Setting Up Diy Co2

[Captain Retardo]

So I plan on making my own DIY Co2 kit. Instead of using one 2-liter bottle, I will be using two 1-liter bottles.

Just to give you some tank info:
29 Gallons:
Plants I'm Trying to grow:

• Argentine Sword
• Bleheri Sword
• Some cryptocoryne which I havent identified yet
• Hygrophila polysperma
• Java fern
• Java moss
• Wisteria

Lighting: I have a single light in the hood, but I found two 18" 15 watt flourescent lights around the house which I use to add more light to the tank, so I guess I have about 48 watts total, or about 1.6 wpg
Fertilizer: I add Flourish Comprehensive once a week, and recently started adding root tabs monthly
pH: 7.6

So I plan to start setting it up tommorow. For the 1 liter bottles I plan to put 1 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon yeast (half the 2 liter recommendation) and I want to introduce the second bottle 1 week after the first, so that I have a constant flow of Co2.

Now onto the questions

1. About how much would the Co2 reduce my pH to?
2. I read about siphoning actions beginning on some bottles, how does it happen? how do i prevent it?
3. Is it better to use an airstone to diffuse or not?
4. What would be the best way to diffuse, putting the airline into my powerfilter, or having to buy stuff like co2 bells and ladders?

 

[Themuleous]

1) A max co2 level of 30ppm will give reduce the pH by 1 point, i.e. from 7.6. to 6.6.

2) Put a third chamber in the system between the yeast chambers and the diffuser. Its in essence a bubble counter, but should stop it happening.

3) A proper co2 diffuser would be better, an airstone doesn't produce bubbles that are small enough.

4) The best methods for diffusion are either to pump the co2 directly into the filter or to use a ceramic disk type diffuser.

Sam