DIY Co2

[nathan]

Ok so everything is in the tank, hooked up to the powerhead and going well. How much faster should I expect the plants to grow? I've started out with a couple of potted plants from PJ's and I'm attempting to get a fully planted tank. Any idea how long this is gonna take roughly?

[Vallisneria]

What size tank do you have this on? How much lighting do you have?

[nathan]

It's a 60 gallon tank with a single 48" aquaglo bulb.

[jvision]

With that little light, you won't see a whole lot of growth - maybe a new leaf(set) each week. If you're wanting plants to grow fast, you'll want to increase to at least 2 watts per gallon, add more plants, and fertilize.

[Vallisneria]

I agree you need more light if you want a "planted" tank. Also one DIY co2 bottle isn't really going to do much on a 60g. I used to have 2 4l jugs on my 58g. DIY co2 isn't the best option for a larger tank since you need multiple co2 bottles and end up using a LOT of sugar and replacing jugs quite often.

[Jayba]

Another thing, it sounds like you have a hose coming straight out of your co2 bottle straight into your reactor. You should have a second bottle half

Full of water that the hose from your co2 bottle and enters and goes into the water. Then

another hose that does not touch the water goes out of that second bottle into your reactor. That way if your co2 bubbles over it will not enter the tank. It also doubles as a bubble counter too.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Jayba

[ewan]

just go paintball co2 method!