Overdosing Diy Co2

[nry]

Is it me or is it easily possible to overdose CO2 with a DIY mix? I am unsure why it is said to be impossible to overdose with DIY CO2, surely if you use too much mix etc, and perhaps use highly efficient diffusion methods, it is easily possible to overdose CO2?

CO2 produced via DIY methods is, as far as I can find out, pure CO2 - pumping loads into a tank via DIY must have the ability to overdose?

 

[jimbooo]

i suppose in a very low KH situation then yes it would be possible. for example in a tank using pure RO water with no buffering then a heavy DIY co2 input could achieve overdose levels. in practice i very much doubt it. my water for example is KH 11 from the tap. i can run co2 at about 5 - 6 bubbles per second (pressurised) without getting to dangerous levels in the tank. if you can get a diy mix to produce more than that then your a better chemist than me! lol

edit: just read the other thread where you mentioned this. i have used a filter for diffusion with nutrifin bottles on a 50G and also 2 bottles on a 12G using 2 ladders. neither is the same as the situation mentioned there but in my case the 50G only got to about 18ppm and the 12G to about 30ppm. it all depends on the KH of the water in the tank in question for it's buffering qualities.

 

[nry]

My 15-gallon tank needs 60bpm pressurised to get green drop-checker (I blame useless Juwel filter). DIY CO2 (two Nutrafin cannisters with reduced yeast levels) into a single ceramic diffuser or Nutrafin ladder gave me a yellow drop checker in the same tank with the same filter and lighting etc.

Rig up the wrong size and/or too much yeast into a tank and overdose must be possible?

 

[SuperColey1]

I blame you for using the bpm rule. lol

different setup. different bubble counter. different filter. blah blah.

bpm means nothing because my bubble counter may read 1 where yours reads 2 but still be giving the same output. Its a guide for the user to see really.

Filtering - you could gauge Lily pipes against spray bars etc and also overfiltering against standard etc and they will all have different circulation meaning that the CO2 only reaches the whole tank at different injection rates.

NRY.
I have often said that it is nigh on impossible to overdose with DIY. This is because you would have to hook up so many different kits to a normal (10G+) tank to overdose. You would then be reliant on all the linkages being sealed correctly and also that the temp was right to get them working at the same time etc etc.

Unless you are going overboard with the number of kits you are using then I will stay with the DIY is nigh on impossible to overdose with statement.

On my 125Ltr with very good circulation (same as now on pressurised) I was using 2 x Nutrafins + 1 2Ltr DIY and I could only just keep the drop checker green.

Andy

 

[nry]

The bpm thing is pretty irrelevant as you say - not really sure why I mentioned it beyond trying to imply I need a lot of CO2 to reach 30bpm via pressurised based on the manufacturers instructions. I reached a bright yellow drop checker with 2xNutrafin bottles in the same tank/filter/light etc, using no more than a teaspoon of yeast split between the two bottles. It would be easily possible to overdose by using a full teaspoon in each bottle.

I still say it is possible to overdose on DIY CO2 without having massive or unusual amounts of connected bottles etc.

 

[montyII]

I think I just proved that it IS possible to overdose co2 with DIY.

I have a 10gal set up with just plants, no fish (just to muck around with). I had 2 X 1.25L bottles set up which gave me between 22 and 35 ppm co2 (KH 3, pH 6.4-6.6).

For diffusion I just have a normal airstone right under the inlet of a HOB filter.

I changed the bottles to 2 X 2L (using 1tspn yeast, 2 cups sugar, each bottle changed weekly) and now I have 56ppm co2 (KH3, pH 6.2).

I pity the fish that would live in that!

 

[Themuleous]

Sorry, I have to call Jim up on something there, you cant overdose CO2 by having a low KH, if you pump 60bsp into a tank, that'll give you a set co2 level whether you have 1kh or 20kh!

In answer to your question, it is entirely possible to OD yeast CO2, all you have to do it either get lots of kits or have a small tank. We generally say its not possible as it takes a lot of effort to OD yeast CO2, but that doesn't mean its not possible. If you ran 4 kits on a 10g tank you'd kill everything in sight!

If you run one kit on a 15g, then it would probably take 3 kits to OD the tank at which point hopefully you'd starting thinking.. 'do I really need three kits on my tank?' Well hopefully you'd think that

The good thing about yeast CO2 is that there is a maximum co2 level it can produce. If you follow the DIY yeast mix then it will produce a set level of CO2. The only way to OD CO2 in this situation is to add more yeast. Pressurised CO2 by contrast doesn't run at 100% capacity, hence there is always the potential for the reg to get knocked and the bubble rate to get increased. That WILL OD the tank.

Hope that makes sense.

Sam