# Tips on using DIY CO2



## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

Maybe someone else has thought of this but I thought Id throw it out there....


I've found from past experience that if I keep sugar water mixed up (I usually keep a milk jug full) I can simply do "water changes" on my DIY CO2 Generator and keep it going for months. 

Simply pour out about 1/2 of the mixture when it just starts to slow and replace with fresh sugar water. The mix will stall for afew hours and youll be back in business. Maybe a smaller waterchange more often would be best to keep the stall down to a minimum. 

I dont use CO2 anymore except once in awhile starting a new tank just to give in that extra head start but this worked WELL for me in the past. This way one pinch of yeast will last pretty much forever as long as you dont let the alcohol build up too much and kill off your culture. I seem to be able to keep it steadier this way than mixing a new batch each time... with a new batch it always took a good 24hours to get kicked off good.

Just like our tanks... it just takes a waterchange to remove toxic chemicals, in this case alcohol, instead of doing a 100% change and having to "cycle the tank" again 

it has also occurred to me before to add afew tablespoons of activated carbon to the mixture to help absorb alcohol since most of us keep a jar/box on hand...... but I've never tried it. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## czado (May 26, 2005)

The sugar water partial water change idea sounds great. Will start doing this and will post here on what happens after a few weeks. Thanks for the tip.


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## RuslanJamil (Oct 30, 2005)

This sounds pretty good but I don't think you should do it too often, especially when the alcohol concentration is still low. Otherwise significant amounts of sugar will go down the drain...


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

That's the way I do with my diy CO2 setup since 2 years. I use a 5lt bottle and make 1/5 WC every 3-4 days with only fresh water. I also add 2-3 cube sugars every 2-3 days after the first week of the mix. This way I use the same mix for at least a month.


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## Chris S (Feb 27, 2006)

I do a 50% change in my culture every week. Add a cup of sugar and a bit of extra yeast and it stalls for a 1/2 hour or maybe an hour and rocks on after that . i try not to shake it before puring out the water to be changed to keep all the stuff that settled in the bottom assuming there is alot of active yeast in that mulm down there.


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