co2 setup. Need reply please.

[dana307]

This question got lost in another post or the post died out so forgive the duplicity if you read it before.

I want to set up a homemade co2 system and understand most of it. Questions are: Instead of a bell jar or a wood diffuser, can I use a bubble diffuser that goes with a co2 set up and that's sufficient? Do I need to connect the co2 to an air line or not? I have a 3 way gang valve as well as this T connector for airline tubes and tons of extra tubing. Not overly mechanical. Can someone help this not blonde but female with how to get this all set up? I get the 2 liter bottle thing with the two cups of sugar. Know to drill a tubing size hole in the top of the lid and silicone the tubing in there and after that I am not quite sure.

Second question with all the sugar and yeast one would use, wouldn't a co2 tank thing for about $30 work out over the long term to be just as financially feasible? Thanks in advance.


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[depthC]

Well once you have the 2 liter bottle and cut a hole in the cap then just silicone the tubing 1 or 2 inches inside the bottle. Be sure to seal it well or you wont have good results with a leak. So now that you already understand that all you have to do is run the tubing inside your tank to diffuse it and there are many ways of doing so.There are bubble diffusers that you can use if youd like if you dont like the idea of bell jars, wood diffusers, or airstones. You could also feed the tubing into your filter intake so it would be further concentrated into the water by the impellar. The method of diffusing is up to you.

And as for buying a C02 tank being cheaper, im sure it would be in the long run but i believe you need needle valves and some other things to slow down the flow of C02 so its sufficient for tanks. Im not too sure of the pressurized method but it would be nice to know for future reference, anyone?

- depthC

 

[dana307]

thanks that helps a lot. Will try the home made method first and see if there is a big difference with the plants before I spend the 30$ on a co2 tank. Appreciate the input. Anyone else have suggestions, comments?

 

[pyackel]

The CO2 tank method will be far more expensive initially than the DIY yeast/sugar method since you will need a pressure regulator & bubble counter as well. You're looking at around $200 for complete tank/hardware based CO2 setup. As for the diffusion method (also known as the reactor) I drilled a hole in the bottom of my power filter's intake tube and ran the line into the hole. This works extremely well as I noticed a large pH drop overnight upon intial setup. I wasn't particularly happy about the sudden pH drop itself, but that was a sure indication of CO2 dissolving in the water forming some carbonic acid thus causing the pH drop. The buffering capacity of my water is horrible (low kH) which allowed the sudden drop. I would check your kH to make sure it isn't too low so that you can avoid a sudden pH drop. If your kH is below 4.5ºdH then you will have sudden pH swings. To correct this, increase the kH by adding baking soda or better yet, calcium carbonate. One teaspoon of baking soda added to 13 gallons of water can raise the kH of the water by approx 4ºdH without a major affect on pH. Ideally you want your kH to be between 4.5 and 10ºdH.