diy c02 reactor

the best money i never spent. Found a a video on youtube how to make this.pretty simple.took a while to get the quantity right but when i did the difference to my plants was simply amazing. New shoots appearing on my plants a week after i got it up and running.

could you post a step by step on how you made it as it would help...thanks...
dave

k here it is.you need a 2l bottle,a 1l bottle about 2 meters of airline tubing,silicone(tec 7) p.t.f.e tape(any plumbing or hardware shop) 5mm drill bit. 1, drill one hole in the 2l bottle and two holes in the 1l bottle. 2,tread the airline trough the top of the 2l cap and leave it 10mm below the top of the cap.3,cut enough of airline air line to go from yr 2l cap to 3/4s the way down trough 1l cap and the bottle.4,once thats done cut enough airline to go from the top of yr 1l bottle(same as the first 2l bottle cap,10mm) to yr aquarium.once this is done you can start to seal all yr connections.

Looks good maybe it would be easier if you posted a link to the utube vid you found



Mark

Is it like this?


Mark

true!

SpiderMonkey wrote:

Is it like this?


Mark[/quot yea man thats it.

sounds like someone didnt do there homework maybe some sort of blockage? get the measurements right and and the supplys in order and there shouldnt be a problem.theres yr 98 cent change.

Great video lads and really well explained so i'll be giving this a go just to see can i do it.......I have heard and read a lot about what Chris said and some other horror stories so i would love to know if anyone had some long term success with this kind of set up?

Ger

Hi Anglecichlid,

I have a similar set-up on a few of my tanks have been using it for over a year now and no issues with explosions or leaks. Also had no issues with temperature affecting the performance of the system. The only downside is the limitations of the pressure produced in the system, it is too low to drive Co2 through a ceramic diffuser so I use a ladder style diffuser at present.
I am currently experimenting with a diffuser similar to the one shown in this vid on YouTube - but with an external filter return rather than internal filter. I will let you know how I get on.
The only difference in the design of my system versus yours is that I am using 2 large bottles and one small one as a bubble counter / gunk trap. Rather than using airline with Silicone to connect the tubing, I am using a more rigid poly line made for use with Co2 and quick release pneumatic couplings to connect the system together. I find it makes it easier when it comes to changing the solutions over I currently get 8 weeks out of one solution mix which is not bad for about €0.50 Advantage of the 2 bottle system is you can stagger the changeover of the bottles so there is no interruption in the supply of Co2.
I will post some pics of the set-up later when I get time.

Next project is building a still so I can drink the by products

brillant! I have a resun 1800 filter with a airhose connector at the top that i connect the tube coming from my reactor.i submerge the filter about 3" from the surface of the water and i get good defusion not 100% but enough to give the plants a good feed.

i have been toying with making something like this when i seen it a few months back but as usual never got around to it
i'll be interested in seeing how you progress the idea and will also be interested in bills setup
cheers for the info lads

I tried the DIY version a couple years ago and it worked for some time until I got bored with changing the bottles every 3-4 weeks. Not to mention that the flow of CO2 is not constant for the whole period and there's no way to turn it off during night time.

It is OK to try the DIY method to see if it works with the set-up that you have, but in the long run I'd say it's much cheaper (after the initial investment, which can be recuperated most of it at a later date) and way better for the plants and for your peace of mind (for the reasons already mentioned by draco).

fair point.just as a mater of interest,how much would a c02 set up cost? Factory made!

I'd say you can buy a chinese regulator off ebay with the solenoid (most important part) with €50-60 (I bought a second-hand JBL one for €100), plus about €20 for the diffuser, CO2 tubing and a valve. Add a CO2 fire extinguisher for another €20 and that will last you for a year if not longer. As I said, you can get most of your initial investment back when/if you decide to sell. When using it for a bigger tnak, just turn the switch to add more CO2 instead of adding 1-2 yeast bottles! I'd say it's worth the investment

true enough it is worth the money but the components are expensive if ye haven't got it so something like this is woth a shot
what is the dilution ratio within the water with co2?? does it pose that much of a problem if not turned off at night?.. couldn't imagine so apart from maybe an extra buildup of co2 by morning but would it be enough to cause harm??

Nobody here bashed the DIY version, but praised the alternative. It was already mentioned that the CO2 bottle is not compatible with a diffuser due to low pressure, so I imagine wouldn't be a major problem letting it on overnight and if using a ladder, you would need a massive one to get all the Co2 dissolved in the water. To be on the safe side, I would use an airstone after the lights go off to release any CO2 produced over night. That way you can continue using the DIY CO2 without the worry of asphyxiating the fish (although you still need to worry about any possible leaks, bottle explosions).

I did not think for a moment that anyone was bashing the DIY version, simply pointing out the pitfalls of using them, which I pointed out too . It is certainly a viable alternative to the pressurised Co2 cylinder and I have had great success with this method. Agreed there are risks associated with this method of adding Co2 to a tank and it does have its limitations too, so I think research and awareness of the risks and limitations are the key to success.
There are risks of explosion with pressurised systems too, not least of which is when making the required mods to extinguishers to connect the regulator. I see several very experienced fish-keepers of the forum regularly advise caution on the subject. The key difference if the scale of the mess made if things do go wrong easier to clear a floor and walls and air the house than rebuild a wall if things go pear-shaped with a co2 cylinder.
As stated in my earlier post, these systems don’t have sufficient pressure to drive a ceramic diffuser, so unless badly set-up will never develop sufficient pressure to cause explosions.
With regard to dosing levels of Co2, it depends on how you choose to diffuse the Co2. From anglecichlid's comments, he is using the venturi on an internal filter, a method I used myself with great success. If anything, I stopped using this method and switched to the ladder style diffuser as the level of Co2 was getting too high and I found all the fish in the tank, including bristle noses, swimming at the surface. The key with the ladder diffuser is to generate Co2 bubbles sufficiently small to dissolve before they reach the surface. To that end, I have the Co2 line attached to the bottom of the ladder, capped and pierced with lots of pin holes, so no issues with Co2 diffusion into the tank. I take the added precaution of running an air pump through a large airstone to cause as much surface agitation as possible after lights out. This is on a timer and comes on as the lights go out, so no risk of dosing excessive Co2 at night.
Several of the worlds largest producers of aquarium hardware actually manufacture DIY Co2 systems based on the same principles. The only difference is that they add a catalyst to the yeast culture to regulate the Ph of the solution and also to slow the reaction down. Most of the commercial products feed directly into the tank too and not through the trap / bubble counter as both anglecichlid and I use. So if anything, the DIY method shown here is safer than the commercially available product

Absolutely agree that the pressurised systems have huge advantages, diffusion is better, can shut off with a solenoid etc. I tried the DIY approach as I simply could not afford to set up pressurised systems on all my tanks and had great success with it  I use both systems and can honestly say the results with DIY vs pressurised are comparable on plant colouration and growth.

i tell you im glad i brought this up cause ive got some interesting feed back.like blocking the airhose tube and then perferate the end in addition to a c02 ladder. And the fact that a manufactered system will cost you the guts of 100 yo yos.it seems to be an all round winner in my book.

i didn't mean it to come out like bashing was happening either m4r10 and apologise if i came accross that way mate

i set up a basic system today and my diffuser is a pill tub filled with pea gravel which i'm not entirely happy with the performance of but its early days yet so to speak ... after the mixture was put into the reactor bottle it was a few hours before i seen bubbles and even at that they are prity irregular for that matter. there may not be bubbles for a few about 3-5 seconds and then 3 or so may come at once or a bubble a second, all-in-all though it seems on average about 1-2 bubbles/sec (in the filter bottle) which i'm prity pleased with for a 1st attempt
i assume a reasonable bubble counter might be worth a try to regulate the flow of bubbles?

cheers to everyone who posted for their help and motivation to at least give this a shot, you's are a great inspirational help

Not to worry mate
Once you get the hang of it, set another bottle to overlap the first one so you have a constant supply of CO2. Also, don't forget to use a non-return check valve on both bottles as they will prevent losing CO2 while you change bottles. Depending on the size of your tank, keep an eye on your fish as they will be your best indicator if too much CO2 is pumped in.
Good luck with it and don't forget to post some before and after pics.