Diy Co2

[Andypalf]

I'm going to try and sort out a CO2 system for my 125 litre planted tank. I've never done it before so just looking for some tips. My plan was to use the following:

1 litre plastic bottle, to add my sugar, water and yeast.
Tubing to a small glass dissufer, with a check valve in the middle.

And that's it. Do I need a bubble counter or anything else? It's well planted, not too much at the moment. The tanks inhabitants are some tetras, two small plecs a large Pearl Gourami and some shrimp.

Any tips for a CO2 newbie?

 

[fifefish]

maybe apply a clip to the tubing to reduse the flow of gas since alot is wasted if this is not applied

 

[RadaR]

Really for that size tank you want pressurized CO2 because DIY will cause fluctuations giving you algae problems. If the tank is low light, then you can get away with daily dosing of EasyCarbo.
If you still want to go down DIY route then opt for another 1 litre bottle and via a t-piece, join the tubing coming off both bottles to a single tubing going to the glass diffuser. Change the mixture on one bottle on Sunday, and the other on Wednesday. That will help a bit with stabilizing a constant output, but it's still not great.

 

[keenonfish]

I was determined I could succeed with DIy, and for a while at least I seemed to do very well, with lots of bubble producing plants etc... Only lasted a couple of months and algae really started to take hold and things started going down hill from there really.

Now pressurized and while I haven't got 100% saturation at least things are constant, and more importantly controlled! I seem to be on top of most of the algae, just BBA and the long thread stuff that is a little reluctant to go!

 

[loraxchick]

i suggest having a "tag-team" double bottled system that way you can remix one and then remix the other halfway thu the week. keeps the co2 more stable. hook the two bottles together with a "T" valve or gang valve(these are adjustable)... also the traditiona "airstones" (if not using a diffuser) break down fast w/ co2 ive found. get ceramic ones...a bit more expensive but hold up so cheaper in the long run...also try to find silicone tubing instead of the clear stuff..the clear stuff also degrades fast in co2...silicone doesnt.
any more questions just ask here or pm me. i successfully had diy co2 for months until a big pwer outtage and my tank got horrid bga...havent hooked it back up in the tank yet.
cheers

 

[Andypalf]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm determined to do it on a budget as I simply can't afford to spend too much money on it all. Just to give you more details which may give enable you to give more detailed advice to this novice.

125 litre tanks
7 Harlequin Rasboras, 6 Neons, 6 Serpae Tetras, 1 male Pearl Gourami, 2 young BN plecs. 7 Amano shrimp
I've got 3 large amazon sword plants. one bunch of vallis, one of millfoil (I think), and about 10 stems of what looks like Rotala Magenta.

I'm also going to add some java moss to the bogwood I have in the tank and make a small cave covered in moss.

I've just purchased some Sera Florena which I'll try adding to the tank.

From what I've heard so far I'm going to try two 1 litre bottles in tandem (I'd love advice on quantities of sugar, yeast, water as well). And I'll use a CO2 diffuser from eBay.

How does that sound?

 

[RadaR]

200g of granulated sugar. 1/4 tsp of yeast. Fill 2/3rds with water of 28-30degree C.
With that fish biomass you may get away with not doing any NPK. However, if deficiencies start to show then I would invest in some Tropica Plant Nutrition + so that the plants can get thier needed nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It also contains trace elements (the stuff in your SeraFlorena).

 

[Andypalf]

Thanks for the tips. What's NPK?

 

[keenonfish]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm determined to do it on a budget as I simply can't afford to spend too much money on it all. Just to give you more details which may give enable you to give more detailed advice to this novice.

125 litre tanks
7 Harlequin Rasboras, 6 Neons, 6 Serpae Tetras, 1 male Pearl Gourami, 2 young BN plecs. 7 Amano shrimp
I've got 3 large amazon sword plants. one bunch of vallis, one of millfoil (I think), and about 10 stems of what looks like Rotala Magenta.

I'm also going to add some java moss to the bogwood I have in the tank and make a small cave covered in moss.

I've just purchased some Sera Florena which I'll try adding to the tank.

From what I've heard so far I'm going to try two 1 litre bottles in tandem (I'd love advice on quantities of sugar, yeast, water as well). And I'll use a CO2 diffuser from eBay.

How does that sound?

I would work out how much diy costs - sugar isn't too cheap and the costs add up! At least if you buy a s/h co2 setup you can resell without much if any loss of the initial investment and the cost to maintain will be less than the sugar method at that size of tank!

 

[Andypalf]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it! I'm starting to think that a simple sysmet like this would be easier and more affordable...

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:RTQ:GB:1123

Any thoughts on such a system?

 

[Gav935]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it! I'm starting to think that a simple sysmet like this would be easier and more affordable...

[URL="http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:RTQ:GB:1123"]http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:RTQ:GB:1123[/URL]

Any thoughts on such a system?

I'd be more inclined to stick with the diy than get one of those kits, imo they're just cheap tat and would not be able to provide results as good as a well set up and maintained diy system.

 

[Geoff1991]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it! I'm starting to think that a simple sysmet like this would be easier and more affordable...

[URL="http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:RTQ:GB:1123"]http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:RTQ:GB:1123[/URL]

Any thoughts on such a system?

Id get the nutrafin co2 kit and make your own mixture using a stickied thread in the planted section.

 

[RadaR]

Thanks for the tips. What's NPK?

Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Despite what you may have heard, these do now cause algae in a planted aquarium and plants need these in order to grow.