Diy Yeast Co2 "timer"

[fish-aholic]

Well, I will soon (hopefully) be receiving a nano diffuser, Co2 tubing, and bubble counter. I understand that during the night plants do not give off oxygen and an airpump should be on. Well if it is a DIY, I can't see any way that a timer could be incorporated. Or is there a valve I could use? But wouldn't the pressure build up in the bottle? Thanks in advice.

 

[frozenbarb]

Yes pressure will be build in and it will BLOW.

I always had a plan for a timer in DIY

Like have a bottle with regular airline that leads to diffusor then next to the bottle is a valve that leads to another bottle.The the second bottle is connected with another valve that leads to the Diffusor when lights off turn off your airline co2 and open your second bottle valve. so the co2 will build in both bottles. when lights are on. Close the valve from the first bottle and the second bottle then open the second bottle valve and let the co2 go first. then close it. Then open your main valve so no co2 is wasted

 

[Underwurlde]

Put the reactor ontop of your tank above the lights. The heat from the lights will increase CO2 production in the chamber. In otherwords, when the lights are on, you get more CO2.

Another way to do it is to use a venturi reactor - some designs use a power head and this can therefore be connected to the lighting timer.

Andy

 

[nry]

Going by the experience and comments of many here, the only reason you usually need to turn CO2 off at night is to save money. This is only valid for pressurised systems as you don't save anything with DIY.

Letting oxygen into the bottles of DIY mix does, I believe, reduce the lifespan of the yeast though I may be wrong....

 

[fish-aholic]

Can leaving the co2 on during the night hurt the fish or should they be fine?

 

[nicklfire]

Leaving co2 at night will Raise the co2 levels, drop o2 levels, fish will lose oxygen, wont be able to breath. Plants are not going through photosynthesis without light.. so what's the point of co2 than? Ph swings during that time aswell will stress fish.

 

[fish-aholic]

Wait so your saying not to run co2 at all, or just not during the night (which im trying to find out how)? Maybe an airpump running at night with the co2 will balance it out?

 

[Underwurlde]

The 'point' of running CO2 all the time is to maintain crucical CO2 stability (you really want CO2 present when at the point when the lights turn on & not for the CO2 to come on when the lights come on and THEN to start building up). This will of course maintain a more stable pH and not stress the fish. Get the levels right etc, I wouldn';t worry too much about CO2 at night and the fish, just maintain good surface agititaion.

Andy

 

[nry]

Leaving co2 at night will Raise the co2 levels, drop o2 levels, fish will lose oxygen, wont be able to breath. Plants are not going through photosynthesis without light.. so what's the point of co2 than? Ph swings during that time aswell will stress fish.

Plenty of folks run CO2 24/7 without such issues. The pH swings regardless of whether CO2 is 24/7.

 

[Teelie]

And fish are quite obviously adapted to such swings as it happens in their environment as well. I think the reason to leave CO2 off is it's basically wasteful as stated above. Plants stop using it when they stop photosynthesizing. In DIY yeast system though it's going to keep going no matter what so it's down to whether you want the extra CO2 in the water. It depends more on how much goes in than the fact it's going in anyways and I doubt you'll have enough CO2 to cause oxygen starvation provided you have a good filter or pump providing disturbance on the surface of the water.