Parts for homemade CO2 system (in the UK)?

[pmoyniha]

If you have a spare aquarium heater you could set it up in a bucket of water and put your bottle into the water. not the most energy efficient, but it should do the trick, jsut be careful about putting the heater against a plastic bucket....

 

[njparton]

Good suggestions - I guess keeping it off the floor and maybe on top of the tank (if it can bear the weight ) will help too.

I've just bought a 5L bottle of spring water. I think I'll step-up my 2L experiment at the weekend. In the mean time I've got some drinkin' to do! Guess I could always use it for a water change (it's not carbonated! ). Apparently even one small cup of carbonated water in a 150L tank can spell doom - according to Practical Fishkeeping Mag anyway...

I'm thinking for a 5L bottle I can at least double the amount of yeast and sugar I put in the 2L bottle without covering my living room in froth?

 

[pmoyniha]

I imagine that will be ok, just trial and error. And on that note I would suggest that if you do not have a check valve in your CO2 line that you make sure the bottle is above the end of the hose that is in the aquarium. When I first started I made that mistake and 10 gallons of water auto-syphoned onto my floor. While I was sleeping. I woke up and put my feet into a puddle of wet carpet.

Good Luck!
Pat

 

[ste2k3]

could be a daft question but I have no Idea on plants. what are the chemicals that you use to produce the co2?. I could make the reactor no trouble but what do I need to put in it? I.E. dummies guide to co2 production. and basically do you just mix them in 1 bottle or do you need a few bottles?

thanx in advance

 

[pmoyniha]

ste2k3- Basically all you need is sugar, water and yeast. The yeast metabolizes the sugar (a carbon based compound) to produce alcohol and C02. I use standard dry activated yeast for baking, but you can use most any kind. Just dissolve about 2 cups sugar in 1 L warm water - then dissolve your yeast (1 teaspoon - approx.) in a bit of luke warm water (not too hot, it will kill them) - add the yeast to the sugar, then top up your 2L bottle (most ppl use pop bottles) to about 3 inches from the top. let it sit iwth the lid OFF as some foam appears and you don't want that into your system. when the foaming apears to have stopped cap it and let the co2 into the tank.

most people just attach aquarum tubing to the top of a opo bottle lid for this purpose and then an airstone or some other water-co2 reactor method. There is a lot of info on the net if you look around. None of it is too specific and because everyone has different water parameters out of their tap it will vary for each person. For instance, my mixture almost never foams up, but I have heard of people who had foam go alll over their floor.

Good Luck!
Pat

 

[ste2k3]

thank's a lot for the quick reply. will have a go at making one tomorrow.

 

[pmoyniha]

There are two really important parts to the whole system. One is that the seal between the tubing and the bottle should be good, or you wont get any CO2. The other is a good system by which the CO2 can dissolve in the water. I can't begin to tell you what the best method is, but I found the one I use, and a lot of other info here:

CO2

 

[ste2k3]

good link, thanks again for the info.

 

[njparton]

I made one last weekend with a 2L fanta bottle, 2m of airline and a small airstone (from an old uplift). Oh and a little bit of aquarum silicone to seal the hole in the bottle top.

It's producing a few small bubbles but they're just rising to the surface....

I'm using refined white sugar and a tea spoon of "active bakers yeast". Altough having just spent a couple of hours in the local with a semi-pro brewer, I think beer or champagne yeast may be better as they're tolerant to alcohol - although he wasn't sure bakers yeast would produce alcohol...?

I've just bought a 5L mineral water, once that's empty at the weekend I'm going to scale up and put my airline into the venturi inlet on my powerhead to attempt to achieve max. dissolving of the CO2. Problem is there will be no visual signs of CO2 production in the tank so I won;t no when to make a new solution or if it's working at all. May stick with the airstone for a few more days...

The biggest problem I have is keeping the mixture warm enough throughout the day to keep producing CO2.... Put the bottle by a radiator if there's one nearby.

May try wrapping it in polystyrene insulation....?

 

[ste2k3]

if you want to know wether any co2 is produced, you could use what a lot of marine aquarists use- a bubble counter. basically, its a tube with the ends sealed up. there are two holes in the top. one has a short tube and the other has a long tube going nearly to the bottom of the container. this container it half filled with water and you can then see howmany bubbles of co2 are being produced.

 

[ste2k3]

just got some yeast. it is the stuff that needs to be kept in the frige right . its not a powder or anything its like plasterscene. am going to have a go anyway.

 

[pmoyniha]

Not, sure, I don't think it will hurt, but I think it makes it last longer. If it is cold it will take longer to start doing its thing. I use Fleischmann's Traditional Active Dry yeast in a 113g glass jar. They look like little brown beads.

Good luck to ya!

 

[ste2k3]

nope, didn't work at all. will try the dry yeast.

 

[njparton]

I imagine that will be ok, just trial and error. And on that note I would suggest that if you do not have a check valve in your CO2 line that you make sure the bottle is above the end of the hose that is in the aquarium. When I first started I made that mistake and 10 gallons of water auto-syphoned onto my floor. While I was sleeping. I woke up and put my feet into a puddle of wet carpet.

Good Luck!
Pat

I had that before when I installed a new air pump and stones....

Smelly fish water all over your floor is not good at all

 

[njparton]

nope, didn't work at all. will try the dry yeast.

Just go to Tescos and look for some bread yeast. I bought some called "active baking yeast".

1 hour in warm water and you're in business.

I've also been recommended to try champagne yeast as it's resistant to higher concs of alcohol.