# Mad Hatters DIY CO2 System



## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

I know you all will call me as mad as a ****, for having built this DIY CO2 system.

My system consists of 4X 20 Liter, HDP jerry cans, each having its own 500ml trash traps and is parallel connected through individual flow valves to a central manifold with multiple outlets. The manifold and its outlets have a central stop-cock which can stop all outputs. Each outlet is connected to bubble counter with a flow valve and then to a different aquarium.

Each of the 4 HDP jerry cans are charged with 10 liters of yeast+sugar solution. This allows for a head room of 4X 10 liters= 40 Liters. I normally cut off the flow to my aquariums in the evening and restart it the next morning.

I am not using sugar only nor bread yeast. I am not using anything unusual either. All inputs are very commonly available in countryside markets and mostly home produced. That’s a different story from the mechanics of my foray into CO2 world.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

This sounds like a monster DIY CO2 system. Would love to see pictures of it. When you stop the flow of CO2 at night where does the pressure go?

-John N.


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## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

John N. said:


> This sounds like a monster DIY CO2 system. Would love to see pictures of it. When you stop the flow of CO2 at night where does the pressure go?
> 
> -John N.


I used the usual leak finder, soap solution, and could no find any. I put a baloon at one end of the outlets, it inflated. I expect the pressure rises inside the system at night. I am looking for pressure gauge to add to the system to understand it better.

As for pictures, yes I will be posting them very soon, as soon I get rid of some glitches.

The system is taking all my observation at present. Building inline reactors for it. Fine tuning the solutions is a long process as I get a chance only once a week for charging. I am using the individual trash traps as individual bubble counter for each jerry can, and keeping data for comparision. Each jerry can has a cycle of 4 weeks, so that too is a time consuming process.

I will post a detailed post once everything is finally stabilised itself. For the present I have only posted to attract some advice that I may need.


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

pictures? im curious.


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