Pop Bottle Co2 Questions

[SuperGuppyGirl]

So thinking of trying this as I want my 33G and 35G plants to grow like crazy and feel my Xmas moss needs a boost as it isn't shaggy/bushy and a bit more brownish. So have read through this forum and done the usual Google research but still have a few questions. The setup I have in mind is a 4L milk jug, the usual airline to the tank, a check valve and some sort of easy diffuser (air stone or molded ceramic ring). Recipe I have found most: 1 teaspoon yeast, 2-3 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

1) Would a 4L milk carton work instead of the usual 2L pop bottles or would the pressure be to much for the lid?

2) How would I be able to regulate the flow on these as everything I have read says not to use one of the valves with the screws as these can cause a blow up and huge mess or should I even worry about this as it is a diy?

3)Which would work better as a diffuser in your experience a modified ceramic ring or an air stone?

4)How effective are these and should I be worried about it poisoning my fish?

5)Is the recipe one you all use or something similar, as I have found it as above with or without the baking soda?

As always thanks in advance.

[Wingin' It]

I've done the 2L pop bottle and the recipe of sugar, yeast and water...no baking soda. I've never had it blow up on me. I never did use a diffuser, just hooked the airline into the intake of the HOB Filter.

[Okotoks]

I used a 2 liter coke bottle like most sites say. I then used a air valve. The next morning I was cleaning sugar water off every surface in my fish room

Now I just run the tubing into the power head intake. I use a heavier plastic bottle now as we'll.

[jvision]

I doubt a milk jug cap will stay on - it's a pretty week set up. If you want to go 4L, go with the jugs used for Cranberry Juice. You definitely don't want to put a valve on the system. I always just feed into the intake of a powerhead to disperse a fine mist of CO2.

If you have the budget, I'd go with a pressurized system. One of the keys to avoiding an algae outbreak is keep a constant supply of CO2, and these DIY deals are not constant at all. One way people try to mitigate against the spikes and lulls of DIY CO2 is by using 2 bottles offset by a week (start one 2L bottle today, and the next one on the 13th, then restart one every week). With all that sugar, you can see how it could get expensive.

If you can get your hands on some Metricide, it'd be a cheaper, easier alternative for a relatively small tank.

[Vallisneria]

I don't think a milk jug would work as the lid isn't tight enough. I used to use 4l cranberry juice jugs

I wouldn't worry about them blowing up, I did it for years and never had any issues. Its also not like a regular co2 unit where you need a bubble counter or to really regulate it. Just let it bubble as much as it does into the tank. You'll have issues with trying to get enough co2 not with having too much.

I ran 2l pop bottles on my smaller tanks(20g ish) and I did 4l jugs on my 56g. I ran the tubing into a small elite mini filter or before that into the intake of my HOB or powerhead. For the 4l jugs I did 3-4 cups sugar, fill with warm water to about 4" from the top and put about 1/2 tsp yeast. Lasted about 3 weeks with good bubble output. Never added baking soda

[SuperGuppyGirl]

Hubby said no to the pressurized system, and really want the moss to take off. So just have to give this a whack, if I can get a bit of results from this I might be able to talk him into it.

[ckmullin]

my 2c

don't have it bubbling straight into the tank use a 2nd bottle to catch the yeast mixture crap that easily can make up the tubing

I had used this method @ the start but found it lacking and overrated so I invested in pressurized

your questions:

1. no milk jug only a container meant for pressure aka 2L bottle (drill the cap to have a very tight fit)

2. no to regulate...it is what it is

3. not enough pressure to use a ceramic diffuser properly, an airstone is okay but I'd prefer to have it running into the filter...let the propeller brake up the bubble (can also get a bubble ladder or dyi ladder as this also works)

4. so so effective...if you want amazing results you'll be disappointed. think of yeast as a starter system

5. yeast, sugar, water (use more sugar and less yeast to have the reaction running a bit longer)

Edited April 7, 2013 by ckmullin

[cainechow]

I'll also chime in for running the co2 right into a power head or filtering intake. Works great. I also started off with diy yeast setup and went pressurized and I'm loving the pressurized. No more cleaning pop bottles weekly. No more wondering why my yeast isn't working as well this week as last week. Pressurized is set it and forget it, except to check the pressure in the tank.

Excel/metricide might be an easier, neater solution.

[DivineHammer]

diy co2 systems are great for small tanks, but anything over a 30 gallon tank, it doesn't work worth beans, the cost of the suger really adds up fast, in the long run a presurized system is worth the money and time. If you really want a good how to video on making the system check out urau Joey's Utube video on it or check out diyfishkeepers.com , you can find him also on Facebook as well.

[Koot]

The milk jug won't work for you. I'm still currently using a store-bought DIY Co2 system - it holds considerably less than a 2l pop bottle would, but that also means that once a week (with a water change) I replace the sugar/yeast. I've been doing this for over 4 years with minimal results, to be sure. Lately, I've begun reading up on everything that is needed for a paintball pressurised system, because over the long haul this is the best way.

[Vimmer]

I am thinking of trying this myself until I can afford real pressure system. Have read my shrimps won't take the metricide nor the flame moss. Have lost all female Neo's and down to three males from total of 15. Couldn't figure it out before now know. Also noticed better growth in flame moss since I quit. The rest of the plants have slowed since stopping liquid so want real co2 and this seems like best option ATM.

[Vimmer]

So have had a pop bottle CO2 system setup for about two and a half months now. The set-up I'm using is two 1L bottles T'd together then fed into a small juice bottle for a seperator(to keep the gunk out of tank). From the seperator it goes into check valve to prevent water siphoning from tank(unlikely to begin with with pressure behind it plus bottles are on a shelf above tank but better safe than flooded) then it goes to DIY wooden/bamboo chopstick diffuser.

I have two of these setups going into the 36g with staggered setup days. Improved plant growth was noticed immediately but was still lacking light and nitrates were still climbing like crazy. With addition of better lighting and few more plants things have taken off. Nitrates got under control as plants now have everything they need and are able to utilize available nutrients.

This system is actually working so well that the PH is coming down in the tank not drastically but enough that I will be keeping an eye on it.

The recipe I'm using is 1 1/2 cups sugar and one teaspoon BREWER's yeast/ bottle. The mixtures take about two days to start producing but is lasting for three weeks.

Have been using the wood diffusers as no power head ATM and have been told not to use filter intake method for two reasons. First the CO2 bubbles or even air bubbles are hard on impellers and second the CO2 itself will kill the aerobic bacteria living in the filter.

Will eventually switch to pressurized system but for now this is working quite well and no more shrimp deaths or moss dying from using metricide/liquid CO2.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Vimmer