# VERY efficient DIY C02 for All Strong filter outtakes.



## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Well, I was going to try the old yeast bottle trick, when i noticed that my filter outtake would make a perfect co2 generator if used correctly, I think you could also use this method with any kind of filter that pumps out water quickly and makes giant bubbles of C02. These are the pics http://s460.photobucket.com/albums/qq327/harshal19921992/

What I did was basically take the top of a 2L bottle off. What I mean there is to cut off the top (All of the rounded) part of the 2L bottle. Then, wash the bottle of course and get a thick sponge that would diffuse the C02 in. I used a hard sponge which my dad brought for me. It had fine holes and was perfect. Now stick the sponge through the hole(Where the cap used to be and half of it sticking backwards towards the outtake of the filter) and get something that would hold the bottle in place (I used a purple feeder ring as you can see in the pictures). Now put the wider part of the bottle facing the filter outtake like in the picture and if you have a strong filter outtake, it'll keep the bottle facing towards it.

RESULTS: 
With my own DIY Filter outtake bottletop, the bubbles that were produced when the water came out of the filter outtake were pushed into the sponge and swirled around the bottle top, breaking it up. 40% of the bubbles were broken up into tiny fine bubbles which diffused efficiently. The bubbles were knocked down into the tank, and surfaced soon after INTO the bottle top, which made it swirl around AGAIN making it into those tiny efficient bubbles you see in those C02 diffusers which you buy. Many bubbles get sucked into the sponge and get stuck, thus diffusing, and the others, since they were broken up, just wander around the tank until they diffuse. If I'm not mistaken, this method has over a 90% diffusion rate.

Any questions are no problem at all. Hope you got some ideas! 

btw: I have a 30 gallon eclipse tank (Tall) specs are as follow: 24x12x24


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## PRJCT92EH2 (Mar 7, 2008)

Here's the pics:









































Looks promising, but i'm still unclear on exactly how this works. I see the top of the 2 liter bottle and the sponge. What i don't get is where the filter oulet hooks up and where the CO2 enters. There anyway to get a pic form the top maybe? Props for coming up wth something new!


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Haha, thanks for the pics, how'd u do that? 

Well, the filter is hooked up on the side/middle, wherever you want it on the tank, but make sure that the flow is pretty strong, cant be a soft filter. The filter should be a HOB or something like that so the outtake is coming from OUT of the water instead of IN the water. You can see the filter outtake in my second picture at the top right of my tank. So the flow from the filter hitting the water produces bubbles of C02 (Big bubbles) and what my project does is basically break up those giant bubbles into tiny bubbles. And ill be sure to put up some pics once u tell me how to put them up like u did. Lmao


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## Logan's Daddy (May 3, 2008)

Just trying to get this straight, sp you do not have any external source of co2 feeding in to the tank? The bubbles in the photos are just from the water splashing out of a hob filter and hitting the surface?

If so those bubbles are definitely not co2, at least nowhere near the concentration needed to offer the plants a meaningful amount, also the turbulence from the water splashing would probably speed up the release of the co2 back out of the tank.

The concentration we use in our tanks is far far above what could be dissolved in by this method.

If you are introducing some form of concentrated co2 then my apologies, I misunderstood the post then.


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Logan's Daddy said:


> Just trying to get this straight, sp you do not have any external source of co2 feeding in to the tank? The bubbles in the photos are just from the water splashing out of a hob filter and hitting the surface?
> 
> If so those bubbles are definitely not co2, at least nowhere near the concentration needed to offer the plants a meaningful amount, also the turbulence from the water splashing would probably speed up the release of the co2 back out of the tank.
> 
> ...


No offence taken, I'm definetely a newbie, and for systems that are not high tech (Yours is definitely not) and don't need ferts and etc. This is better because we don't need to keep on getting new materials. Well, thats My POV, thanks for the feedback  :hail: to the pro's .

Btw, The C02 that comes from that is broken into such fine bubbles in my tank that they speed down into the tank and just hover or get stuck in the sponge and diffuse that way.


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## Logan's Daddy (May 3, 2008)

Right on, so that means the bubbles we seee are actually atsmopheric air that gets mixed in with the filter outflow. I still don't think you're getting any benifit from the co2 though, here's a quote from wikipedia, "Dry air contains roughly (by molar content – equivalent to volume, for gases) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases."

Sooooooooooooooooooo, .038% of the bubbles you have there are co2, the rest are mostly nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Not really doing a lot for the plants.

By contrast, the bubbles from the DIY yeast and sugar method you mentioned are much much higher, more like 99% co2.

Just trying to help keep a newbie from getting too disappointed or discouraged.


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Logan's Daddy said:


> Right on, so that means the bubbles we seee are actually atsmopheric air that gets mixed in with the filter outflow. I still don't think you're getting any benifit from the co2 though, here's a quote from wikipedia, "Dry air contains roughly (by molar content - equivalent to volume, for gases) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases."
> 
> Sooooooooooooooooooo, .038% of the bubbles you have there are co2, the rest are mostly nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Not really doing a lot for the plants.
> 
> ...


Lol, you popped my bubble, Oh well, Learning fr

Now i can use the top that i created and put it to diffuse the c02 from my yeast mixture


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## PRJCT92EH2 (Mar 7, 2008)

That's why i was so confused, haha. Live and learn!


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

PRJCT92EH2 said:


> That's why i was so confused, haha. Live and learn!


Lols, True


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## Logan's Daddy (May 3, 2008)

lol, "popped your bubble" that's funny...

Glad I could help, this is a great hobby and forums like this are an awesome resource for experienced and novices alike. Keep experimenting, and keep posting, who knows, maybe you'll be the one to come up with the next big thing!


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## goldfishes (Nov 26, 2008)

Cool idea, wish it worked!


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## harshal1992 (Dec 5, 2008)

Lols, Me too, But Im just gonna stick to Nikos idea right now, since My cousin has one of those lying around .


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