hop2jr

Hay guy's I've been fighting green water so I added 9 plants and came up with this CO2 set-up out of stuff laying around.

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	DIY CO2 set-up.jpg (69.3 KB, 97 views)
	DIY CO2 Reactor.jpg (56.1 KB, 97 views)

fishrule101

Does it work? If yes, can you gives us the blueprints?

04_si

i found a step by step for a way to make one earlier today
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-...nted-Aquarium/

probably going to be fairly similiar!

hop2jr

Yes it works very well. I used the hard plastic tube from a undergravel filter it about 1/4" wide drilled hole through cap one in the one for the regerator and 2 for the 20oz bubble counter here is a pic of the double tube cap, just watch when u silocone the inside of the cap use a Qtip to make sure there is no silocone where the bottle meets the seal. Also when you drill out the cap drill through the side with the seal which has the threads.

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	CO2 Bubble counter cap.jpg (51.5 KB, 71 views)
	CO2 Bubble counter cap (1).jpg (73.3 KB, 66 views)
	CO2 Bubble counter cap (2).jpg (59.0 KB, 62 views)

hop2jr

i will get you the dufusser soon

pepetj

There's a cheap DIY CO2 reactor I just assembled today, following easy instructions courtesy of Nikolay (Niko) at Aquarium Plant Central DIY sub-forum, it has 14 pages but worth the reading:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...2-reactor.html

Pepe
Santo Domingo

Steve113

I did this too and worked very well.

I recoment the 2nd bottle to stop the mix bubbling up the tube towards the tank.
- I learned this the hard way.

Although the fish will just eat it! :P

hop2jr

Got a ? does it matter if you have the reactor or diffuser in the tank with the plants or can I put it in my sump with the rest of my gear?

sirdarksol

It's best if it's in with the plants. Water turbulence provides a chance for gas exchange, which will try to even out CO2 vs other gas ratio.

ewolfe315

A couple questions here:

1. Does this run all the time? If so,why have it run at night when no photosyntheseis is taking place. I heard photo. only happens during the day when the lights are on.

2. Would I still be able to have an air stone running in the tank or would it just negate the purpose of CO2. I noticed when I shut off my air stone all my fish were hanging around the top of the tank. When I turned it back on, everybody was back to normal.

3. Why the use of the powerhead. It looks as though it's just holding the tube in place.

4. Whats the mixture,1 teaspoon of yeast,2 cups sugar and how much water?

Told you I had a few questions,lol

John

hop2jr

1.Yes it runs all the time but with only 1 bottle on a 75gal tank the nightime build up is quickly used uup in the day time AKA lights on time.
2.I run and airstone all day and the plants are growing like crazy so I don't think the airstone hurts the CO2.
3.Used the air intake on the powerhead to churn up the CO2 into tiny little bubbles anything left gets traped inside the tube and the churning of the powerheads waterflow makes about 100% sateration into the water.Going to make the tube shorter though but works nicely.
4. I do 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking power, and 1 teaspoon (or 1/2 a pack of Red star yeast about the same) I add 6 cups of warm water with the sugar then sake untill sugar is disolved the add yeast and BP to it I stop the water where the top starts to curve the the spout. shake and wait for bubbles about 1hour. last about 2 to 3 weeks.

Hope this helped you out there a bunch of good info on plantgeeks.net check it out or just shoot me more ?.

ewolfe315

Thank you Hop, I just happened to do 1 today just to experiment. I only used the 2 liter bottle and had bubbles within hours. Why the use use of the smaller bottle?

I also had to use the yeast cake as my wife got the wrong kind and it's working.

I just ordered 2 under water mini filters from Petco,these are the ones that go inside the tank for the reactor, Seen that from Niko on one of the sites up above mentioned.

I'm just testing this out in my 20 gallon tank that has nothing but feeder fish in it and see how they do before I attempt to place this in my 120 gallon.

Does useing this co2 have any affect on the pH in a tank.

John

Ghostfish

The small bottle works as a bubble counter and CO2 seperator. You can do without it. I am currently running without it myself. The bubble counter is just so you can see more easily how much CO2 per second you are injecting. Also, sometimes the yeast mixtue can make its way up through the tubing and the small bottle keeps it out of your aquarium.

I am running this setup on my 120 gallon now. It takes quite a bit more CO2 for a 120 gallon. I am currently running 2-2liter bottles. I believe I am going to use 2 large bottles I have from my kids hawaiian punch. Its about 6-7 liters instead of my 3-4 currently. Any little bit helps though. Even with only 2-2liter bottles, I can tell a difference.

ewolfe315

Thanks Ghostfish, I can't wait to try it in my 120. Lights and plants arrive tomorrow. Been here all night moving the silk plants out and moving all the large rocks i have for the numerous caves.

Think there's a way to hook up 1 of those small filters directly from the 2nd bottle to a 5foot air line?

Ghostfish

I am not sure. I am sure there is some way. You just never know how effective it will be. I am pumping my CO2 straight into the intake of my canister filter. It works very well. I am going to redo my entire setup though. I keep getting leaks on my connections to the 2 liters.

hop2jr

Ya the second bottle is a bubble counter/gas seperater and would go without one it helps tell you when the yeast needs changed and all so just in case the 2 litter overflows it go there instead of your tank. The last thing you want in your tank is yeast so I've been told. Good luck with the setup and post some pics of your plants and reacter setup.

Steve113

my mixture only just made it down the tube to my tank and it did not upset things too much.
It looked a little funny coming throughthe air stone like a stringy mess - The fish just ate it. Seemed to enjoy it actually.

pepetj

I would think twice on this. CO2 could damage pump impeller in your canister filter; indeed it will damage the impeller of the DIY diffusor/reactor but it costs barely nothing to replace it.

I don't use silicon to seal leaks since it doesn't work well with the soda plastic caps, I use mechanical means to seal it: smaller holes, tightly fitted tubes, and teflon tape if needed be.

I attach the plastic check valve, with a piece of hose (use CO2 safe if available) around it, on top of the soda cap.

I also attached (using hot water to soften) a plastic syringe to the output check valve from the 20oz gas separator bottle. I fill it with water so it works as a bubble counter. For illustration purposes, I let water go into the output tube/hose line so you could see the bubbles going up.

My dissolved CO2 remains within the 20 to 30ppm.

I replace one bottle, no matter what every week.

It runs 24/7 unless I have an emergency (e.g. like using meds that might lower dissolved oxygen, as I had to recently due to an out brake of ick: I pulled the system out at nights for three nights the day I added medication-unplugging one check valve- and also diluted the mixture -half usual ammount of yeast- to make the level of dissolved CO2 drop to 10 or 15ppm).


Pepe
Santo Domingo

Attached Images

DIY CO2 generator 3x2L plus 20oz gas separator for 45gal tank.JPG (387.5 KB, 38 views)