# DIY CO2 Guide with Pictures & Recipes



## John N.

*Overview*
DIY CO2 is a matter of taking Yeast and Sugar, and mixing them with water to create a reaction by product of CO2 gas. This works extremely well for 1-30 gallon tanks. For larger aquariums you must use more DIY bottles to increase CO2 output. It requires more effort, and most tend to go over to pressurized because the time and effort, and added cost over time required. But it can be done.










*Equipment:*
*1. *Gatorade, Apple Juice, or Oceanspray Bottle
*2.* 2 Cups of Sugar
*3.* 1/4-1 teaspoon of yeast
*4.* 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (optional)
*5.* Diffusor: Hagen Ladder, sweetwater AS10, or through filter intake

*Recipe:*
*1.* 2 Cups of Sugar
*2.* 1/4-1 teaspoon of yeast (more yeast = faster reaction = more CO2 for shorter time (2+ weeks))
*3.* 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (optional)

*Making the Canister (Reaction Bottle):*
*1.* Take drill bit or hammer and a small nail (smaller than the diameter of tubing).
*2. *Unscrew your cap, hammer/drill the nail into the cap to make a small hole
*3.* Get some Airline tubing and pull it through the small hole with pliers. 
*4.* The small hole will create a seal around the tubing so no need for glue, hence the extra small hole.

*Adding the Recipe:*
*1.* Add 2 cups Sugar
*2.* Fill the container with water up to 3/4 way. 
*3.* Add 1/4-1 teaspoon yeast
*4.* Add 1/4 teaspoon (baking soda)
*5.* Put the cap on and twist it on tight.

*Diffusion Methods*
*1.* Line directly into the intake of your filter, 
*2.* Limewood Diffuser
*3.* Sweetwater stone AS10 
*4.* Hagen ladder 
*5.* Glass difusser 










Wait a few hours and you got CO2

Special Notes:

*Check Valve Prevention System + Yeast Strainer* 
In order to keep the Yeast Muck from being released into your tank, A bubble counter or separator is used to catch the muck. This DIY bubble counter also provides a check valve system to prevent water from back siphoning out of the aquarium.

A Syringe from Rite Aid, Long Drugs, Walgreens, etc, can be paired with a standard plastic check valve to make this DIY bubble counter.

*1.*Take the plunger off
*2.* Add some glue to the check valve
*3.* Insert check valve and dry for 24 hours.
*4.* Once dry, the tubing will fit on the end of the check valve, and at the end of the syringe nozzle. 
*5.* Insert this between the diffuser and your reaction bottle.










NOTE: Some plastic check valves occasionally don't work, always check your valve when replacing the DIY CO2 mixture. CO2 will degrade plastic valves over time, so always check.

*For Larger Tanks*
For larger tanks, and those that need to lower the ph more with more CO2 output. Using multiple diffusers placed at each side of the tank (left, right, middle, etc) will increase CO2 dissolution. In addition, you can add a T-valve to connect multiple bottles and to own diffuser to produce more out of your diffuser. Here is an example. Placing the diffusers under a current will blow the CO2 around and further increase CO2 dissolution and contact time with the water.

*Is it working? *
You should see bubbles coming out within 4-24 hours. To see if your CO2 is being properly dissolved based on whichever diffusing method you chose, test your Ph before adding CO2, and after adding. You will see a drop. Refer to a PH and KH chart to see what your levels are at in ppm.

This reaction will last at least 2 weeks to 4 weeks. The more yeast added the faster the reaction but shorter duration.

*Be careful, and enjoy your CO2.*

-John N.


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## Dewmazz

It's really not difficult at all! It really only takes about a half hour at the most, and that's mostly for setting up "the hardware". When you get used to it, it takes maybe 5 minutes to dump the old yeast, wash the container, fill it up with the new yeast & sugar. However, you may want to add a gas seperator, which helps to reduce "gunk" that you may get from DIY Co2. It's simply an empty bottle between the yeast bottle and the aquarium. see here:
http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

Don't be intimidated  :thumbsup:

And great job John. Nicely done how-to. I think I'll have fun making the bubble counter...


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## Deni

I really appreciate seeing photos. My experience with yeast is in making bread and I always had an image of the yeast mixture that I use in baking. I had a hard time imagining the ratio of yeast to water and thought you were dealing with a much thicker mixture. This helps a lot.


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## TommyBoy

:help: This is the one section that I don't get/understand completely. 
- Is there an illustrated/cartoon guide available for idiots like me? 
- In which direction does the check-valve go? Does it matter? 
- Is silicone sealant/glue needed to hold the air-tubing in place?
- Does it matter whether I use silicone air-tubing or "the normal stuff" (clear type)?

Thanks!



John N. said:


> *Check Valve Prevention System + Yeast Strainer*
> _In order to keep the Yeast Muck from being released into your tank, A bubble counter is used to catch the muck. This DIY bubble counter also provides a check valve system to prevent water from back siphoning out of the aquarium._
> 
> Go to Rite Aid or Longs Drugs and pick yourself up a syringe and find a check valve at your fish store.
> 
> Take the plunger off, add some glue to the check valve, insert it where the plunger used to be. Fill the syringe halfway with water. The tubing will fit on the end of the check valve, and at the end of the syringe nozzle. Insert this between the diffuser method and your reaction bottle. Congratulations, you've made yourself a bubble counter and a check valve system for your DIY CO2.
> 
> Some plastic check valves occasionally don't work, always check your valve when replacing the DIY CO2 mixture. CO2 will degrade plastic valves over time, so always check.
> 
> -John N.


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## upikabu

Thanks for this guide. I've been running a DIY CO2 on my 23g for a month or so and have gone through 3 different mixtures (1 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp yeast, 2 cups sugar + 1/4 tsp yeast, 2 cups sugar + 1/2 tsp yeast) to try to find an ideal one. So far I've only been able to get a maximum of 15-20ppm CO2 out of it (in the first week), and the level starts to go downhill by the end of the second week (as indicated by the slower bubble rate in the bubble counter).

Questions: 
- Do you find it helpful to dissolve the sugar first? I've been dissolving the sugar in hot water, let it cool to lukewarm, then add the yeast. Not sure if this really matters. I only use 1L of water BTW, since the container I use (from Red Sea Bio kit) only holds 1L.
- I've heard that some people shake the bottle every few days to help reinvigorate the mixture. Truth or myth?
- Does adding baking soda help the CO2 output level or only duration (i.e. lasts longer)? I'm thinking it might, especially in a highly concentrated mixture like I have (due to less water used).

Thanks in advance!


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## John N.

*Syringe Bubble Counter*

Check valve goes like this: 2L juice bottle - tubing -check valve-syringe - tubing to diffuser inside tank.

The check valve should go in the direction that allows CO2 gas from bottle to enter the aquarium. You can blow through it to make sure it's facing the correct way.

The tubing will fit directly on the syringe output and also on the check valve, so no glue is needed there. Only glue is needed where the check valve and syringe connect.









_(picture from a member on another forum)._

Either tubing will work, silcone will get brittle over time, normal vinyl tubing will get harder over time. Both will need replacing once you see that it does or they system starts to leak CO2. This time can be a period of 3+ months before needing service.

-John N.


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## John N.

Hi Upikabu,

No problem, the guide was something I looked for when I started, and I was having a hard time grasping the concept, so pictures definately help. And so hence the creation of this guide to help others.

As for your questions, I do stir my sugar and try to dissolve some of it when I start. I never did it with hot water, just luke warm. I noticed a slight increase when it first starts, but it the bubble count balances out over time.

You'll get a better output of CO2 if you use a larger bottle. 

Shaking: It helps, since it's dissolving and mixing up the sugars and yeast. But again, it doesn't make a noticable difference in the long run in my experience. I don't recommend it since the liquid can hit the inside tubing, and get some yeast muck in your tubings. 

As for the baking soda. It's to raise the KH and stabilize the reaction if you have low readings of KH in the water you are using. I stick a little in there, every time, since I have a KH of about 3.

My advice try it without baking soda, and once with it, and see if you notice a difference. It doesn't hurt the reaction.

-John N.


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## upikabu

Hi John,

Thanks for the explanations. My KH is 5 out of the tap, so baking soda probably won't have much effect in my case. Mixing may not help either, as the sugar and yeast were already dissolved from the get-go.

What's the highest level of CO2 that you (or anyone else) were able to achieve with one 2L bottle of DIY CO2 in a 20g?

Cheers,
-Paulus


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## John N.

Depends on your reactor diffuser method. I've gotten 20 ppm using a hagen ladder with 1 bottle, when I used two I got about 35 ppm.

-John N.


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## almond

cool....somethig useful. DO i dose the same for Nutrafin?


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## John N.

*For the Hagen Nutrafin Canister:*

Sugar to the bottom inside line,
Water to the top inside line,
1/8-1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/4-1 teaspoon baking soda

Close as tight as possible and enjoy.

The placement of the hagen should be under good circulation as to spread the dissolved CO2 around, and maybe catch the escaping bubble. Not to worry about catching that bubble, since the bubble gets about 85-95% smaller as it travels the rungs, giving you very good dissolution.

-John N.


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## TommyBoy

John => Thanks & dah! I should have thought of blowing through it to make sure it faces the right direction. The picture is a nice help though too.

re. tubing, I was at a local aquarium club (LAC) talk a while back where the speaker recommended the silicone tubing over the clear vinyl (according to my notes), but I could not remember why so. SO thanks for the info on both kinds.

re. baking soda and limiting/controling the reaction, it does seem that many municipal water sources are hard enough. As I remember it, alcohol, which is produced by the fermentation process (that we are using to supply DIY CO2), is the more limiting/controlling factor. Affecting the constancy more and even killing the brew over time.


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## beaucon

*More than enough*



upikabu said:


> Hi John,
> 
> Thanks for the explanations. My KH is 5 out of the tap, so baking soda probably won't have much effect in my case. Mixing may not help either, as the sugar and yeast were already dissolved from the get-go.
> 
> What's the highest level of CO2 that you (or anyone else) were able to achieve with one 2L bottle of DIY CO2 in a 20g?
> 
> Cheers,
> -Paulus


I have a 37 gal tank and a 2 litre bottle DIY system. I generate so much co2 that I have to run a bubbler at night to keep my fish from being aphixiated. However, the secret to getting a higher CO2 rate is in how well the bubbles are smashed up as they are released. The smaller and more numerous the bubble are the higher you co2 concentration will be. The goal is to reach about 30ppm of co2. I have no trouble reaching and exceeding that.


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## upikabu

Hi beaucon,

Can you share your diffusing method?

Thanks for the info!
Cheers


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## Jimbo205

On the Hagen Nutrafin ladder, I tilt the ladder to trap the bubbles. I figure, why waste them. If I could figure out how to get a nice looking (clear) cup like thing to go OVER the bubbler and trap them for good I would. 

Then they would dissolve 100% - correct? 

:yo:


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## Jimbo205

Can you guys show a link to a nice CO2 Bell? 
The link to the Glass Difussers is great. Good price too. 

I think a Glass Diffuser with a CO2 Bell somewhere above it would look really cool!


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## xcooperx

Hi john, how long the DIY mixture will last on the Nutrafin canister?


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## John N.

For me using the above recipe in the nutrafin canister, it lasted for about 2-3 weeks. It probably could go longer, but I like to have it going at the peak performance. 

Using a Juice or 2L bottle, the reaction and bubble count was longer at about 3-4 weeks. 

-John N.


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## John N.

Jimbo for the CO2 bell, it really can be anything that can create a dome where CO2 can fill in. Commonly used items would probably be small bottle soda tops adhered to a weight, glass sauce dishes, etc.

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

Yeah, I am tried those for a day. Ended up putting the Nutrafin Ladder back in for now. I do notice the size of the bubbles do get smaller before they finally escape from the top. Boy, watching your whole tank pearling is a trip!


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## Jimbo205

Found the checkvalve in the Local Fish Store. $2.00 
From the otherwise very good directions, I thought I had to create that also. This should be easy now!


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## harbisgirl

Hello,

I'm new, forgive me if this is a ridiculous question 

I have a sand substrate, would it work to stick the tube under the sand to diffuse the bubbles?


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## John N.

harbisgirl said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm new, forgive me if this is a ridiculous question
> 
> I have a sand substrate, would it work to stick the tube under the sand to diffuse the bubbles?


Interesting idea, but probably no, since a large bubble will still come out of the sand and rush to the surface. The key for getting CO2 in your tank's water is to have the CO2 gas bubble in maximum contact with the water so that it can dissolve. For example, the hagen ladder does this very well. The bubble travels up the ladder getting smaller as it goes up. Similar to this type of glass diffuser that New Guy has. See the cool video in post #10 of

Other options is to have the impeller of your filter or powerhead chop up the bubbles. So feeding the line directing into the intake of your filter wlll maximize the surface area of the tiny bubbles that get chopped up, and provide better chance of dissolution.

-John N.


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## sean_chambers

Strange I was expecting at least one person to mention using High Tolerance Champagne or Wine yeast as it can tolerate almost 3 times the Alchohol % of bread and beer yeast, aslo using sucrose instead of sugar, and adding the sugar in incremants per week and not a huge dose up front allows the brew to ferment at a more consistant rate, also have two of these bottles running so that as one finished the next one has finished its really busy inital phase and has settled down so the tank has a nice consistant suppy of CO2


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## dgaddis1

I have a question about bottle size...from what I've read using a 2L bottle vs. a nutrafin canister will last longer due to the decreased alcohol concentration levels. My question is about the peformance of the 2L vs. the Nutrafin canister. Basically, which will produce the greatest amout of CO2 a day? My current mix in the Nutrafin canister is lasting right at two weeks, so if the 2L will produce CO2 at the same rate, and last longer, I'd like to switch. However, since I'm running the system on a 29G I want to have the highest possible rate of CO2 production, even if that means starting a new batch every two weeks vs. every 3 or 4. Thanks for the advice!


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## John N.

It's really all dependent on how much yeast and sugar is supplied in the bottle. Since the 2L bottles types can hold more of both, the reaction will be last longer, and have a higher production rate in the short term (2 weeks) if supplied with more yeast (3/4 tsp).

You'll see an longer reaction, and increased CO2 production if you switch to the 2L bottle, and add a larger amount of yeast than recommended. This will shorten the life span of the CO2 from 3-4 weeks to 2 weeks, yet production will be dramatic more.

As Sean stated, wine yeast will also enhance the life of the reaction.

I recommend using (2) 2 liter bottles T-ed together for maximum CO2 production.

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

Both of my setups are still running fine. When done do they just stop? 

Or do I have to somehow guess when it is 'slowing down'? My 3 Liter bottle has this real nice continuous tiny bubble stream going and the tinier the bubbles I assume the better the absorption. 

The Nutrafin ladder is still going. Not like crazy, but still going. 

So, how do you know when to 'recharge' ?


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## invisibleshopper

*What kind of Glue can be used?*

Hi,

I am going to try to make the bubble counter in this thread but am worried about poisoning the fish by using glue to fix the check valve into the syringe.

What kind of glue is recommended?

Thanks,

KLT


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## John N.

I've used standard Epoxy Glue without adverse problems. But I've used silcone glue with positive results but after a few months the silicone will need replacing placing.

*You can also try a DIY Separator Bottle*

Much like Mikee's DIY Separator Bubble Counter:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/gallery/files/7/3/3/2/Aquarium012_original.jpg

-John N.


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## bioch

wat if i use a bigger bottle, do i still fill it to 3/4 

and also when i saw the check valve there is water in it? reason? thx


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## viviparu'

*How can I transform ppm in bubbles/second*

Hi,

I read your posts about CO2 addition but I have a question: Let assume that ideal for my aquarium is to have and addition of 15 ppm of CO2. My question is: how many bubbles/second that means. I have a bubble counter and I want to set the number of CO2 bubbles released in one second in the tank in order to have 15ppm CO2 addition. So: 15ppm of CO2 means how many bubbles/second?

Thanks.


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## ChrisGray

cool thanks


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## John N.

viviparu' said:


> Hi,
> 
> Let's assume that ideal for my aquarium is to have and addition of 15 ppm of CO2. My question is: how many bubbles/second that means. I have a bubble counter and I want to set the number of CO2 bubbles released in one second in the tank in order to have 15ppm CO2 addition. So: 15ppm of CO2 means how many bubbles/second?
> 
> Thanks.


Unfortunately this translation isn't as simple as that. PPM cannot be converted in BPS (bubbles per second). Each system will be different, see the CO2 Charts in the fert section to see how the drop in pH is effected by each additional bubble to get this rate.

In general I would say that most DIY CO2 setups will produce on average 15-20 ppms. The better setups with mutliple bottles will yield even more dissolved CO2 levels.

-John N.


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## morefishies

i dug up some 100% silicone sealant for concrete and masonry but it specifies that it makes a watertight seal. will this work for attaching the check valve to the syringe?

also, i found this: eBay: Spio VIII Co2 diffuser - Aquarium planted tank (item 250008857379 end time Oct-14-06 07:47:40 PDT)

it may be overkill for my tank (only 10 gallons) but it seems that it would almost guarantee a 100% diffusion rate. my only question is would the spiral lessen the co2 pressure so that the tiny bubbles wouldn't diffuse through the disc?

just caught my attention because it seemed so similar to this:


John N. said:


> Similar to this type of glass diffuser that New Guy has. See the cool video in post #10 of
> -John N.


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## John N.

The silicone may hold, but may have leaks later as things bend and break their seal. Use a small amount of normal epoxy glue. Or you can just do the separate Bottle bubble counter as it might be easier to make without the extra glue or silicone.

As for the Spio diffuser, the length of it might be distracting in a 10 gallon tank. However I am sure that it will work like any of the other types of glass diffusers. I use the Aquabotanic's Might Mini often switched out between cleanings with the Aquaticmagic's nano glass diffuser in my 10.

-John N.


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## bioch

thx, i finally got finished with drinking my pepsi lime and it seems to work out great. in only a few hours there were bubbles! and for the water seperator all i did was put the bottle over the tank.


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## jlui83

I still dont see any bubbles!!! Its almost 24 hrs... I did everything what the tutorial said..... HelP!!!


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## John N.

As suggested in my earlier PM to ya, check for leaks around the cap area, and make sure the yeast is still good. Since you're not using a glass diffuser or anything at the end of your airline tubing, we can take out the lack of pressure to run those items out of the equation. That leaves us leaks and bad yeast.

You can test the functionality of the yeast by putting it in a coke bottle and sealing it aff completely. It will pressurized the coke bottle in a few hours indicating that Co2 production is occuring and the yeast is good. And you can check for leaks around the cap with a soapy solution to look for soapy bubbles from the leaks.

-John N.


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## jlui83

John N. said:


> As suggested in my earlier PM to ya, check for leaks around the cap area, and make sure the yeast is still good. Since you're not using a glass diffuser or anything at the end of your airline tubing, we can take out the lack of pressure to run those items out of the equation. That leaves us leaks and bad yeast.
> 
> You can test the functionality of the yeast by putting it in a coke bottle and sealing it aff completely. It will pressurized the coke bottle in a few hours indicating that Co2 production is occuring and the yeast is good. And you can check for leaks around the cap with a soapy solution to look for soapy bubbles from the leaks.
> 
> -John N.


What do I do after I put the yeast in the coke bottle and seal it off completely (no hole in cap)... Meaning how do I check THAT if it has pressure or not b/c I wont be able to squeeze the bottle.

What do I do with the soap solution and water? Sorry im new to this.

Currently I just squeezed the bottle and bubbles came out of the tubing....


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## John N.

If the bottle is seal off completely, the bottle will get harder and harder to squeeze because the yeast reaction creates CO2 gas that will fill up the open air space. This tells you the yeast is still working because it's making the gas.

*Once you figure that the yeast is good, you can proceed to figuring out if you have leaks.*
This is the way I would do it.

1. Mix the ingredients in the bottle.

2. Cap the bottle with the cap with your airline tubing through the top of it

3. Tie off the end of your airline tubing, so that no gas can escape.

4. Make some soapy water (make it similar to the toy bubble blowing solutions)

5. Take that solution and wipe it around the connection (cap area) and see if there's bubbles coming from those areas. In addition, since the tubing is tied, the bottle should feel pressurized (hard to the touch) indicating no leaks.

Once you figure out you have no leaks, and that the yeast is working, you are good to proceed.

-John N.


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## jlui83

Thanks for the info!

Well there is definetly pressure from the bottle. Every once in a while there will be a spur of bubbles that come out of the airline tube.. then it just stops... then picks up again later.... Is this normal? Or is it supposed to have a constant flow of bubbles?


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## John N.

That's normal as it starts up. It will be erratic, and then will be constant, shooting out 1 or 2 bubbles every 4-5 seconds. 

This takes about a day or two, and after that, it will be constant for about 2 weeks, and then will become erratic again as the yeast eats up all the sugar. That means you should being to replace it.

-John N.


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## jlui83

YAY.. so its working.. lets hope it will keep it up... Im going to attempt a 1L mixture after work today.. with 1 cup sugar. 1/4 tsp yeast...


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## troybernard

so what do you do at night when the light in the tank is off and the co2 is still going. do you have a pump that you plug in?


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## jlui83

pump? no... I just let it run just like I would during the day......


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## John N.

Yes you probably won't need a pump. DIY CO2 doesn't usually produce enough CO2 that will harm fish or inverts. However if you feel more confortable, you can run an airpump at night on a timer to oxygenate the water. 

-John N.


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## troybernard

Cool. Thanks for all the great info.


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## jlui83

well since I made my first 2L bottle and it was giving me 1 bubble every 20 seconds (I haven't checked for leaks) I made another bottle, A 1L bottle and put it in the tank as well. So just for now I have a 2L bottle and a 1L bottle giving about 1 bubble every 8 seconds. Strangely enough, the 1L bottle had bubbles coming out of it within 1hr. I guess that means the hole I drilled for the first one was probabbly too big. I'll check for leaks tonight.

Thanks for the great information!


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## morefishies

I have a question about bottle size vs. co2 production vs. the amount of time the reaction lasts. 

I have a 2 Quart juice bottle (1.89 L), and i was wondering if this would be sufficent co2 for a 10 gallon aquarium and how long would it probably last? 

would a bigger bottle mean it lasts longer? because i'm looking for as low maintenance as possible... but i don't want to put too much co2 in my 10 gallon. 

just wondering...


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## Jimbo205

I like 3 liter soda bottles. 

Purchased from my local Price Chopper grocery store (at midnight). 
I don't remember if I poured the Soda down the drain to use the bottle. Or, if I let the kids finish the soda off. 
If I am not careful, my family will throw the bottles out instead of recycling. 

Good luck with what you are looking for.


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## AMP

In regards to DIY using a powered reactor for which I believe I am going to do for now, until i get the money together for a CO2 setup, Can you utilize the airline tube on the power head to allow the CO2 to enter the chamber?

DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium


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## John N.

I would be weary connecting the CO2 line directly powerhead using the venturi section because it typically sucks in air. When connecting the CO2 line directly you run the risk of having your yeast mixture getting sucked up into the powerhead and into your tank.

I would instead simply stick and wedge your CO2 tubing in the intake of your powerhead so that it will suck in and break down the bubbles coming out of the tubing.

-John N.


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## AMP

I thought about that John, What I did was use the penguin PH Attached the CO2 line to the discharge side of it there was a port to add airiation to the discharge end. 

I then created the Generator and attached it to the PH Needle valve


This is how it ended up


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## John N.

Ah, I see where you're going. It looks good. I'm having trouble seeing in the picture where you are sticking the CO2 line, inverted and centered in the clear tube with blue top? It looks like it'll work, keep us posted on how effective it is.

-John N.


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## AMP

Ok on the first picture of the PH if you look at the black tube attached to the needle valve that 90 degree looking thing, that is where the CO2 line is going, if this works I believe I will add the Pressurized unit to it, when I get the Cash


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## K20A2

For everyone using the Hagen ladder.. Where do you guys place the ladder in the tank? Near the outake of the filter or far away from it?


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## erijnal

I've been using the 1.89L Gatorade bottles, and I changed the amount of yeast I add from 1/4th of a teaspoon to 1/8th. It took almost a full day for the pressure to build up, but the mixture has lasted me a month with good results. Luckily, most of my CO2 hasn't been wasted in the form of big bubbles off the glass diffuser, so I've been getting efficient dissolution.

When I was adding 1/4th of a teaspoon of yeast, I would get around two weeks of good CO2 production, and it would take maybe 5-8 hours for the pressure to build up where I would get bubbles through the diffuser. So in conclusion, although it takes longer for the pressure to build up with 1/8th of a teaspoon, I got another two weeks out of my mixture


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## Jimbo205

At any time when you wish to see more bubbles, I say it is perfectly fine to shake the bottle as hard as you like..

And then watch what happens.... 

It's fun.


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## spoof

in my tank i have one of those hollow rock/tree trunk things that hold filters, heaters and stuff 
and on the side there is this grill/grid thing that sucks up the water(its pretty powerful) so i put my co2 canister to a tube with an airstone at the end right next to the grill. so im hoping that by the time it comes out the filter waterfall it will be dissolved, will it?



P.S. it seems that when i turn of my light my fish start gasp a lot and bottom dwellers go to the top trying to breath air. should i put in an airstone?


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## John N.

It sounds like your the CO2 is being dissolved properly in your set up. A tell tell sign is to watch your pH drop by measuring the before and after.

In regards to fish gasping, DIY CO2 usually doesn't create that many problems, but it sounds like an airstone is needed in your case to get that needed dissolved oxygen in the water column.

-John N.


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## spoof

John N. said:


> In regards to fish gasping, DIY CO2 usually doesn't create that many problems, but it sounds like an airstone is needed in your case to get that needed dissolved oxygen in the water column.
> 
> -John N.


but doesn't the forming bubbles trap than release co2 out.


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## John N.

Yup, you are correct. The bubbles produced from the mixture contains near pure CO2 gas that is readily dissolved in water. However, since DIY CO2 doesn't usually produce a high amount of bubbles the amount of CO2 dissolved isn't very high.

Because of the surfacing fish,

* The problem could be:*

1) Too much CO2 at night when lights are out. Plants and DIY CO2 producing CO2.

2) Too low O2 at night when lights are out. Plants no longer producing O2.

*Suggestion:* add airstone at night on a timer.

-John N.


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## spoof

now instead of of all this yeast,suger, water businesses could one just get a co2 tank(like paint ball tanks) and a regulator and just stick a tube from that to the aquarium?


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## John N.

Yup, spoof, that's where one now ventures in the world of pressurized CO2 which typically costs around $150+ to start up.

The Red Sea Paintball Kit is exactly what you are looking for.

-John N.


----------



## spoof

so is it compatible with ALL co2 tanks or just a few?.
and is very cost effective and worthwhile?


----------



## John N.

The Red Sea Paintball kit fits the the small paintball cylinders that are typically sold at paintball stores, and local Walmarts. People like this kit because space is limited, and the smaller refill cylinders are easier to obtain for them. Cost wise, this is more expensive by initial costs of $50, than say a normal full size regulator w/solenoid and a 5-10lb CO2 cylinder, as you have to purchase new small paintball cylinders more often and the redsea kit doesn't come with a solenoid.

There are other threads regarding Pressurized CO2 options (Paintball or full size setups) to continue this discussion on. Here's one to start regarding paintball and full size regulator options.

-John N.


----------



## atmmachine816

I'm thinking of setting up a DIY co2 for my 5.5 gallon and trying to read so I don't have to bug you guys with questions but here's two I have so far.
1. for 5.5 gallons should I still use a 2liter bottle?
2. Can you make a ladder with airline tubing to mimic the nutrafin ladder?

thanks


----------



## John N.

ATM,

1. A 2 liter bottle is fine. The bigger the container the longer it will last. I wouldn't worry about injecting too much CO2 with DIY. I used a 2 liter bottle on my 1 gallon nano without any problems.

2. I suppose you can try to make a ladder, but I had good results using a glass diffuser from aqmagic.com. Or you can even use a sweetwater stone (aquaticeco.com), or just have the bubbles go directly into the intake of a filter.

-John N.


----------



## atmmachine816

Ok thanks yes I read that and think I will try just disolving it via my intake tube, that doesn't make a lot of noise does it?

I was wondering when you make the bubble counter how does it measure the bubbles?

thanks


----------



## Jimbo205

How do you like this? It looks really nice!


----------



## John N.

atmmachine816 said:


> Ok thanks yes I read that and think I will try just disolving it via my intake tube, that doesn't make a lot of noise does it?
> 
> I was wondering when you make the bubble counter how does it measure the bubbles?
> 
> thanks


I don't hear much noise on mine. When it hits a large bubble you'll hear a swooshing sound ocassioanlly. Most of the bubbles that come off the glass diffuser or sweetwater airstone are pretty "misty" and usually don't make much noise when they hit the filter's impeller.

The bubble counter doesn't actually count bubbles. It enables you to count the bubbles as you see them go through the water. This helps you know how much CO2 is being produced, and whether or not it is slowing down and needs replacing. Generally with DIY CO2 and a 2 liter bottle I got about 1 bubble per 4 seconds, so I imagine you should be experience a similar CO2 output.

-John N.


----------



## atmmachine816

John N. said:


> I don't hear much noise on mine. When it hits a large bubble you'll hear a swooshing sound ocassioanlly. Most of the bubbles that come off the glass diffuser or sweetwater airstone are pretty "misty" and usually don't make much noise when they hit the filter's impeller.
> 
> The bubble counter doesn't actually count bubbles. It enables you to count the bubbles as you see them go through the water. This helps you know how much CO2 is being produced, and whether or not it is slowing down and needs replacing. Generally with DIY CO2 and a 2 liter bottle I got about 1 bubble per 4 seconds, so I imagine you should be experience a similar CO2 output.
> 
> -John N.


I'm not sure on what you mean here, do you think you could explain how the bubble counter works? sorry I'm still new, setting it up tonight so maybe I'll see what you mean.

thanks


----------



## John N.

No Problem. We'll see if I can explain the bubble counter a little better.










As you can see from your diagram above, the bubble counter syringe (which is filled with water) is positioned so that you can see the CO2 bubbles as it course through the tubing, through the liquid in the counter and to your filter intake. You literally count the bubbles as they go through this counter. Why? It will give you a general idea of what your DIY CO2 yeast mixture is producing per minute. For example, if you see 1 bubble going through the bubble counter each second, then you know that your mixture is producing very well. When it starts slowing down to 1 bubble every 10 seconds then you know you have to think about replacing the mixture. The bubble counter is an indicator of how much CO2 you are producing. 1 bubble every 4 seconds is typical of a DIY CO2 setup in my experience.

If you didn't have a bubble counter, then you wouldn't be able to visually see if your DIY CO2 is working as optimally as it can. So again, you are literally counting each bubble as it courses through the system.

-John N.


----------



## Squawkbert

This & similar threads inspired a science fair experiment idea...
As a result of the differences in receipes seen while researching DIY CO2, my daughter & I are doing a full factorial designed experiment (factors are yeast, sugar, water - 2 levels ea.). The goal is to be able to optimize for either output duration or output volume.

Results in a couple of weeks...


----------



## atmmachine816

Thanks so much, I didn't realize your supposed to fill it with water, will do that.

Sounds interestingsquawkbert.


----------



## atmmachine816

Does this look good?

thanks


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## John N.

It looks fantastic! Good job. Just curious, is it working and producing CO2 directly into the filter intake?

-John N.


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## atmmachine816

Not sure yet, I'm making the mixture really soon, I had to wait overnight for the glue to set. I'm going to wrap the bottle in foil and a washcloth to keep it warm because right now it gets down to 65 at night, think this will be ok? I'll let you know when it starts working.


----------



## atmmachine816

The package said 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and I poured all of this in my bottle, is this going to harm anything or just going to give me a fast reacting co2?

Ok so the glue I used ended up being dissolved in the glue but I had already made the mixture so I have it now with the check valve but no bubble counter since I have two check valves. Could I use hot glue or elmers glue or should I let it be as it is and get expoxy glue asap though where would I buy it, many thanks.

currently waiting for bubbles to come


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## John N.

1) Towel sound like it will keep the bottle warm enough. 

2) 2 1/4 tsp of yeast will make your reaction go super fast. Most likely will have to replace in about 1-2 weeks. 

3) No bubble counter is fine. You can let it run as is, and feel the pressure in the bottle or observe the buuble output instead. However, if you do decide to make the counter, epoxy glue is what you'll want to use. Other glues don't work very well. Epoxy can be found at target, walmart, home depot in hardware sections for $3.

-John N.


----------



## atmmachine816

Ok thanks, I'll get some then to get the bubble counter. i don't have a KH test kit and since it's DIY I don't have to worry too much about overdosing right? just need to monitor ph and fish gasping for breath.

thanks


----------



## John N.

atmmachine816 said:


> i don't have a KH test kit and since it's DIY I don't have to worry too much about overdosing right? just need to monitor ph and fish gasping for breath.
> 
> thanks


For DIY CO2, I wouldn't be concerned about injecting to much CO2. But if you do see fish gasping then that's a sign that there is either not enough dissolved oxygen, or there is too much dissolved CO2 in the water. As for pH, just make sure it doesn't go too low...say below 6.0.

-John N.


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## atmmachine816

Thanks a lot, your the first person to make DIY co2 clear to me, will let you know when I see it working.


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## atmmachine816

O yea, this doesn't create an acholol smell does it?


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## John N.

atmmachine816 said:


> O yea, this doesn't create an acholol smell does it?


It sure does! Yeast + Sugar = Fermentation 

-John N.


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## atmmachine816

O is it really noticable. 

Co2 is working, I hear a pop then I see little bubbles come out of my filter output. Sound right

Thanks a lot, I'm really happy that it worked this time.


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## atmmachine816

atmmachine816/co2 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting up and running photos, amazing plant growth in two days


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## atmmachine816

How would I raise my ph with the co2 lowering it?

thanks


----------



## John N.

I'm happy to see you got your system up and running. It looks good!

This thread might help you with your pH question. Most likely though, you don't need to buffer your pH or KH much.

-John N.


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## atmmachine816

It dropped to 6.0, I think it might be because of too much yeast. thanks for the link will check it out.

Would adding a DIY unit to my 29 gallon help get rid of hair algae? 

thanks a lot

p.s. sorry didn't see you in chat, I'm active in their now


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## PinchHarmonic

Hi Guru :-D

I also read the paper for DIY linked here: http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html#2

It talks about the diffuser made with a powerhead and a siphon.. how would you compare it to the other diffusers mentioned?

namely, the hagen ladder, nano diffuser, the spiral one in the video, and the Spio VIII Co2 diffuser (which looks like a combination of the spiral one and a nano diffuser).

I'm definitely going to do a DIY c02 application first before I try the compressed one. I feel like i'd learn so much from building this and trying.


----------



## plantblr

Hi

I have a 15gl tank with plants and no CO2.After going through this thread Iam really excited to set up DIY CO2 for my tank too.

I have heard that CO2 can be relased to the tank using your powerhead filter,but dont know how....

Please clear my below queries(may look a bit foolish coz am new to this):

>How do i connect the outlet to the filter that I use(picture attached) so that the filter outlet releases the CO2 in the tank using a diffuser.
>How do I control the flow of CO2 and how many bubbles per second/minute need to be allowed.
>Does the CO2 flow need to be stopped during the night when the lights are off,if yes how do I do it.



Regards,
Ravi


----------



## John N.

PinchHarmonic said:


> It [the website] talks about the diffuser made with a powerhead and a siphon.. how would you compare it to the other diffusers mentioned?
> 
> namely, the hagen ladder, nano diffuser, the spiral one in the video, and the Spio VIII Co2 diffuser (which looks like a combination of the spiral one and a nano diffuser).


*The Hagen ladder* works very well, but is large and unsightly at times. Works best in 20 gallons or less.

*The Nano glass diffusers* and the other types of glass diffusers work well when placed under a flow, powerhead, or filter intake. This maximizes the dissolution of C02 while spreading the CO2 bubbles throughout the tank. Works best in 20-30 gallons or less (with DIY CO2).

*The powerhead/siphon tube* combo is another good one, which I've been prefering over the others. Dissolves CO2 well, and doesn't require much cleaning like the other two. I would purchase the Red Sea Reactor 500, since it's small. Works best in 20-25 gallons or less.


_Same dissolving principle of the Reactor 500, and powerhead/siphon combos. Power Vortex Reactor at work._

Ultimately, since they all work pretty well, it's based on your preference of look and style.

-John N.


----------



## John N.

plantblr said:


> 1) How do i connect the outlet to the filter that I use(picture attached) so that the filter outlet releases the CO2 in the tank using a diffuser.
> 
> 2) How do I control the flow of CO2 and how many bubbles per second/minute need to be allowed.
> 
> 3) Does the CO2 flow need to be stopped during the night when the lights are off,if yes how do I do it.


Hi Ravi,

*1)* People diffuse CO2 straight into their filter by placing the CO2 tubing directly underneath the intake or wedged in between the intake strainer. The filter will suck up the bubbles, break them down, and will dissolve the CO2 inside the filter and spit out what doesn't get dissolved.

*2)* You can't control the C02 flow rate with DIY CO2. But there is no worries, with DIY CO2 expect around 1 bubble every 4-6 seconds.

*3)* There is no need to turn it off at night. The amount of CO2 that gets "injected" and dissolved isn't going to harm fish in any way. However if you are really concerned about too much CO2 at night, you may place an air pump and airstone on a timer to run at night, thereby degassing any C02 in the tank.

Have fun with your DIY CO2 setups! You'll love it when you see your plants grow better. 

-John N.


----------



## nova

Has anyone tried generating CO2 by mixing baking soda and vinegar? The amount of co2 generated is way more than the yeast recipe. Ive seen it being used to fill balloons, so I know the pressure is more.

Would having more bubbles per minute (since the CO2 is under more pressure than the yeast method) end up lowering the pH too quickly?

Thanks


----------



## Homer_Simpson

nova said:


> Has anyone tried generating CO2 by mixing baking soda and vinegar? The amount of co2 generated is way more than the yeast recipe. Ive seen it being used to fill balloons, so I know the pressure is more.
> 
> Would having more bubbles per minute (since the CO2 is under more pressure than the yeast method) end up lowering the pH too quickly?
> 
> Thanks


I am not sure but I don't think that a vinegar and baking soda mix would give you C02 production for very long. You would get an initial burst, then things would fizzle out quickly. With yeast, you may not get the same pressure immediately, but you would likely have more sustained c02 output over a longer period of time before the brew fizzles out. Also, I don't think you want to saturate your tank with too much c02 all at once. Your fish could die from the excess c02 build up over such a short period of time.


----------



## jackh

i really dont understand the whole syringe bubble counter thing. can someone give me a link or explain it to me? big pictures would be great


----------



## timwu12

Hi,

I'm new to this, but I have a 20 gallon tank and I want to run a CO2 system through it. My question is, I have a 1 gallon syrup container, and 1 gallon is about 4 liters, so is it ok to just double your 2 liter soda bottle recipe so that it works for a gallon or is that too much that it'll burst the bottle and add too much co2 into my tank?

also, for your yeast muck catcher that you made out of a check valve and a syringe, are you supposed to fill the syringe with some water as in seen in your post? Because if so, won't the CO2 get dissolved into that water? I'm assuming that the pressure won't build enough to make it out of the water, up the tubing, and into the diffuser.

Thanks for the help guys!


----------



## hoppycalif

timwu12 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm new to this, but I have a 20 gallon tank and I want to run a CO2 system through it. My question is, I have a 1 gallon syrup container, and 1 gallon is about 4 liters, so is it ok to just double your 2 liter soda bottle recipe so that it works for a gallon or is that too much that it'll burst the bottle and add too much co2 into my tank?
> 
> also, for your yeast muck catcher that you made out of a check valve and a syringe, are you supposed to fill the syringe with some water as in seen in your post? Because if so, won't the CO2 get dissolved into that water? I'm assuming that the pressure won't build enough to make it out of the water, up the tubing, and into the diffuser.
> 
> Thanks for the help guys!


The first question: you are right - just scale up the quantities when you use a bigger bottle or jug.

Second Question: it is the water in the "muck catcher" that catches the "muck". Yes, CO2 dissolves in that water, but CO2 comes out of solution as easily as it goes into solution, so the effect is the same as CO2 just flowing right through the water and into the outlet tube.


----------



## timwu12

Cool, Thanks for the help... now that I know it'll work, should i fill the whole syringe with water or leave some air in it like in the picture? 

Also, I have a Penguin 660 powerhead, and it's got a little opening on the top by where the water rushes out and that opening is attached to a line that lets oxygen in so that the water gets oxygenated. Can I pull that out and directly add the CO2 line there? 

I have a co2 diffuser that'll get picked up by the powerhead and dispersed throughout the tank, but that's coming in the mail and it won't arrive for quite some time, so i was wondering if this method would sufficiently suffice for now or is it too close to the top of the tank that any co2 produced would just evaporate? THanks again!


----------



## hoppycalif

You need to leave air at the top of the water, otherwise the CO2 would tend to lift water out just as a trail of air bubbles lifts water. The venturi on the outlet of a powerhead is not a good place to add CO2, and it is a very bad place to add DIY CO2. That venturi generates suction which would try to suck the DIY bottle contents into the tank. And, the CO2 bubbles would be too big, using that, to get much dissolving of CO2 before the bubbles float to the top of the tank.

The best way to use the powerhead as a CO2 reactor is to inject the CO2 in the powerhead inlet, so the pump rotor chops it up into small bubbles. If you remove the pump rotor and drill a few holes in each blade, the bubbles will be much smaller after going through the powerhead.


----------



## timwu12

sounds like a plan! thanks hoppycalif! 

however, how should i point the deflector on my powerhead? Right now it's angled up about 45 degrees or so and breaks a little of the surface with a hill of water that runs up, out of the surface by a couple centimeters and then back down (just like a little hill of water that's from the powerhead) is that ok positioning of the powerhead for co2 dispersal or should i flip the deflector all the way down to 0 degrees so that it just gets pumped straight out without it breaking the surface? What if i turn the deflector upside down so the water pumps downwards? Is that a bad idea?


----------



## hoppycalif

If you are adding CO2 to the inlet of a powerhead you will get CO2 mist out of the powerhead. That mist should be directed so it hits as many plants as possible, preferably low in the tank. I think it is a good idea to have a little ripple on the water surface, too, but I do that with the canister filter outlet. I have that outlet near the top and angled so the surface is just slightly rippled.


----------



## timwu12

what happens when you've made the mix, hooked it up, but realize you added a little too much water so that some of the foamy stuff got sucked into the tube and expelled into the tank? I've since taken the mixture and poured some of it out of the bottle, but as for the water conditions and the fish, how are they going to be affected? Thanks


----------



## hoppycalif

timwu12 said:


> what happens when you've made the mix, hooked it up, but realize you added a little too much water so that some of the foamy stuff got sucked into the tube and expelled into the tank? I've since taken the mixture and poured some of it out of the bottle, but as for the water conditions and the fish, how are they going to be affected? Thanks


I would do a 50+% water change. The big bubble counter or "muck catcher" is needed to stop that stuff from getting to the tank. Also, with DIY CO2 it is a bad idea to inject CO2 in a way that will cause suction on the CO2 line.


----------



## natdc2

I have a question. How many bottle of 2L should I use for a 30 gallon? Is one sufficient enough to produce the require amount of co2 by injecting the co2 into a powerhead. If not, should I use two and deliver it into a powerhead also? Thanks you.


----------



## hoppycalif

The reason for using more than one DIY bottle is to stagger the start times, so at least one is always producing an adequate amount of CO2. That keeps the amount in the water more nearly constant, which helps prevent algae from starting.


----------



## natdc2

Oh ic. The reason why I asked is because I was afraid of producing too much co2 with 2 2l bottle, thus harming my 20+ tetras at night.


----------



## hoppycalif

You can get a drop checker pretty cheaply, or make one, and that will tell you if you have too much CO2 for the fish to tolerate. See the sticky here.


----------



## CraigThor

Anyone make this on a larger scale say from a 5 gallon jug? 

Craig


----------



## natdc2

Well I added a second 2L bottle to produce the CO2 in my 30gal tank and diffuse it through an elite mini powerhead. I measured my ph and gk a day before and a day after and the Ph is still at 7.6 and Kh at 7-8. Looking at the co2 chart...it saying that I'm producing about 5-6ppm of co2 only lol. Is something wrong?


----------



## hoppycalif

Yes, something is wrong! My guess is that you have a leak or leaks of CO2, so not much of it gets to the diffuser. You can buy or make a cheap drop checker to get a more accurate indication of how much CO2 is in the water.


----------



## natdc2

Gotcha. A drop checker is on the way.


----------



## natdc2

Iiight got my drop checker in with a 4dkh solution and about 4 drops of the ph indicator. I left it undisturb for about 7 hours so far and the solution is still blue...There is no leak around the air line whatsoever, because I spray some soapy liquid on all the connections to check. So my question is....for the people that are running diy co2 on a 30 gallon, how many bottle of 2L are yall using and which method are you using to diffuse the co2? Thanks.


----------



## natdc2

Ok so after a week of fraustration, I finally got the ppm I wanted from 2 2L bottle. I took off two of my h.o.b filter and put in a magnum 350 with the outlet pointing more toward the bottom to prevent surface agitation. My drop checker is now registering green and sometime in the morning yellow.


----------



## Jerroldw91

Hey thanks alot for making this guide! I have everything finished and ready to go, except for the actual "getting it into the aquarium and diffusion" step.


----------



## snagtooth

Forgive me, I am new here and although I read through the thread I am a bit confused as to the correct answer to this question.

I just purchased the Nutrafin CO2 System to do some DIY CO2 for a 6 gallon planted nano. I plan to set up the CO2 system tonight, but was trying to get a clear answer on whether the glass nano diffusers on ebay work better than the ladder that comes with the Nutrafin kit? Do they just look better, but not perform better?

Also, I see some varying opinions on using check valves inline with tubing and it makes sense to me that given the nature of how the check valve works it would be useless to use one as it would still allow the mix to pass along with the gas. Am I missing something on this too? Seems to me a second bottle to "catch" the mix would be a better solution, but this may compromise the Nutrafin system's pressure?

I like the look of the glass diffusers better and they are cheap enough, but would appreciate anyone's experience that has a Nutrafin system on a small tank and whether or not they left it stock or enhanced it a bit (and how it was done.) Thanks for helping on what I am sure is a tiresome question by now.


----------



## narcoleptic

hoppycalif said:


> You need to leave air at the top of the water, otherwise the CO2 would tend to lift water out just as a trail of air bubbles lifts water. The venturi on the outlet of a powerhead is not a good place to add CO2, and it is a very bad place to add DIY CO2. That venturi generates suction which would try to suck the DIY bottle contents into the tank. And, the CO2 bubbles would be too big, using that, to get much dissolving of CO2 before the bubbles float to the top of the tank.


I finished my DIY CO2 last night with the bubble counter syringe. This morning everything works. However there is more water in the syringe than I had previously put in? I filled it 3/4, but this morning it was almost full. I can still see the bubbles inside, it and the diffuser inside the tank seems to be working too.

What happened here? Should I be worried?


----------



## critter333294

Hate to necropost, but just wanted to throw this out there.

Has anyone tried using the Sugar in the Raw(its natural cane sugar instead of processed)? It's the kind that's bigger brown crystals and comes in the brown boxes at the grocery store. I used it in my mixture, and I noticed that it's been producing much longer than my regular sugar mix.


----------



## ghengis

I use brown "Raw" sugar. Only because it's all I have in the pantry. I have read of prople preferring to use this, or white sugar with a spoon or two of brown for longevity...


----------



## jaiko1975

My questions is how much 2 l bottles should i use for a 40g tank, and should it be tank level?

Also will this cause my pH to tank sense my pH right now is 6.2?


----------



## fshfanatic

Jimbo205 said:


> I like 3 liter soda bottles.
> 
> Purchased from my local Price Chopper grocery store (at midnight).
> I don't remember if I poured the Soda down the drain to use the bottle. Or, if I let the kids finish the soda off.
> If I am not careful, my family will throw the bottles out instead of recycling.
> 
> Good luck with what you are looking for.


Those used to go on sale at the dollar store for a buck, when that happened I would pour out about 2 cups, add yeast and letter rip.. There is so much sugar in the soda it was actually a cheap alternative!


----------



## Commodore 64

fshfanatic said:


> Those used to go on sale at the dollar store for a buck, when that happened I would pour out about 2 cups, add yeast and letter rip.. There is so much sugar in the soda it was actually a cheap alternative!


We got our 3l bottles at the dollar store too. Haven't had time to set up the yeast/CO2 injection system yet tho...


----------



## Muirner

Ok, so i tried to set up my first DIY setup on a shrimp tank that i have. I have a few questions/problems.

I set it up last night, put the yeast and sugar in the bottom. Added 2 cups warm, 1 cup tepid water. shook it up and waited. there was no output and i decided it may be taking a while because it wasnt warm enough and lower temps = longer amount of time.

So i wake up this am and it's still not putting out anything. I do a google on "DIY co2 wont bubble" and found out i may of killed the yeast. So i mixed 1/2 tsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of yeast into about 50ml of warm water. The yeast appeared to activate, so i added it to the previous soulution along with a half a cup of the hottest water i can. So now i have about 4-5 cups of water in the container. If i let it sit i cant really see it working at all. But if i put a desk lamp by the bottle then production speeds up to where i can hear it and if i put a light on the airstone it's going to then i can see the output. Not optimal i know but for now it's a start. 

Also a question i have is. How warm should the solution stay at all times? And how can i check the temp of the water short of getting a thermometer? I'm kinda broke and a college student lol. I need to get my shrimps and breed them to make the $ to support this.

Equipment:
1 - 3 liter bottle 
~6' silicone tubing
1 - airstone in HOB filter chamber wrapped in filter pad material to help keep bubble retention rate high.

If i take and put the airstone in the middle/bottom of the tank where it's visable i can see the water starting to back up the hose. clearly my reaction isnt working right.


----------



## dawntwister

This is the mixture I used:
1.Boil 2 cups of water from tank. For tap water ph is 8 and yeast doesn't react with that ph.
2.1 tsp of yeast per added to 1/2 cup warm water. It's up to you how much yeast you use.
3.Set this off to the side 
4.Add 2 cups sugar to the bottle 
5.Add warm water to the top of the soda label and top off with tap water.
Then shake. Okay if all of the sugar doesn't dissolve.
6.Add water conditioner
7.Next add pre-mixed yeast to the bottle 
8.Put tubing on and shake the bottles.


----------



## Muirner

How warm of water do you use? I am going off of feeling until i can figure out a better way


----------



## dawntwister

Muirner said:


> How warm of water do you use? I am going off of feeling until i can figure out a better way


I boiled my water and then waited a few minutes for it to cool down. It wasn't hot enough to make tea but was still quite warm.


----------



## Muirner

did you mix your yeast right into that hot water?

Also do your DIY solutions providen enough output to get water up roughly 2' and then about 6" deep into an aquarium? or should this bottle be level with the aquarium?


----------



## dawntwister

First I made the system and then worked on the mixture.

I started with water from my tap. I originally mixed the sugar in the warm water and then poured it into the bottle. Then I added the yeast. I didn't like the smell so I added more sugar until it smelled better. Then I read that yeast dies in ph of 8 which is what my tap water is. So I boiled some water from my tank and started over doing it the same way. Then I put half of the solution into the other bottle and topped off with tap water. Shook the bottle with my finger over the top and air came out when I took my finger off of the top.

My mixture probably has less yeast than the original mixture which I copied from http://fish.orbust.net/hookup.html

More info I collected:
Everybody has different water and this influences the your mixture.
So try slight modifications of the yeast/sugar/water ratios till find what lasts the longest for you. 
Last longer if you decrease the amount of yeast 
Last shorter periods if more yeast is used. 
Lower yeast also means less CO2 produced per minute, but produce more consistantly over time. 
Higher yeast levels will cause an initial higher burst of CO2 production with a gradually declining production over time.

To make certain that it is working test Ph before + after adding CO2.
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

I don't know how far the solution is going down. That is not something that concerns me.

Before I started had Kh 1 and ph 7.2 Now I can't read the ph for it is very low. So I am adding baking soda. The fish I bought day before adding diy Co2 died. Others with low Kh have told me they have no problems but works for some doesn't always work for others. So if you don't have a drop checker you have to keep an eye on the ph until it stables out.


----------



## dawntwister

At the thread How many CO2 bubbles per gallon of water? found:
It's all about balancing CO2 loss and diffusion rate, plant uptake plays a small part for tanks with moderate surface agitation/gas exchange levels.
Gpodio 

It is best to have diffuser near the bottom of the tank
John

Also read there that adding baking soda to the mixture helps make it last longer and keep kh stable. Thus since I have low Kh I am adding it to my solution.


----------



## nirutlee

very good...


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## Valthenya

ok here's my question which is better with the diy yeast 

for a five gallon a ten gallon and a two gallon

the nano pollens or the ladders?


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## ericleekh

Dear John
I am new and very interested to try out your diy co2 . But how big is the cup of sugar ? I want to use a 5 litres container , can you guide me through on the amount of ingredient required ? I prefer to have a longer lasting co2 ( about 4 weeks , possible ? )
Thanks .


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## mattutd20

Thank you for this :cheer2:


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## taz81

posted on main board Sorry!!


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## dawntwister

Tips on Mixtures
Everybody has different water and this influences the your mixture.
So try slight modifications of the yeast/sugar/water ratios till what lasts the longest for you. 
Yeast decreased 
Co2 last longer 
less CO2 produced per minute, but produce more consistant
Yeast increased 
Co2 life shorter & initial higher burst of CO2

If water is very soft, add 2 or 4 tsp of Baking Soda 
then just add your yeast and top the bottle up


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## Fly Bob

Has anyone ever tried to use gelatin as fuel for carbon dioxide instead of putting sugar in the water with the yeast ?
In Italy is common to use gelatin in the bottom of the bottle so the sugar will be available daily step by step and not all at once as if you put sugar and yeast in the water all together.
I also use a medical "thing", actually i do not know the name in english, but they use it to feed people through a bottle when lay on a hospital bed, to count the bubble.
When I'll be able I'll take a picture of the system.
Bye.


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## Jedblo

Question moved to forum.


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## Fly Bob

This is my CO2 system.
Works pretty good but I still have to find the right amount of yeast and the right amount of Jello in the gelatin-fuel even if right now I'm using 1 Jello bag in 300ml of water with 7 tablespoon of sugar and a bare teaspoon of yeast and it looks good for my 10g tank.
No sugar and no baking soda mixed in the water with yeast, just east and water over the gelatin.
The advantage is you can see when the fuel is almost finished and prepare another bottle, so you only have to change the cap and wait some hours for the reaction to start again.


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## Fly Bob

Ah, the picture has been taken some days ago when the Jello was less than half the original quantity and the water has turned reddish. Normally the Jello reaches a level just above the upper dot in the bottle and I add water until reaches the level you see. Pay attention not to put too much water since at the beginning the yeast expands and could "overflow" in the airline and into the tank.
Bye.


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## chinton

Quick question - forgive me if this is the wrong place. 

I am on my 2nd batch of co2 using the recipe listed on the first page. The first time, i added all the ingrediants but didnt shake the bottle because the lid was already attached to the tank. 

The second batch I made, I did the same way, but saved the top from another bottle. this time i shook the bottle until all ingrediants were dissolved. Its been over 24hrs and it doesnt seem to be producing co2 like the first batch. 

I can see bubbles forming in the solution and there is 'muck' on the surface (first batch produced no muck).

so the question is do you mix the solution before hand or let the yeast make its way through the sugar on its own?

my other thought is that the ph may have been to high (high 7s) to begin w/ and I added the baking soda...but it worked the first time...


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## intensity9

> Deni...My experience with yeast is in making bread and I always had an image of the yeast mixture that I use in baking.


Yes that's my experience with yeast as well. I'm sure the look on my face was comical.


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## agy

Try guys this one - Russian Recipe from my Friend who make for me 2 diy bottles
Lasts up two months

2L bottle x 2 (second bottle setup after first or second week when pressure go down, ..)

0.5 - 1tsp Yeast
0.5 - 1tsp soda
1.5L Aquarium water with a lot of minerals(mostly before water change)
300-400 grams or 2-3 cups (approx.) sugar

Recipe Secret - Never Mix All together
First Sugar in bottle, then fill bottle over sugar with already mixed yeast, soda and warm water(not hot and not cold) mixture.
And do not shake !

When bottle refill Leave some deposits at the bottom for following mixture.

Recommended double flow control regulator - one tubing from regulator number 1 to aquarium and from second regulator to like glass with water with approx. 1 bubble every 5 sec that outflow is insurance against bottle blow. With this method i can keep 2 bottles at very high pressure long time without any one way valve(i have only one after bubble counter).

I hope - to You will help - Good Luck !


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## wicca27

Im havin a prob making the bubble counter my check valve is to big for the syringe. Only ones i could find were at walmart and they are little bigger round than the clear ones. Any clue how i can make it work


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## krazeeboy

easy. this is what i did. i put the syringe end over fire (lighter) just to "warm it up" the syringe gets soft and then just shove that thing in there. after warm it up a little again to seal and it should be good to go. i didnt even use any sealant to seal. try it out!


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## Qwertus

I wonder if the alcohol at the result is drinkable? Just curious since it is yeast.


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## wi_blue

I wouldn't recommend drinking it...that would be dangerous :icon_hang...not to mention yuck.


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## Qwertus

Every ingredient there is technically food or drinks. I wouldn't add baking soda if I were to drink it though. I also would not use aquarium water or plain water.. add some juice for flavor.

Brw, can I just add the suger to continue the reaction instead of re-mixing the entire thing?


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## ncutler

Qwertus said:


> Brw, can I just add the suger to continue the reaction instead of re-mixing the entire thing?


I don't believe you can unless you change it before it's exhausted. As I know it, yeast dies at a specific alcohol level. Hence the attraction with higher alcohol % yeasts.


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## peskar

Try this:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/67482-long-lasting-yeast-co2.html


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## vynzs

A few questions guys.. 

How can i control the amount of Co2 comming out lets say 3sec per bubble.. 

And we all know Daytime plants take in Co2 and Nightime plants give out Oxygen. So the question i want to know is, do u all stop the co2 when switch off lights then continute again when lights on?


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## giypsy

Qwertus said:


> Every ingredient there is technically food or drinks. I wouldn't add baking soda if I were to drink it though. I also would not use aquarium water or plain water . . .
> Brw, can I just add the suger to continue the reaction instead of re-mixing the entire thing?


I'm with Qwertus on this one; do not add tank water, use plain tap water between
82 & 102 f. Tank water will have micro-organisms that can _impede_ the growth of
your little yeast buddies. That's a no-go for our purposes.

These DIY CO(2) recipes are basic sour-dough sponge, so _YES_ you can add sugar
to charge the brew after about a week, _much less_ sugar than you originally added.
The charged brew will foam up like champagne so you may want to pour off 
a little of the alcohol/water mixture and replace with plain tap water. 
Mebbe 3/4 cup of water but not more. 
Make sure your new and recharged brew total volume do not go any higher than 
the shoulder break of the pop bottle, you need that empty space for head-room.
I just had an incident where my new brew was so active my tank was foggy for
a couple of hours. No big deal, I left my lights on a little longer than usual & it
cleared by morning.

Even when you think your 6-7-10 day old brew is not producing gas, it is. It is
just producing at a slower rate. I give the bottle a shake once or twice a week.
Yes you can drink the alcohol, it will taste like boozy bread, 'cause that is what
sour-dough starter is made of. If recycling is your motive for wanting to
"make use" of your alcohol product, I suggest learning how to home brew,
plenty of places on the web to learn how. :tea:

The "muck" mentioned above and "snot" mentioned in another thread
on air-stones and infusers is active yeast sponge. It is not harmful
in the tank, just clean it when you see it. In the yeast bottle,
it is a result of the escaping gas pushing sponge covered bubbles
toward the top trying to escape under pressure. When you see it
floating on the top of the brew, it is the same, just in smaller volume.
Again, n.b.d. your brew is working.


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## RestlessCrow

Qwertus said:


> I wonder if the alcohol at the result is drinkable? Just curious since it is yeast.


While it wouldn't hurt you to drink it.... it would probably taste like CRAP. I would definitely consider distilling it. You would come up with a product similar to Moonshine.

I was going to add another DIYCO2 bottle to my system to increase output, AND I was going to start another batch of Cider wine..... but after thinking about it.... I'll simply replace the air lock with the airline tubing! Kill two birds with the proverbial one stone!!!! I know that that five gallon jug really puts out the bubbles kept at the right temperature.

(Simple recipe)

1 5gal glass carboy, Sterilized with bleach, then well washed.
4 gallons unpasturized Apple cider
4 cups of sugar.

Heat cider enough to get sugar to completely dissolve. (You do not need to heat ALL of the cider. Just a gallon or two.... enough to get the sugar to dissolve)

Add to Carboy, let cool to approx. 100 degrees F. (Ever so slightly warm to the touch.) Add Yeast, insert airlock. When bubbles stop, fermentation has completed. Siphon off, leaving junk in the bottom. Re-insert airlock (to keep wine sterile.) Allow to sit and clear. (Shine flashlight through side. If beam is visible, let it sit longer) Siphon into bottles and cork.... ENJOY!

Now.... if we take that simple recipe and substitute a piece of airline tubing for the airlock... and allow the wine to ferment as usual.... you would be generating CO2 for your aquarium, and Hard Cider Wine for your own consumption. When the fermentation is complete, you could switch out another bottle, and re-attatch an airlock and sit the jug somewhere to allow the fermentation to complete (It DOES slowly taper off, much less than acceptable for CO2 generation) and let the wine clear for your first racking. (Racking is the siphoning to allow the wine to clear)

One time I tried to do five gallons in a five gallon jug. After adding the yeast and attaching the airlock, I set it on the kitchen floor. The next morning I came down to a three foot wide STICKY, STICKY puddle.... It started bubbling and foamed up overnight and pushed about 3/4 of a gallon out all across my kitchen floor, so I KNOW it generates a lot of Co2. That's why I use four gallons now in the five gal. jug.

Oh boy.... here we go. I SERIOUSLY was planning on adding another jug to my co2 system today...... and now I've got another McGyverism. Later today, check my tank Journal to see what I came up with. THIS Is going to get Interesting.


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## Daniil

Very nice and cheap way to do bubble counter.
Thanks John N.


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## MillsLane

Is there a bigger ingredient recipe for 55 gallons? Or do you just double up on bottles?

Would running the line into my Eheim canister filter be sufficient for diffusion? Or should I just stick it in my power filter intake?


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## Sugar Cone

Yo, can we get this stickied?


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## Dyjital

I did this system and on my 10g tank here's the video of it running.

Used two 2liter bottles and one 20oz bottle as the nasty stuff stop.

Check valves between 2 liter bottles and 20oz and a check valve between the 20oz and the airstone.

Video:





I'm thinking it may raise my CO2 a little high due to the amount that it's bubbling.

System:








Rather straight forward.


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## mask.of.sanity

Brilliant using a syringe as a bubble counter!

The jury is out on whether baking soda helps to stabilise Co2 production. It is said that alcohol levels kill off yeast faster than unsuitable pH levels.

See: http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

"The general consensus has been that it is the rise in acid levels that kills off the yeast. But this is probably not true ... the logical alternative is to find strains of yeast more resistant to high alcohol levels, since alcohol appears to be the true killer.

Brewers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is one step in the right direction."

But these strains can be expensive.


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## Gor22don33

I really appreciate seeing photos. My experience with yeast is in making bread and I always had an image of the yeast mixture that I use in baking. I had a hard time imagining the ratio of yeast to water and thought you were dealing with a much thicker mixture. This helps a lot.


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