# John Levasseur DIY CO2 help?



## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

Do any of you use this system?
DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium
How does it work for you?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

As for the sytem design, most people use this. There's variations on the type of bottles, number of bottles, and the gas separator...but the basic design is the same. Bottles of yeast and sugar --> tubing into your tank.

I'm getting a nano diffusor for my tank in a short while. Right now, I have the tubing going to the intake on my HOB filter. It's just been a few days, so we'll see how that works out.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

Thanks there was a differant one that had the same thing that in jello added to the sugar to make it last longer you know anything aboout that one?


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## blacksmith37 (Oct 10, 2006)

Neat site for CO2. Years ago , when making wine. I found that yeast digested fructose much faster than the other sugars. I never saw it documented until seeing that site . I guess one could use a little fructose ( in any fruit) to kick start the yeast ,then the other sugars would produce a steady supply of CO2. 
Hard to imagine gelatin helping much .I think it (protein ) would stabilize and increase the foam.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

blacksmith37 said:


> Neat site for CO2. Years ago , when making wine. I found that yeast digested fructose much faster than the other sugars. I never saw it documented until seeing that site . I guess one could use a little fructose ( in any fruit) to kick start the yeast ,then the other sugars would produce a steady supply of CO2.
> Hard to imagine gelatin helping much .I think it (protein ) would stabilize and increase the foam.


blacksmith37,
How do you make yours?
What do you use as sugar?

I also read a Ben Belton on planted tanks calling to put in gelatin in to slow the eating and make it last longer put it make co2 slower.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

blacksmith37 said:


> Neat site for CO2. Years ago , when making wine. I found that yeast digested fructose much faster than the other sugars. I never saw it documented until seeing that site . I guess one could use a little fructose ( in any fruit) to kick start the yeast ,then the other sugars would produce a steady supply of CO2.
> Hard to imagine gelatin helping much .I think it (protein ) would stabilize and increase the foam.


Do you use a pressurized system?


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## blacksmith37 (Oct 10, 2006)

I wasn't clear , I was making wine and a little "white lightening" ( I think the statute of limitations has run out). CO2 was a byproduct. Although I still have the 5 gal carbouys. 
On the otherhand , "white lightening" could be a byproduct of CO2 generation.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

blacksmith37 said:


> I wasn't clear , I was making wine and a little "white lightening" ( I think the statute of limitations has run out). CO2 was a byproduct. Although I still have the 5 gal carbouys.
> On the otherhand , "white lightening" could be a byproduct of CO2 generation.


So what do you us for CO2?


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## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

blacksmith37 said:


> I wasn't clear , I was making wine and a little "white lightening" ( I think the statute of limitations has run out). CO2 was a byproduct. Although I still have the 5 gal carbouys.
> On the otherhand , "white lightening" could be a byproduct of CO2 generation.


Those 5 gal carbouys- what were they made of? Did they have a large mouth, large enough to put your hand in? Could they be made air-tight?

If you were making "white lightning" you must have been using malt, or boiled starchy inputs. If you were please disclose the way of making malt, for they say that the yeast works faster on simle sugars, and maltose is a simple sugar.


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

The trick with the jello is that you shouldn't add it to the water. You need to actually make jello and put it in the fridge in bottles. I'm going to PM you a link from another forum that shows how to do it. I had a site that was better, but I can't find it anymore. If I do, I'll post that link, but I don't want to post a competing forum's link here.

I've never tried it myself, but its supposedly more consistant because the yeast has to eat through the jello to get to the sugar. This slows/lengthens the process and eliminates the burst of bubbles right after you make the mix.

As for the rest of Levasseur's instructions:
Its great except there is an area where you can save yourself some money. The RC car bulkheads in the lids are unnecessary.
If you remember back to highschool lab you may know what I'm describing. A common way to cap a glass bottle or secure a tube into a cork stopper is to drill a hole that is slightly too small for your soft hose but too big for your hard tube. Then wedge the soft hose in the hole and jam the hard tube into the soft hose. The soft hose acts as a gasket for the hard tube.
I use about a 1" piece of hard tube, and a 1/2" piece of soft hose. You could make it all one part with the tube that travels into the filter bottle or into the tank, but I like to be able to detach the bottles from one another without having to seaprate that hard fit in the lid.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

SKSuser said:


> The trick with the jello is that you shouldn't add it to the water. You need to actually make jello and put it in the fridge in bottles. I'm going to PM you a link from another forum that shows how to do it. I had a site that was better, but I can't find it anymore. If I do, I'll post that link, but I don't want to post a competing forum's link here.
> 
> I've never tried it myself, but its supposedly more consistant because the yeast has to eat through the jello to get to the sugar. This slows/lengthens the process and eliminates the burst of bubbles right after you make the mix.
> 
> ...


I read the PM before I read this sorry.


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## qpixo (Sep 9, 2006)

I'm using exactly same method to diffuse CO2 in my 10 gal but only 1x2L yeast bottle. Since I have it, my highest amount of CO2 is 23ppm.

Another thing, when I do weekly water change usually 1/2, after the change I test the amount of CO2 which is tradically drop around 10-13ppm. I have to wait a 2-3 days to get it back. Is that normal?

Does anyone know how to get a little bit more around 25-30ppm?


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

qpixo said:


> I'm using exactly same method to diffuse CO2 in my 10 gal but only 1x2L yeast bottle. Since I have it, my highest amount of CO2 is 23ppm.
> 
> Another thing, when I do weekly water change usually 1/2, after the change I test the amount of CO2 which is tradically drop around 10-13ppm. I have to wait a 2-3 days to get it back. Is that normal?
> 
> Does anyone know how to get a little bit more around 25-30ppm?


I read the copy I have and he said that if you ad more yeast it will make more but will used up faster too not last as long.Also what is your KH if your KH is lower the co2 will be lower too.


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## John LeVasseur (Feb 12, 2009)

Umm ... well I have used it. Of course. Thanks for reading it.

JL


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