# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Cheap, easy and effective. DIY co2



## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

Below is a very Simple,have your kid build it for you, ABSOLUTELY WILL NEVER EVER LEAK, very cheap DIY co2 system. Most of this can be found in your local hardware store in the plumbing section. You will need:
2 4 inch quick caps
1 4 inch piece of drain pimp
1 1/8 air line fitting.
5 feet air line
1 container of gorilla glue.
Bring it all home. Loosten one quick cap with a flat head screw driver and place it on the bottom. Tighten it with the screw driver. Take the other quick cap and poke a hole thru the center with a large nail. Take the air line fitting and push it thru the small nail hole. (Push hard.) Take the gorilla glue and seal the base of the air line fitting to the quick cap. Let it dry for 24 hours. After it dries, fill the drain pipe with your yeast , water and sugar solution. Keep in mind this holds roughly a little or so more than your average soda bottle system.
Being that yeast loves sugar, I use;
2.5 cups sugar
1 small packet of yeast.
Pour the sugar in the drain pipe. Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave and pour it in the pipe. You want just enoough water to melt the sugar. No more. Stir the sugar to disolve it and fill with cold tap water. leave about 4 or 5 iinches to add you yeast solution.
Fill up a 2 cup measuring cup with LUKE WARM WATER. Dump in the packet of yeast and stir. Wait untill it bubbles and dump in the pipe. Cap the pipe with your quick cap with the air line fitting. Be sure to loosten the clamp around the band first. Tighten it and hook the unit up with air line to a power head. This unit produces a bubble every2 to 3 seconds for me and I plan to renue the solution every week. I used a "T" pipe because they didn't have any straight pipe. This also helps the pipe hold more thus lasting longer.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

I've used this system for almost 2 weeks now and have noticed remarkable growth amongst my fast growing plants. This pic was taken previous to some massive aquascaping so please excuse the disorginazation.


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

What kind of gorilla glue did you use? 

That is a 3" tee btw with 4" caps over ends of 3" pvc hubs if anyone wants to try this with the tee instead of straight pipe. 

You could also do this completely glueless by replacing top cap with "quick" coupling and then bushing down top fitting until you got to size of airline thread - probably be a lot of bushings though. You could also order larger sizes of pipe.............

Nice work.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

3"T? Thats news to me. I just took what fit/what the assistant suggested. I probably didn't need the glue, but better safe than sorry.


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

Speaking of better safe than sorry,one thing I didn't think about is safety issue of using pvc which can shatter like glass. DIY CO2 folks have always avoided glass containers because if something goes wrong the pressure can buildup and turn this into a little bomb. I have read instances of this happening. I'm not sure why the hose wouldn't blow out first but it's certanly something to keep in mind....


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

> Originally posted by stcyrwm:
> Speaking of better safe than sorry,one thing I didn't think about is safety issue of using pvc which can shatter like glass. DIY CO2 folks have always avoided glass containers because if something goes wrong the pressure can buildup and turn this into a little bomb. I have read instances of this happening. I'm not sure why the hose wouldn't blow out first but it's certanly something to keep in mind....


The hose WILL blow off. First. I personally never saw any instance of a DIY blowing up. Thats not to say it won't happen, but it is VERY unlikely.Second I would notice that the bubbles had quit. Third, the CO2 would have altered my PH in such a drastic way that any and all fish would surely be dead, not to mention the algae EXPLOSION. What kind of idiot would build a DIY that was so strong that it could shatter 1/4 inch thick PVC? Were talking less yeast than is used to bake a cake. Please think this this thru before insulting me.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

Considering I'm a site mod on one site and a forum leader on another, I think I can safely I know what I'm doing. Follow my directions exactly and you will be fine. If you want to Chance a CO2 leak, follow his "Tips" to improve the air line set up. Mine is flawless and offers peace of mind in addition to being very effective. BTW, there is a way to offer advice without speaking like your talking to a fool. I have MANY hours of research invested into building this.


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

My apologies. Insulting was not my intention. There's far too much of that on the net already. I did appreciate hearing about your project and don't want to take away from the work that you have done with this project or on the other boards.

Sincerely, Bill


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

easy daddyo, easy.


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## mizzoumed02 (Nov 23, 2004)

Ok, so I tried making one of these, but I have a large tank so I made mine the size of two two liter bottles put together and doubled the mixture. I can't get it to produce any CO2. Do I need to cut it down to the size on 1? I checked the system for leaks and can't find any. The system is 24" long, 4" diamiter, with 1/4" tubing going into a diffuser with an airstone on the end. I used 4cups sugar, 1/2tsp yeast and water. Can someone help me with this problem??

Thanks


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

I believe you need more yeast. I used a whole package in mine and it produces 1 bubble every 2 or 3 seconds. did you dissolve the sugar first in hot water? Remember to add the yeast After the temp is room temperature. No warmer or you will kill the yeast. how did you add the yeast. It needs to be activated. Place it in room temp water (a cup or so) and stir. When it bubbles it is ready. Here is a run down;
1)Add the sugar. 
2)Add a few cups boiling water
3)Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved
Add cool water. The mixture should be luke warm if not wait until it is
4)Add the yeast mixture and stir
5)Seal the unit and hook it up to your tank


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## mizzoumed02 (Nov 23, 2004)

Ok, so I added more yeast tonight when I got home from work. An Hr later I had good flow of CO2 for about 5 mins, then it stopped. It will flow good after I shake up the mixture, but then it stop's withing 3-5 mins. Is there something else that I need to do. Also, the Room temp is around 72 degree's.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

How much did you add? Did it get better after it had time to build?


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## mizzoumed02 (Nov 23, 2004)

I added 1 more tsp. When I woke up this AM it was the same thing, it would prduce if I shake the container, but only for a few mins, then stop's again.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

your only supposed to have a bubble every three seconds or so. Is it producing that?


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## mizzoumed02 (Nov 23, 2004)

just the first few mins and then nothing else.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

Incidentally, I found out my CO2 production will plummet when the temperature drops suddenly. Here in Houston we went from the high 90's to low 80's in a matter of days. And all my bottles have either slowed down or ceased to produce any CO2. And these are very freshly made mixes which have never given me any problems in the past. I use the Nyberg Method, by the way. In my opinion the best DIY CO2 formula.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

I'm at a loss. I went with the formula I posted and it works quite well. Perhaps you need to start over.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

daddyo72, I was by no means saying your formula doesn't work. I was merely indicating perhaps a sudden drop in temperature could cause a stall in the CO2 production. It has happened more than once, and that's why I am pointing this out.

I know of course the formula works. That's why I am still using it, haha







I guess my yeast just decided to take a premature Winter Break~


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

I know.







Just offering a suggestion.


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## mizzoumed02 (Nov 23, 2004)

Ok, so I went ahead and turned the heat in the house up to 72, and now two days later, I have a almost constant production of a bubble every sec or two. I think I just need to break down and put a pressureized sys on this tank though, seeing that it is 120gal.


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## nativefw (Sep 8, 2004)

Congrats! Its great for smaller tanks but I agree, for a 120, you may need pressurized CO2.


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