Co2 with pics stepBYstep

[doublethink]

Is there an easy way to guarantee that:

1) your bottle will not explode (a release valve or something?)

2) your yeast mixture will not end up in your tank?

If there were step by step instructions for this, I might actually do the DIY CO2 route. I just can't risk screwing up my aquarium if I can't minimize these two possibilities..

 

[seaham358]

How do you regulate the CO2 flow into the tank so the fish don't get affected? It will lower the pH right?
I have a 55 gal with 4 Gouramis, 6 Bleeding Hearts, 2 Bala Sharks, 3 Spotted Rafael, 4 Platys, 3 Oto's.  I am new at this so I bought live plants right off the bat.
I am now told it is best to cycle the tank before putting in plants.
My tank just cycled.  I didn't have all the fish in while cycling just 10 of them.  
My plants all look like crap.  I have some bubbliers also which I should not use I'm sure. But the fish love the bubbles.  Any help would be appreciated.
I made the bottle already but am afraid to try it.

Thanks... Bob

 

[Matt Nace]

Doublethink-
If you watch the output, you will know when it becomes clogged.
For example. Everytime It was my checkvalve. I don't use one now.

It would stop bubbling. Then maybe 15 to 20 seconds later, a ton of bubbles at a very fast rate would pour out. I could actually hear them they were so loud. I then knew there was a clog.

You can also keep it under your tank, to keep it from siphoning in your tank. You have to monitor the tube so there isn't too much of a vaccum. It happen to me, but it was not enough suction to pull the contents of the bottle upward into the tank.

---------------

Bob, I have 3  2 liter bottles on the 55 gallon. I suggest two if your not fully planted on a 55 gallon.

Two wont even harm your fish, and be adequate for that size tank.

Regulating it can be easy in the winter. The colder the bottle, the less Co2 is produced. In winter and summer, I keep it around 78 to 80 f.

I used to use an airstone on a timer at night to gas the Co2 out some, but found it was not needed.

 

[doublethink]

Anybody out there who sticks their 2 liter container inside of another container just in case it does explode? I'm paranoid -- gotta plan for the worst. Anybody have any suggestions for what to place inside the 2 liter contain inside?

Also, my aquarium is at work, so I may not get to check the container for several days at a time. Do you think it could get clogged and explode over a weekend? How close of an eye do you need to keep on this?

 

[nick fowler28]

i did this on a much smaller scale for my 10g.  it worked for the first couple days then i go in there one day and my yeast has bubbled up into my aquarium. actually it was down as i had it sitting on top of the hood.  will this hurt my fish i changed a bunch of the water out when it happened.  the water was so cloudy that i couldnt see the back of the aquariums background.  thanks for ur time peace nick

 

[Matt Nace]

Double,
put it in a 4 or 5 gallon bucket with a lid, drill a hole for the airline tube...that would work. You could even fasten the lid down too.

Nick, that is why you should put it under the water level.

I have done this for about two years or something, no ill results.

 

[doublethink]

Okay, I'm convinced. I'll make a DIY CO2 system. I'll even make a webpage, if you think it would help others out. I'll call it DIY CO2 for the truly paranoid.  

 

[info searcher]

I just did a DIY CO2 reactor. I do not have any silicone, much less any that is safe. I have zero money. I did have a bottle, a safety cutter, airline tubing, a candle, matches, and an airstone. I used a 2 liter orange juice bottle that has a thin cap but that is tight. I made a small hole with a safety cutter and put in the airline tubing. The tubing just fits in. I sealed it with candle wax. This may sound strange, but it works. Just be careful not to move the airline tubing a lot where the wax is, or else the wax will break and let CO2 escape. I guess the silicon may be better. However, I am guessing that the bottle will fail to explode, because if the pressure is so great for the bottle to explode, then the wax will just break and allow the CO2 to go thru. Anyway, finally I just put the airline tubing with an airstone at the end into the tank. Next morning awoke, and there was a nice stream of bubbles in my tank.  

 

[Ratbag]

Might I suggest that those who (like me) don't fancy the "gooey yeast DIY redecoration of lounge" accident   may try taking a piece of advice from info_searcher's post above. It's the bit about using candle wax. If for example you drill or cut a small round hole (5mm say) in the top of the bottle (next to the neck) and covered it with a piece of plastic a little bigger and dolloped a lot of candle wax on it to cover the hole, it would surely provide you with a safety valve in the event that "The pressure got too much Captain"  . The reason to not use wax on the tubing/cap join is again the risk of cracking it by flexing the tubing. I'll try this and post a pic....

Any views? ???

 

[rdracer66]

How many 2 liter bottles should i use for a 29g and also a 55g
i have a 20g right now with live plants and decent lighting
from the diy i did with a incadesant hood and putting in strong fllourecent lights, anyhoo tank is cycled now and i have 1 otto (getting 2 more) and 4 large rainbow fish
2 bosmanti and 2 australians at 3+in there all adult males from a breeder i know who didnt need any more males just females !
Kurt

 

[info searcher]

The wax is very fragile, a very minimal moving of the airline tubing will make it break. What you do, is that at a certain point, you tape the airline tubing coming ot of the bottle to a wall or something. This way you can move the airline tubing where the airstone is freely without having it break the wax.
Haha, I bet nobody ever thought of using candle wax!  *twirlysmiley*

 

[Vyache]

This all seems pretty darn complicated, brewing your own CO2. They sell tiny canisters of CO2 for paintball and BB guns, couldn't someone just get a valve and a line stick a diffuser stone on the end and add CO2 every couple of days?

 

[fishboy]

Nope......paintballs co2 canisters have lubricants in them.