar. I then fill it up to where the bottle starts to curve in as the next pic shows.

-------------------
After about 10 minutes since I put the yeast aside, and my bottles are filled with the sugar and water, I pour the yeast in through the funnel and let it sit on top.

----------------
Doesn't matter if it is in a big clump or not as it hits the water.

As you can see in my next pic, my sugar has not all disolved, but is settleing. I find it never does for me, and it never matters, so don't be alarmed. The sugar will be used and the yeast will get their fuel.

---------------------
As you can see, within minutes the yeast has activated.

------------------
Yours may take a tad more time, but mine usually activates very quickly.

Now hook it up.

-----------------
Here are my filters and how I put them in

HOT Magnum


Magnum 350

--------------
Mine usually lasts for a month, but I try to change it every 3 weeks.

Use check valves if you place it lower than your aquarium water level.

Very easy.
 

D

dattack

Large Fish
#2
Oct 22, 2002
982
0
0
#2
Nice step by step.  I would like to add that if you don't like to use silicone, go to your hardware store and get rubber stoppers.  Drill or nail a small hole through the rubber stopper and add a small rigid airline tubing which then connects to regular flexible airline tubing.  Works like a charm without waiting for silicone to dry or get brittle after many uses.
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#3
Oct 22, 2002
386
0
0
The Blue Planet
#3
Oh My Gawd!   LOL!!

Some of those pics!  I especially like the 1/4 tsp shot!

The only things that are different between your and mine are:

I am using regular Fleish. yeast - not Bread Machine yeast.  I figured that was a marketing ploy for the yeastly challenged.

I do not have silicone on the inside of the caps - just the outside.  Easy to fix.


My dry ingredient measuring devices (spoons and cups) are stainless - not plastic.  And the liquid measuring cup is glass.
My funnel is smaller, and is also stainless.

I am not using Lipton tea bottles, I am using Diet Coke, and I removed the labels.

Your high tech method of the elastic band around the intake is much more complicated than my reactor.  I have an airstone that's packed inside thin walled rigid tubing with gravel, with some filter sponge material at each end - trying to keep that CO2 in the water as long as possible

There, are your chops busted enough?  My spouce is still laughing at me, when he saw the pics of the yeast/sugar and then the 1/4 teaspoon.  He said, "Boy, you have really impressed them with your intellect - they need to show you the measuring spoon!"
I guess we all know what he is not going to have for a while....

OK... I'll add silicon to the inside of a bottle, and only install that one.  This is my last try, though.  I am spending more time on the CO2 than the fish, and I am still using the Excel - so what's the point?
 

J

Jay S.

Guest
#7
#7

=)

You really don't need silicone if you make your hole the right size for your air line to fit in snuggly.

I use the same yeast as you but the normal kind, not the bread machine stuff.. I believe the normal kind lasts a little longer as bread machine yeast activates faster.

Oh, also.. I went to my local pet store and bought this package by hagen with three green hose connectors with a little airline in the package. Anyways, the connectors are excellent for connecting the airline to your bottle.

DIY Co2 is ok.. but a big PNA I think, plus if you save your pennys and buy the real thing, it will pay for itself in the long run!

I've got the 20 co2 tank so far, just need to get the regulator :p
 

Backdraft Bagel

Backdraft Bagel

Large Fish
#9
Oct 22, 2002
627
0
0
#9
The silicone fumes might, if you didn't buy 100% pure silicone. Unless marked "aquarium safe" or "100% pure silicone" you should assume the product contains arsenic as a curing agent.
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#10
Oct 22, 2002
386
0
0
The Blue Planet
#10
Hey Back -
I used aquarium silicon.  It still smells bad, but I don't think there is arsenic in there.
Now that silicon has cured for several days I am going to set up one more bottle.  If this one doesn't produce - I'm done with DIY, and go to just Excel.  
 

T

tjp

New Fish
#11
Oct 22, 2002
1
0
0
#11
Thank you for illustrating the co2 setup for those of us who are new to this. May I ask you a few questions? What is a check valve, where do you buy them and what is their purpose? Also, is it better to use three plastic containers or just one big one? I know that i am severly mechanically challenged, but what "powers" the gas to travel up the tube and into the tank? And, finally, what are the options for distributing the co2, other than attaching it to the filter outtake? Thank you.
 

Matt Nace

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
#12
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#12
Come on equinom...you can do it!  ;)

Jay S,
Not everyone can guarantee a perfect fit(even I can't) , so silicone will usually insure a tight seal.
-take your co2 bottle empty. put the cap on, pinch off the airtube real good. Now, sqeeze the bottle real hard.
When I do this, no air comes out at all. I could break the bottle or blow the cap out first. That is how I check the seal. Could also do the same thing with soapy water, if it bubbles when you squeeze, you have a leak.



tjp, welcome.

Check valves allow air(co2) to pass one way. It will not allow anything to go the oppisite of the check valve. The purpose is if there is pressure into the aquarium, and you lose that pressure ,do to unplugging the cap, the Co2 yeast stops, or say you lose power on an airpump, it will/may create a small vaccum , causing the aquarium water to back siphon into the bottle, or into the airpump, ect.

The check valve prevents this. You can buy them at the LFS for a buck or so. I use tetras, others clog on me easier.

It may be easier to use one big CO2 bottle, but I usually don't change them all at once. I usualy do one here and another there.

The sugar, is the food for the yeast. Their bi-product is Co2, which in the bottle creates pressure, which is forced up the tube.

There are many ways to get it in, into the canister, some use just an airstone, some use a reactor, powerhead,a collection chamber just below the surface. I found through the cannisters very good in disolving it.

HTH ;)
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#13
Oct 22, 2002
386
0
0
The Blue Planet
#13
I set up the one bottle, used the cap with silicon on both the inside and the outside - which had cured several days.

Within 15 minutes there were bubbles coming out of the reactor...

It's a couple of days later.... and there are still bubbles.


I have no idea why it's working this time.   But I'll take it any way I can get it.  
 

Aquaman

Aquaman

Large Fish
#15
Oct 22, 2002
116
0
0
South Africa
#15
Hi, All

Two questions:

(a) Is there ever any danger of the bottle exploding?
(b) Is the quantity of the sugar/yeast mixture based on the volume of water or the surface area of the water in the bottle?  i.e. if I use a 5 litre bottle, do I simply multiply the ingredients by 2.5?

Thanks!
 

Matt Nace

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
#16
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#16
Hi aquaman,

There is a chance it can explode, if it would clog up.

It usually shows signs before it gets too clogged though. My last culprit was a check valve getting clogged. My Co2 would not bubble, then it would bubble super fast. So I checked the check valve, by blowing through it and it was clogged or something. It is the only one I had to really ever change though.

Also an airstone could lead to similar results, which is another reason why I stick the airtube into my filter.

If you use the recipe 2 cups of sugar to 1/4 tsp yeast, you would need 5 cups of sugar, and I would do a very full 1/2 tsp to a 3/4 tsp. The recipe is by the bottle it is in(water volume in the bottle)
HTH
 

Matt Nace

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
#20
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#20
Go ahead Johnny.

Oh btw, My last two bottles check valves became clogged. I am no longer using check valves. If for some reason it were to back siphon, it would not matter unless I unhook the bottles. Then I simply plug , pinch off, or move the tubing from the tank for a change.
;)
 

You must log in or register to reply here.