Installing c02 (From pet store not diy)

[fish_tank0311]

Ok as you can see i want to install a c02 kit for my plants. What i want to know is well, what do i do. How do i use it? If i keep it constantly on will i nuke the tank, how do i make sure i dont overdose the tank. the tank is 250l btw. Im planning on just getting some standard 1 from hollywood or animates if they got them. So anything and everything you guys know about c02 i love you for it. Thanks in advance. Specially to phoenix44 because he is ALWAYS the first 1 to post on my threads no matter the topic or section. lol.

[fordayzbro]

ebay is your friend

Here is one of the many good articles out there about settiing up a CO2 system

http://www.littlegreencorner.com/setuptips_co2.html

[fish_tank0311]

i dont like ebay. im not paying $3000 to get something shipped

[FuglyDragon]

From my own experiance...

Dont waste your time with any internal reactor, they invariably get jammed up with snail shells, algae and or slime and you end up cleaning them constantly.

Go with an external reactor on a return line from a filter or pump, you can buy the likes of an Aquamedic ( http://www.aqua-medic.com/reactor_1000.shtml ) is what I use (got it from ebay) on my display tank, with a bit of effort you can make a DIY version with a couple of gravel cleaners some silicone and bits and pieces.

Get 2 timers, run your lights and CO2 solenoid on one and an airpump on the other when the 1st one turns off (ie daytime lights and CO2, nighttime air)

Best way to monitor CO2 is by monitoring PH (as CO2 increases PH lowers, my display tank starts at PH 6.8 in morning and drops down to 6.2 by evening after a day of CO2 injection) best way to monitor PH is a Drop Checker or alternativly a digital PH meter.

Its not so much overdosing CO2 as lack of oxygen that kills fish, hence the air stone at night (at night plants give off CO2 and take oxygen from water), worst time is just before lights come on.

Lots of really good info about CO2 on tbhe Barrreport Website...

http://www.barrreport.com/forumdisplay. ... tive-Index

[fish_tank0311]

Uhh, sounds quite confusing. Im only 13. Sounds VERY confusing.

[phoenix44]

Uhh, sounds quite confusing. Im only 13. Sounds VERY confusing.

Has you $450?

[fish_tank0311]

Uhhh, no. I was thinking along $30 :roll:

[fish_tank0311]

i was thinking of this

http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/detail/view/nutrafin-plant-gro-co2-natural-system-bubble-counter/m/1007/

[fordayzbro]

Uhhh, no. I was thinking along $30 :roll:

How big is your tank? DIY works, many people here use it with great results....

[fish_tank0311]

tanks 250l as above

[phoenix44]

You said no to DIY though. That is DIY.

If you use sugar, yeast and water; its DIY

If you use a compressed CO2 system its well.. not.

DIY is borderline pointless in a 250L system, but it is doable. CO2 might be the root cause of all evil if you get it wrong though.

[fish_tank0311]

so the $30 is just a diy thing?

[fordayzbro]

You said no to DIY though. That is DIY.

If you use sugar, yeast and water; its DIY

If you use a compressed CO2 system its well.. not.

DIY is borderline pointless in a 250L system, but it is doable. CO2 might be the root cause of all evil if you get it wrong though.

Those ladders on the nutrafin are a pain to keep clean

[phoenix44]

They are good when they are slimy. bilbo and I reckon the bubble slides better.

I only use diffusers. My precious, beautiful diffusers :lol:

[fish_tank0311]

What??? This topic is info for me. What do i do.

[Joshlikesfish]

so the $30 is just a diy thing?

Thats just the ladder, no tubing or kit. I've used bottles of sugar water and yeast with an airline tube into the tank, and its worked well for me.

What plants are you wanting to grow?

[fordayzbro]

They are good when they are slimy. bilbo and I reckon the bubble slides better.

I only use diffusers. My precious, beautiful diffusers :lol:

I used one on a 20L, my Rasboras used to get trapped behind the ladder all the time. Glass diffusers all the way!

[Zayne]

that doesnt make the c02 that diffuses it i think. ebay is quite good. a quick search i found a very cheep http://cgi.ebay.com/Aquarium-CO2-Carbon-Dioxide-Tablet-36-pieces-/220641645061?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item335f445205#ht_2094wt_911 tablets

[Zayne]

or hollywood has http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/detail/view/nutrafin-plant-gro-natural-co2-producer-system/m/1120/

[FuglyDragon]

Basically CO2 system goes something like this...

CO2 GAS ----> (Bubble Counter / Needle Valve) -----> (Diffuser / Reactor / Mixer)

CO2 Gas = Someway of createing CO2 be it a pressurised bottle or DIY Sugar and yeast.

Bubble Counter = A small container that the CO2 bubbles through to allow you to know how much is going into your tank (how many bubbles per second)

Needle Valve = a fine valve to control the amount of gas coming from a pressurised bottle (not needed if you go DIY)

Diffuser / Reactor / Mixer = Mixing the CO2 gas with the water in your tank, there are lots of ways to do this, some work very well some not so well.

Additionally you may use a solenoid valve which is just a valve controlled by a timer to turn the CO2 flow on and off (again dont need for CO2)

[FuglyDragon]

The system you are looking at is basically a DIY system but you are buying it instead of making it yourself (although you could save a few dollars and make it, its not hard.)

The grey container is where the CO2 is made, you add their 'special stabiliser' (baking soda) their 'special activator' (powdered yeast) and sugar and water... when the packets run out you can just use normal bakers yeast and sugar its much cheaper than buying refills.

Alternatively most people get a 2 or 3 litre coke bottle, poke a small hole in the lid and run some airhose through it and make their own CO2 generator (Coke bottle is perfect because its designed to hold pressured sugar water mix )

The clear plastic 'ladder' is just a way of dissolving the CO2 gas produced inot the water in your tank, the bubble starts at the bottom and slowly slides up the ladder, dissolving as it goes (untill it hits a snail shell at least), alternatviely you can just feed the CO2 bubble to an airstone (not very efficient b ut it works) or inot the outflow of a filter... lots of ways to make your own diffuser, do a google search for DIY CO2.

[Joe]

DIY is great!

Get a couple of glass diffusers. I'm 13 too, and I got two shipped to me for $35, so it's not very expensive. The rest of the stuff is cheap. For a tank your size,

Equipment/Ingredients:

2x large juice bottle (about 4-5l if possible)

2x Check Valve (1 for each bottle)

Sachet of yeast

White Sugar

Water

Tomato sauce/vegemite/marmite

Baking Soda

My method (for 1 bottle):

Boil water. Add 2cups suger to a large glass jug. Then add around 3/4 a liter of boiling water, and stir to dissolve. Top up with very cold water so its warmish. Pour through a funnel into a bottle. Add yeast, 1/3 teaspoon baking soda, and a squirt of tamato sauce or vegemite etc. Put a lid on the bottle and shake furiously! Then top up the bottle with warm water and leave about 10cm from the top.

How to make a DIY system:

Get a bottle with a lid. Poke a hole in the lid (I get my dad to use an electric drill!). Put an airline joint in the hole. It must fit tightly. Then silicon it to the lid. Once dry, cut 20cm of airline and attatch to the joint. Then add a check valve, and to that add enough airline to reach into your tank, leaving about 7-10cm from the bottom. Attatch glass diffuser, and leave it for a couple of hours. The bottle should have built up enough pressure, and you will be able to see little bubbles coming from the diffuser.

Hope that helps

Joe

[fish_tank0311]

Thanks i will see what i can do. What about this timer and stuff. Definitly still need a timer for DIY?

[phoenix44]

no.

you can't 'timer' a DIY setup.

[SamH]

no.

you can't 'timer' a DIY setup.

You can timer it, but it's very difficult.