5 e CO2 SYSTEM :)

TO MAKE CO2 SYSTEM FOR 5 EURO WE NEED ONLY 2 empty bootles one big and one small
400 g sugar
1 l of water
10 g of yast
3 m of air tube
one top from clear bootle
that mix is enought for 2 weeks of using co2

pictures from www.akwarium.net.pl forum

Post edited by: adriano210, at: 2007/07/17 04:35<br><br>Post edited by: adriano210, at: 2007/07/17 22:23

the pipe we have to connect to presure regulator like for a air pump, to add co2 to water we have use diffusion system
how to make simple one

i suggest to use that system only when light is on and when we use proper plant food
regards
Adrian

Hi Adrian,

I've been using one of these for the past year and it has really helped my plants. I use an airstone as a diffuser and it works well.

However, I still have an Algae problem. Speaking to Zig, he reckons that the issue is that the DIY system doesn't give off a regular amount of CO2 as it will diminisih as the sugar supply expires and will also be subject to temperature changes. This will encourage algae growth.

Algae aside, it's cheap and has definitely helped my plants. The other benefit is that it brings the pH down in my community tank. Out of the tap, my pH is anything from 7.6 to 8.0. By adding the DIY C02, I can keep it at a steady 6.8 which is better long term for my fish.

add a teaspoon of baking soda and the CO2 output becomes more steady.
However, since you pH is steady at 6.8 your CO2 output must already be fairly regular.

Hi Holger,

Yes I tried that, however, I don't really need it as my pH is already high. I believe that only has a stabilising effect once the pH is under 6.0.

Zig said that in order to avoid algae, it needs to be a very stable flow of C02. That's not possible with a DIY system.

that is possible its verry easy to claim of co2 system but the algs to live need N, P, NOT only co2 and do you have proper light system minimum is 0,5w per l if you want use co2 system and what can of plants you have in your tank?

i show how plants grow on co2 diy system, pictures from polish aquatic forum, tanks of my friends:)
just gess who has bootle with co2 and who is using diy co2 system
Oswald fish tank
img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0008gv4.jpg
Emi and seebos fish tank
images20.fotosik.pl/304/87b6767bde78fee3.jpg
my fishtank
www.fotosik.pl/pokaz_obrazek/pelny/57ecf05744cba010.html
Ropek fish tank
www.akwarium.net.pl/forum/index.php/topic,8832.0.html
they all have diy co2 system
Tasior tank
img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=caleyq4.jpg
img441.imageshack.us/my.php?image=25pt7.jpg
if can make it for less then 5 e and have great results like that all guys why spend 300 e<br><br>Post edited by: adriano210, at: 2007/07/17 22:25

@Ken

a pH of 6.8 is actually quite ideal for growing plants.
Did you ever try to leave your tapwatr stand for a day or two and see where the pH settles? Measure the pH on the rested water and the difference between this and your tank water is the effect the CO2 has.

DIY CO2 systems work best on tanks under 150l, above that you want either have several going or use a pressurized system.

I don't think your algae issue is down to an insufficient CO2 system but rather an over-abundance of nutrients in the water and possible th2 wrong lighting. What colour are your bulbs. Daylight bulbs at around 6500k are best. Most bulbs you get in DIY shops have a colour of 2300K. Algae just love it.

Holger

Hi Holger,

If I leave my water sitting for a day, the pH settles at 7.8 (hence the move to africans).

I have two interpet TriPlus 24w T5 compacts and two T8 25w tubes at around 12,000k. I reckon I have enough light for plants with low light requirements.

The plants i introduce need to be pretty tall. Anything I've put in that's small doesn't seem to get enough light at the bottom of the tank and just sits there gathering algae.

Hi Ken,
what size is your tank and more importantly how high? 12000k is great for corals but not that great for a freshwater tank.

All my tanks have bulbs with 6000-6500k tubes/bulbs on them and I have no algae problems in any of them. This is one of the factors of very little algae growth.
On top of that I am changing water almost on a daily basis. Discus can be messy. But having come back after a two week holiday I still haven't had any algae problems. Feeding was scaled down to once a day though rather than the usual 4-5 times

Holger

The tank is 240l. I got the 12000k bulbs as they bring out the colours of the fish nicely. You have a point about them causing algae. I do a 30% water change weekly. Nitrates never get higher than 10 mainly to the fact that it's heavily planted. I also feed once a day.

I tested Phosphate a couple of months back and it was less than 1 so wasn't the cause of the problem.

Your phosphater was 1? 1mg/l?

They were 0.5mg/l. Anything below 1.0mg/l is regarded as normal and should not be contributing to an algae problem (according to my test kit anyway).

adriano210 I know this may seem a silly question the bottle which feeds to the tank is this normal tap water it bubbles through?

@Ken
.5 mg/l of phosphate coupled with the wrong light colour and you are at the races in setting up your algae farm;)

@mwdragondk

the bottle on the left is where the fermentation takes place and the CO2 is then transferred to the washer bottle on the right and from their into your tank.

I use to have a great growth of Java fern in an malawi tank, I use to have diy cool white and warm white flouresent tubes, I change it for a Metal halid with a blue hue, and now all that is left is dead plants, like wise in my new bigger Malawi tank whcih was my x marine tank I have shop fitting type Metal halide bright white too bright to look at directly with you eye fitted into the false ceiling 50cm above a deep tank and all the java fern has died, I see that Tunze sell MH lamps at around 5700 colour temp it all confusion?????, may be some plant expert could do an article before I make any more changes, the up side is the light effect on the bottom is like a real reef with the ripples, I am sure there is little waves in lake Malawi as its almost as big as the Irish sea? I am thinking of adding a Tunze wave machine to give even more light rippling.

This was Zig's reply to a lighting post a couple of months back regarding different tubes, specture and degress kelvin.

...........................................................

zig wrote:

Personally i think it comes down to personal viewing preferences when looking at your tank, a lot of emphasis is placed on the colour temprature of various tubes (the colour of the tubes output measured in degrees kelvin or k) but this is only one factor that should be considered for example, it is widely regarded that tubes between 5500k and 6700k are in the best range for photosynthesis to take place, but this is really only a generalisation as different manufacturer's 6500k tubes will have very different spectral outputs, in other words one manufacturer's tube will vary widely from a different manufacturer although both will claim their tubes are 6500k, and if you compare the spectrum graphs and you will find that this is the case.

Its generally regarded nowadays that light intensity is more important than colour temprature, basically as long as there is enough light produced, plants will grow.

Any tube between 3000k to 14000k will grow plants as long as most of its output is in the red end of the spectrum and only a little in the blue end, tubes that have their main output in the blue end of the spectrum are not recommended, these are mainly for marine setups, tubes with there main spectral output in the blue end of the spectrum will cause algae growth in a freshwater setup.

Heres just a basic rundown on some tubes i have used and the different colour hues they give for viewing purposes.

Interpet Daylight Plus-6500k-cool white (very good light for viewing purposes IMO)

Interpet Triton/Triplus-8300k-White purple

Arcadia Freshwater-7500k-White green

Arcadia Origional Tropical-?k-Pink (avoid, light intensity is also low)

Hagen Life-Glo-6700k-Bright cool white

Zoo Med-Tropic sun-5500k-Warm white

Zoo Med-Ultra Sun-Bright cool white

ASL Daylight-7100k White with tint of green (using these ATM)

ASL Freshwater Tropical (powercompact) 7100+8000k White and pink mixed.

I have used all the above with prettty good results, normally these days i will choose tubes based on the colour output for viewing purposes and i always use good reflectors, if you choose tubes between 5500 and 7000k you cant go far wrong IMO.

HTH

AFAIK, the tubes I have are Hagen Power Glow which give out 18,000k and are suited bo both Marine and Freshwater plants.

The tubes are 25w and will be a year old in a couple of months. I'll swap them out for a tubes with around 4-6k to see if that makes any difference.

Fr. Jack wrote:

I use to have a great growth of Java fern in an malawi tank, I use to have diy cool white and warm white flouresent tubes, I change it for a Metal halid with a blue hue, and now all that is left is dead plants, like wise in my new bigger Malawi tank whcih was my x marine tank I have shop fitting type Metal halide bright white too bright to look at directly with you eye fitted into the false ceiling 50cm above a deep tank and all the java fern has died, I see that Tunze sell MH lamps at around 5700 colour temp it all confusion?????, may be some plant expert could do an article before I make any more changes, the up side is the light effect on the bottom is like a real reef with the ripples, I am sure there is little waves in lake Malawi as its almost as big as the Irish sea? I am thinking of adding a Tunze wave machine to give even more light rippling.

10000k light is too much for your plants use a from 4200 k to 7000k (diy made by philips)
or mix with chip fluorescend bulb) how you know plants prefer red light, 10000k is full of blu light waves lenght, and is more suit for corals and inverts

KenS wrote:

AFAIK, the tubes I have are Hagen Power Glow which give out 18,000k and are suited bo both Marine and Freshwater plants.

The tubes are 25w and will be a year old in a couple of months. I'll swap them out for a tubes with around 4-6k to see if that makes any difference.

TUBES SHULD BE EXCANGE EVERY 6 MNTS,
PROPER LIGHT FOR PLANTED TANK 0,5W/LITR
IF YOU USE PROPER PLANT FOOD, GOOD BOTTOM SUBSTRATE AND CO2 SYSTEM






that is mistake of producent look
warm light - from 3200 k
cool light - 4200 k
day light - 4200k - 7000k
8000K max of colour temperature for planted fish tank (by AMANO)
marine light -8000k to 10000k AKTYNIC LIGHT ONLY FOR SALT WATER PROPER WAVE LENGHT FOR CORAL AND INVERT AND MARINE FISH - ITS ONLY BLUE LIGHT BEST FOR ALGEA GROW
18000k that temperature is mayby on the sun i give a proper link



LIGHTS PHILIPS TLD 840 AND 865



TLD 965, TLD 950 i TLD 865
why spend so much many for hagen lights, they are only expensive,
look that is fish tank of one of me friends