Introduction Of Diy Co2 Kit

[satrop]

Hi all! Second post on the forum and I'd like to share some of my trails and tribulations with my DIY CO2 kit that I have just added to my 10Gal planted tank.
 
I want to go down the DIY route for 2 reason the main, I didn't fancy partying with that much cash and the other reason, just to see if I could. And I did, but it wasn't as easy I thought it was going to be.
 
Here is my 10Gal tank (with the CO2 added) left side of the tank is the diffuser. Right side (outside the tank) is the bubble counter.
 
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I haven't been having much luck with my plants. Lots off them dying off so I thought I would try adding some CO2 to see if this helps. A lot of the grass in the foreground are dying off, and I'm hoping this can revive them?
 
Here is a close up of the diffuser in action.
 

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As you can see it is bubbling away beautifully! Getting to that point was a test of my patience. The problem was that I just could not build up enough pressure to force the gas through the diffuser, it needed to be around 80psi. I tried a 1ltr plastic bottle for the CO2 generator, no joy. I tried a 1gal milk jug, no joy. And the trick was using a 1ltr soda bottle. This was able to build up enough pressure to be able to force that gas through the diffuser. 
 
The diffuser was only $4 and it works great. The whole set up cost just over $11 and the results are looking promising! About 2 hours after getting the bubbles to come through the diffuser three of my plants have started to pearl! Which I wasn't expecting.
 
I'm using this tank as a test bed for plants for when I get a 50Gal tank some time next year and turn my hand to some proper aquascaping. I'm trying to see if the years as wed designer can be put to some another use.
 
I will keep you all informed with the growth of the plants.
 
Thanks for reading!
 

 

 

[CoryFever]

AMAZING!!! I have invested over $150   in my Co2 system, and yet here you are! An $11 Co2 system that has made your plants pearl! Great job

 

[satrop]

Thank you very much! This is just my fist attempt at making a CO2 system. I'm going to making it look better (not so ghetto-fablous) in the next iteration. Right now the CO2 generator is a green plastic bottle. Not the most visually appealing of things. The bubble counter looks kinda cool but I am always trying to make things look the best they can.  

 

[Ch4rlie]

Looks good, but unfortunately I know next to nothing about C02 but this DIY kit you've done looks very very good.
 
Its kinda encouraging for me to have a go at this! 

 
So, very well done indeed and do let us ono show things progress and if your plants thrive with your DIT C02 system. 

 

[satrop]

I will be sure to post updates on the progress of the plants. And when I make my next DIY CO2 kit I'lll make a how to guide and recipe to help others.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I will be sure to post updates on the progress of the plants. And when I make my next DIY CO2 kit I'lll make a how to guide and recipe to help others.

 
Absolutely perfect! I would dearly like to have a guide and recipe on how to do a DIY C02 System.
 
Great idea! 

 

[dave840f1]

I've run my own DIY system for years and never had a problem. I use a 2lt water bottle, CO2 resistant air tubing, check valve, air regulator and a CO2 ladder. I use the ladder because I get 100% absorption of the CO2.  I looked at the diffusers but a lot of the CO2 bubbles got to the water surface so the gas was lost to the atmosphere.

 

[satrop]

Not really looked to much at the CO2 ladder, but for right now the set up that I have is working fine and absorption is happing because of the pearling. But, as you said, your getting 100% absorption. So its got to be worth a look especially as they are relatively inexpensive. I do have a question.
 
I disconnect the CO2 unit at night. Should I continue doing this? Or is it okay to leave connected? In my head it makes sense to disconnect at night because the plants wont be doing the job of photosynthesis (with the lights off). Just wondering if you had any tips for this?
 
Thanks in advance.

Day two update. The fish are all still alive! Woo!
 
CO2 unit is off right now as its 9am and so the lights are off and I don;t want to oversaturate the tank with CO2 and suffocate the fish.

 

[dave840f1]

I leave my CO2 running through the night with no problems. I know some people do turn there CO2 off at night it's just personal preference.

 

[satrop]

Is there no danger of "over stuffing" the tank with CO2? After all the plants are "sleeping" and not turing the CO2 to O2.

I suppose I could instal a drop checker... *Heads to Amazon to purchase one. 

 

[satrop]

Day three with the DIY CO2 kit and all is still going well. I decided to make another batch of sugar, yeast water because of the experimentation that I was doing over the weekend I lost a lot of the gas to the air. Also my sugar to water to yeast ratio was off so my CO2 production was very low. So my mix for today is:
 
2 cups of sugar.
.75Ltr of water.
1Tbs of yeast.
 
Hopefully this will give me more bang for my buck. The introduction of the CO2 so far is doing wonders for my plants. All are growing fast, pearling and producing new leaves.
 
Stayed tuned for more updates. But when I have a mix thats really working I'll post a how to DIY CO2 kit. I'm planning version 2.0 of my CO2 kit as we speak. 

 

[Xzavier247]

Have you used liquid CO2?

 

[satrop]

I have not. I was interested in the DIY CO2 kit because, I like to get hands on and build things, I'm a web designer by trade, so actually being able to get my hands "dirty" so times is nice. And I like the look of bubbles in the background coming up from between the plants.

 

[Primous]

I hate to be the beaer of bad news but if someone would have told me then, what I know now about DIY co2 the advice would have been invaluable. In short, DIY co2 is very inconsistent. Modifying and perfecting the generic 2parts sugar +1 packet of yeast is where the "art" of diy co2 really is...
 
It's inconsistent because DIY co2 also has a third ingredient, heat. On a cold day it will output less and on a warm day, more. It will also start out at (a high bps for the discussions sake lets call that) 100% and it may continue to pump co2 at 100% for lets say 3 days but on the fourth it will be 70% the day after that 65/50/30 it's hard to guess without a bubble counter but it will dip in output. So once you add temp fluctuations of your home (which may seem miniscule us) and fluctuations in output between day1 and day4 and you're creating perfect conditions for algae to thrive. Namely black beard but there are a few others that fluctuating co2  appeals to.
 
The best solution for the temp would be to place the bottle in a bucket of water (preferably under your tank so it's out of the way) and add a heater to that to keep the temp steady. As for the dip in output that's down to the recipe itself. Annoyingly different yeasts ferment differently and different sugars break down differently! So combining that to get the most and consistent batch will take some experimenting. My old recipe was unrefined cane sugar with pro brewers yeast and a spoon of molases and each batch would last me 4 days so on average I had to make a new batch 8 times a month which for me personally became a chore.
 
Then I realized using that recipe each batch cost me £2 and I was spending £16 a month and £192 a year not including the cost of keeping the co2 at an average temp via bucket and heater. Then I found out that for £192 and perhaps a bit more I could get a pressurized system...
 
In short, keep an eye on everything. Get a bubble counter and mark when the co2 starts to drop and mix up a new batch. If the bubble counter gives you 10bps and then by the next day 5bps try out another recipe or add a pro brewers stabailizer or a combination of both. 
 
Just my two pence...

 

[satrop]

Thank you for all that info!
 
I must be doing something wright? There is no sign of this infamous Black Beard character! Yet. but I shall keep an eye out for him. As for the DIY CO2 unit. I do have a bubble counter and as you stated the production does dip a little in the colder times of the day. I think I'll add a thermal wrap to mix bottle to try and regulate the temp. All the plants are mush happier right now but I will keep a close lookout on the temperature fluctuations. As for the fix that I have used 2cup sugar + 1tsp yeast and its being happily producing for 2 weeks now.