Alternative Co2 Yeast Source Please?

[Duff83]

well as the topic says, im looking for alternative ideas for the nutrafin system... the yeast packets seam unreasonable in price and i know there's over the counter yeasts i can use via the bakery or brew store... i have a culinary degree so i can also get any other harder to get yeasts via distributors. i just need to know the specific yeast i need. it looks like dry activated? am i correct? also does any one have a step by step to make a second canister diy style? i have a 30 gal and one just isnt pumping enough out... im dosing nit and potas... and also nest week will be getting higher out put lights than my over the counter hood light that came w/ my lid... any ideas how i can optimize my growth?

 

[three-fingers]

From the pinned topic "Planted Aquariums Resource Center" : http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=164548&st=0

 

[llamalord305]

Just regular yeast for bread would work, but some people use champagne or wine yeast.
For the container, just take a 2 liter soda bottle, drill or hammer a nail into a hole in the cap. Make it small than airline tubing, so the tightness will keep the seal. I like to use silicone just to be sure. You have to use silicone airline tubing, the regular kind will harden and break from the CO2. Run the airline tubing into a sort of a diffuser in the tank. I like using powerheads that have attachments for airline tubing.

As for the mixture, you use yeast,sugar, and warm water. More yeast means they "eat" the sugar faster, so more CO2 over a smaller period of time. Less yeast makes them "eat" slower, so less CO2 over a longer period of time.

As for the mixture, its about 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. For water, just fill it to the part in the soda bottle where it starts to narrow. You can experiment with the yeast for the aforementioned reasons.

You want to alternate the periods in which you fill up the bottles. For example, Week 1 fill up one. Week 2 fill up bottle. Week three refill first bottle. Week four refill second bottle. Week five refill first bottle.

Just for example. It won't necessarily last you a week, usually more. But that helps keep algae down by providing a constant supply of CO2.

Any questions, please ask, I just did a science project on this, so I know it front and back!


Here are some links with pics.

http/www.fishforever.co.uk/hookup.html
http/www.discusnews.com/article/cat-02/diy-co2.shtml

 

[Duff83]

Just regular yeast for bread would work, but some people use champagne or wine yeast.
For the container, just take a 2 liter soda bottle, drill or hammer a nail into a hole in the cap. Make it small than airline tubing, so the tightness will keep the seal. I like to use silicone just to be sure. You have to use silicone airline tubing, the regular kind will harden and break from the CO2. Run the airline tubing into a sort of a diffuser in the tank. I like using powerheads that have attachments for airline tubing.

As for the mixture, you use yeast,sugar, and warm water. More yeast means they "eat" the sugar faster, so more CO2 over a smaller period of time. Less yeast makes them "eat" slower, so less CO2 over a longer period of time.

As for the mixture, its about 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. For water, just fill it to the part in the soda bottle where it starts to narrow. You can experiment with the yeast for the aforementioned reasons.

You want to alternate the periods in which you fill up the bottles. For example, Week 1 fill up one. Week 2 fill up bottle. Week three refill first bottle. Week four refill second bottle. Week five refill first bottle.

Just for example. It won't necessarily last you a week, usually more. But that helps keep algae down by providing a constant supply of CO2.

Any questions, please ask, I just did a science project on this, so I know it front and back!


Here are some links with pics.

http/www.fishforever.co.uk/hookup.html
http/www.discusnews.com/article/cat-02/diy-co2.shtml

thank you both so much for the useful links i greatly appreciate that. i have the canister, but would adding a second unit via the diy version be overkill in a 29 gal?

 

[llamalord305]

That depends on your ppm of CO2 in your tank, which can be measured with a drop checker.
This is not in my field, I must say, but I don't think so.
The only way overkill is possible is if you gas your fish, which is unlikely with diy bottles. I had two soda bottle CO2 canisters on a 5 gallon, and some snails thrived there. It didn't have any fish, so I'm not sure.