diy co2

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#21
Oct 22, 2002
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The Blue Planet
#21
I believe the second jar is to prevent the yeast mixture from getting in the tank...

I took out the second jar, and when reconnecting the airstone, it shattered.  (Just one more hurdle on the way to  fresh plant nirvana...)

So I tried this:  took a 3/4 hard plastic (aquarium grade) tube, and stuck fine pore sponge/filter stuff in the end.  Then took the tube from the yeast mixture, cut it and added a check valve.  Took the tube after the check valve and put it in the plastic tube, submerged it, and stuck more sponge/ filter stuff at the top of the tube.  I can see CO2 bubbles coming out of the tubing, and a small gas pocket at the top of the hard tube - trapped beneath the sponge/filter stuff.  Ocasionally I see several bubbles get loose and zoom to the surface.  Is the gas in that pocket diffusing into the water?  That was my intention - to find a way to keep the gas in the water as long as possible...

Another thing - the check valve has been filling with the yeast solution.  I have cleared it several times, even repositioned it to try to prevent any fluid from traveling that far in the tubing... Should I add a few more check valves?  I don't see any fluid in the lines, so I don't know where this is coming from... I guess this is why there is a second bottle...
 

R

ronrca

Guest
#22
#22

How much do you fill up the bottles? I always left around an 2inches from the top of the bottles and the tube was only inserted around a half inch in the bottle. I never had any problems with C02 in the lines.

It is a good thing to keep the C02 submerged as long as possible. The C02 will slowly dissolve into the water. By putting the "gas bubble" in front your filter output where water currents will get at it will help also.
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#23
Oct 22, 2002
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The Blue Planet
#23
I checked the level in the yeast mixture, and removed some just to be sure.  I'll check the check valve when I get home.

By the way has that check valve checked out, because it's wet?  Curious for future reference...
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#24
Oct 22, 2002
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The Blue Planet
#24
The valve was full again.  *thumbsdown2*   Double checked the yeast mixtures volume, the tube is above the fluid.  I replaced the wet check valve with a new one, this morning the new one is full, too!

I know the temp of the waterbath is a bit warm, so I'm going to turn that down.

Any more ideas???
 

R

ronrca

Guest
#25
#25

Not at the moment. Im not to sure as to why the valve keeps filling up. I never had that problem. I did not have a "bath" for it either so maybe that is the problem. Too hot. At least you are getting C02 now? Just keep trying and experimenting.  *thumbsupsmiley*
 

N

nonamethefish

Large Fish
#29
Oct 22, 2002
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#29
I worked with DIY CO2 twice....had it work once....and then the plants couldn't use the co2.....not knowing very much(experts laugh all you want) I rigged up a 500 MILLILITER bottle ;D.....added yeast and sugar, and filled it up to 3/4 of the way with warm water. The lid had a hole where the air line tubing went through......the eges were sealed with tape.....it begins making bubbles..works for two weeks and then stops.......but I leave it and leave it.......planning to get rid of it. And then the bottole falls of the lid of the tank..crash!! P-U!!!!!!! Aaah...the smell!! Its goinna be difficlt for me to drink anything fermented for the rest of my life! *laughingcryingsmiley*(whether this is good or bad I'll leave it to you all to decide)Then I set out a 2 liter bottle with soem yest, sealed with masking tape and all...the nasty smell starts coming and the yeast starts foaming....no bubbles.....and I was prepared and all too..to get the plants to pearl! DRATS.....but I left it and left it.....for 3 days......and then I got the nerve to pour it............ :-X..hahahaha....I'll have to hire one of you with my monthly allaowance t opour my diyCo2 bottles if I try again next time.  And for some lucky reason, all my fish survived the ordeal.
 

equinom

equinom

Large Fish
#30
Oct 22, 2002
386
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The Blue Planet
#30
I haven't gotten this to work well.  It seems to start off OK, but within a couple of days it just peeters out.  I currently have 3 2-liter bottles, which were producing well for about 2 days - then stopped.  ?
How are you guys connecting all of your bottles?  Maybe I have too many different connections, and the CO2 is getting out before it gets to the tank.  In an effort to eliminate some of the connectors, I connected the bottle a small gang valve, so there is 1 tube from each bottle, each one going to a port on the gang valve, and 1 exit port to the tank.  The end resuslt was the same:  2 days OK, then nothing.
I'm thinking that maybe I should give the CO2 up, and go with the Excel...



I have been supplementing with Excel, because I didn't trust the DIY CO2 to be consistent - and my plants are good.  
 

R

ronrca

Guest
#31
#31

Try more sugar or more yeast. My guess is that it is running out of sugar to react with or vise versa.
 

Somonas

Somonas

Superstar Fish
#33
Oct 22, 2002
2,061
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O-town
www.myfishtank.net
#33
ronrca, okaaaaay?

An update, Re: co2 -  I  have been using DIY since.. umm.  April I think.   IIRC I have gone through about 10 batches, they each last about 3 weeks, I was running 2 at once, but now am only running 1 (explanation below)  plants are fine,  PH constantly at 6.2 - 6.4  (KH 5)

I was using the Filstar canister filter output with nothing on it, just the hole, about 3" underwater, and couldn't get my PH down under 6.5 ish even with using 2 bottles.  So....    I changed around my output, by adding a spraybar and pointing it along the back glass towards the gravel, and now I can hold my PH around 6.2 with only ONE bottle of DIY

and I have yet to have a disaster with diy... I don't even use a bubble counter anymore.  *knock on wood*

[quote author=riddlephil link=board=diy&num=1020728338&start=15#25 date=06/07/02 at 00:56:14]
somonas, how do u put the co2 line from ur 2 litre bottle into a canister filter, i have an eheim 2215
[/quote]

sorry it took so long to reply to this thread

drill a hole in your bottle cap about 1/16" smaller than your airline tubing, shove your airline tube through the hole, silicon it, let it dry

stick the other end in the Eheim intake.   that's all there is to it.
 

rummynose

rummynose

Medium Fish
#34
Oct 22, 2002
72
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dont know
#34
equinom...
Did I read this right, you have 3 2L bottles on one 12 gal tank?  If this is the case, I'd start by majorly simplifying your system.  I can't see how 1 bottle would not be sufficient.  Do like ronrca says and play with your yeast/sugar mixtures with one bottle.  Make certain everything is sealed tightly.  experiment.   Try to keep the bubbles in contact with the water any way possible.  

KEEP IT SIMPLE
good luck!   *thumbsupsmiley*
 

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