Yeast/sugar Co2 Question

[catfishblues]

So i'm new to co2 and i recently built my own yeast co2 uhh...thing. i've noticed that the yeast starts to settle on the bottom and it stops making bubbles. when i shake it and agitate it suddenly it creates bubbles like crazy. so when it all settles down and stops making bubbles should i agitate it???

 

[lljdma06]

I moved your topic to planted where you'll get more responses.

When I did yeast, I would mix it in the canister pretty vigorously after I initially mixed it and sealed it and then I just left if alone. I never had it stop making bubbles unless the mix was getting weaker. With the recipe I was using, that wouldn't happen for about a week, so I'm not sure why you're having trouble unless you don't have enough pressure perhaps for the gas to travel?

llj

 

[loraxchick]

what size bottle and what is your mix ratio? When i had DIY co2 in a planted tank (yes Liz, Ive been a very green girl before ) Id use a 16-20 oz soda bottle and mix a teaspoon of yeast to 1/8 cup sugar with about 1/8th tspoon baking soda as a buffer.
put the sugar and baking soda in the bottle, dissolve with hot water from the tap (will be cool enough for the yeasties by the time the sugar dissolves), shake vigorously until dissolved,then add the yeast. shake gently and hook it up to the tank. I always had 2 bottles running at any given time joined by a gang valve. Would remix each once a week on alternate days (one like wed and one say sat)..that way you are never really "out" of co2.
this system worked great for me. constant steady co2 and no algae. the most difficult part of the entire assembly was making sure the cap of the bottle was very well sealed with the tubing..i think i used superglue to seal around it but dont really remember. also make sure the bottles are kept somewhat warm. cold water=cold yeast and slow produced co2. The age of the yeast is also important so if it had been sitting around for a while (a few months in the fridge for example) might be time to get new yeast. equally important is to keep the yeast that you intend to use IN the fridge and not on a shelp somewhere. keeps it "dormant" until ready to mix.
hope that helped. feel free to ask questions and ill do my best to jog my memory lol
cheers

 

[catfishblues]

what size bottle and what is your mix ratio? When i had DIY co2 in a planted tank (yes Liz, Ive been a very green girl before ) Id use a 16-20 oz soda bottle and mix a teaspoon of yeast to 1/8 cup sugar with about 1/8th tspoon baking soda as a buffer.
put the sugar and baking soda in the bottle, dissolve with hot water from the tap (will be cool enough for the yeasties by the time the sugar dissolves), shake vigorously until dissolved,then add the yeast. shake gently and hook it up to the tank. I always had 2 bottles running at any given time joined by a gang valve. Would remix each once a week on alternate days (one like wed and one say sat)..that way you are never really "out" of co2.
this system worked great for me. constant steady co2 and no algae. the most difficult part of the entire assembly was making sure the cap of the bottle was very well sealed with the tubing..i think i used superglue to seal around it but dont really remember. also make sure the bottles are kept somewhat warm. cold water=cold yeast and slow produced co2. The age of the yeast is also important so if it had been sitting around for a while (a few months in the fridge for example) might be time to get new yeast. equally important is to keep the yeast that you intend to use IN the fridge and not on a shelp somewhere. keeps it "dormant" until ready to mix.
hope that helped. feel free to ask questions and ill do my best to jog my memory lol
cheers

thank you for your reply! it's not that it stopped making bubbles all together its more that it just slowed down alot. the bottle im using is kinda awkwardly shaped but i'd say its a little more than a liter and i did 1/4 cup of yeast and 1 cup of sugar. that seemed like alot of sugar but thats what the website told me to do haha

 

[lljdma06]

That's awful lot of yeast. How big is this tank?

I use canisters about the same size roughly has Lorax's, but mine are nutrafin canisters. I used 10 spoons of sugar, like a tablspoon and 1/2 tsp of yeast.

How are you measuring the CO2 if I may ask?

PS: Lorax, I did not know you were green...

 

[loraxchick]

that is a lot of yeast. liekly not enough food (sugar) and too much yeast. shaking the bottle is either distributing any remaining sugar or just the agitation is casueing release of gas.
its a fine balance between yeast and sugar. too much yeast not enough sugar=quickly produced co2 that "runs outt" quickly...too much sugar and few yeast will produce less co2 at once but will last longer, however might not get enough pressure (especially if there are leaks in your system-common wiht DYI)and not get a steady constant supply of gas. also if you dont remix on a proper schedual and let the mix sit for too long the alcohol produced by the yeast will actually kill them off. something else to consider. Ive found, as Liz said, that a week is about all youll get, even with a good mix.

And yes Liz, once upon a time (actually not all that long ago-maybe out now about 2 years) I had a really lovely 6 gal planted machine!!! I never even had to change the water...only top it up. perfect zeros for over a year and quite a high bioload. still have my lovely crypt from that tank. In a sad state now...need to get on that

sorry for the off topic.
best of luck!
cheers

 

[catfishblues]

oh wow i meant 1/4 teaspoon of yeast! my bad! and the tank is 46 gallons