How Long For Diy Co2 To Start Working

[love cichlids]

Today decided to make co2 out of 2 litre pop bottle, followed all instructions from internet. Had to run and get a check valve and air stone. So finally it is setup on my 30 gallon. Used 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp yeast with warm water. So how long will it be to start working?? Is the mixture right??
I didn't have any way to seal cap where tubing goes through but did drill a smaller hole, cut tubing at an angle and pull it through with pliers. Hopefully that is good enough, will have to wait to buy some sealant.

 

[love cichlids]

No response from anyone. Hello anybody there. It has been about 20 hrs and nothing yet. How long should it be before I see anything. First time doing this maybe some pointers, maybe recipe I used was not right. Help, I want it to work, can't afford to buy one in the store. My plants need some help and this is the only thing I need to do to help them grow better and healthier.

 

[Scrofula]

Hi, It only takes about 20-30 mins to get going I've just replaced the mixture on mine. I'd check the seal around the top where the tubing goes in It's likely your loosing the CO2 there. A bit of silicon sealant (the stuff you use round baths, windows etc) will sort it out.

I use the nutrafin CO2 kit (ebay £10) and its made an amazing difference to my plants.

Scrof

 

[love cichlids]

I think I will try next weekend to get the nutrafin co2 kit, looks alot easier to get it going. Thanks for the advise. I get impatient with things like this. I want to see it working right away, so frustrating it isn't. I guess I will leave it set up until I get the kit just incase for some reason it is taking longer to start. Or I will try again if I get bored, need something to mess around with.

 

[Scrofula]

Just out of interest try taking the air stone off the end. It may be too much resistance for the C02 to get out and its finding an easier escape route (the bottle top) if this is the case you'll need to consider an alternative means of diffusing the CO2 with the water.

 

[Neo8223]

There is never too much resistance! I am using a large sized ceramic diffuser on my DIY CO2 and it is still working! It may take longer to pressurise tho.

 

[Lateral Line]

If your reactor is pushing into the tank, and has an easier route out of the lid, it will do that. A correctly made up reactor will start producing gas in a few hours, an inexpert lash up, maybe 12-18 hours. Bubbling CO2 through the tank is useless however. The CO2 has to be in contact with the water long enough to dissolve, you will not acheive that with a bubble line or airstone. There are numerous devices around to hold CO2, but improvisation with an up turned cup for example will work.

 

[Neo8223]

wooden airstones might work too! they produce fine bubbles like the diffusrs do. Just a suggestion! only costs 50p so worth a try.

 

[Scrofula]

If your reactor is pushing into the tank, and has an easier route out of the lid, it will do that.

Yup thats what I meant

You can buy the ladder diffuser on its own:
Example:
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nutrafin-CO2-Diffuse...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[love cichlids]

Next weekend I will look for the ladder or the whole kit, whichever is cheaper and that will be alot better than just the bottle and airstone. I have a mist stone, hope that is suitable stone. I made up another batch, found some rubber things to put on the outside and inside of cap where tube goes in, hope that helps. See what happens now. I put 1 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of yeast, so increase each just a touch. With these changes hope it works soon, will let you know. Just temporary setup until I have nutrafin kit or just ladder. Just testing it out and getting myself familiar on how it works before I go to something more expensive.

 

[Lateral Line]

wooden airstones might work too!

Nah. CO2 is not readily solauble in water. The few seconds between emerging from the diffuser and the surface will acheive little to nothing. You need to hold the CO2 in contact with the water for a long period. A very simple solutionis the upturned cup, water is permenantly in conatct with CO2 - cheap and simpe, but 100% better than any kind of bibbler.

 

[Dave Spencer]

A very simple solutionis the upturned cup, water is permenantly in conatct with CO2 - cheap and simpe, but 100% better than any kind of bibbler.

Have to disagree LL.

Blowing diffused microbubbles of CO2 around the tank, via a ceramic diffuser is considered the best way of introducing CO2 in to the aquarium. Plants can take in the CO2 more readily from the bubbles that come in to contact with them, than they can from CO2 dissolved in the water.

Personally, I only use this method on my nano, because I don`t like the look of the bubbles blowing around the tank. The other methods I use are a ceramic diffuser directly below my filter inlet and an in line CO2 reactor. I still find that I get the most pearling per unit of CO2 from diffusing microbubbles directly in to the water.

Dave.

 

[FoamLess]

Just in case you missed it, heres a link that pretty much answers everything.

Nevermind, cant get the link to work for some reason..

-Foameh

 

[love cichlids]

I found out the problem, shook the bottle after 3 hrs and heard hissing from the cap. Ran out and bought some sealant now just have to wait until tomorrow for it to cure. Then I am in business, yayyyyyyyyyyy, can't wait. I need a life. Excited over co2 setup going to work lol.

 

[Seanyboyrulz]

I found out the problem, shook the bottle after 3 hrs and heard hissing from the cap. Ran out and bought some sealant now just have to wait until tomorrow for it to cure. Then I am in business, yayyyyyyyyyyy, can't wait. I need a life. Excited over co2 setup going to work lol.

Hi! I also have a DIY Co2 setup running except my ratios for the mixtures are different. For 2 L Bottles I use 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. You dun wanna have too much yeast and only a little sugar cause the mixture will just fail after a while cause the yeast has consumed all the sugar (yeast "eats" the sugar and that produces CO2). Putting extra yeast will only mean a stronger production of CO2 at the start and yes if you shake the bottle it does seem to produce stronger for a while. what i also do with my bottles is let them sit for around a day with the cap off as apparently the CO2 requires sufficient amounts of oxygen in the initial reaction before it starts producing CO2.

Hope this helps