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heys.. i will be densly planting the 3ft 40gal shortly after i get a co2 insert working..attached is a picture of what i think could work as a diy co2.. what do u think??.. i noe sumone who has used this method and recomends it.. i will not be making my own mixture.. i will be useing the prepak co2 mixtures..

tell me what u think??

r0b3y

r0b3y attached this image:

That's exactly what I use.
If I may make a suggestion....fill the UGF tube (I use the broken bit of a gravel vac) with either some filter floss, foam or I used the netting from a bag of onions. In theory it holds the bubbles down and allows the powerhead to do it's thing. Any bubbles that do make their way up are often cut by the netting further.

^_^[hr width='40%']"Cause you can't jump the track,we're like cars on a cable
and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button girl,
So cradle your head in you hands
And breathe, just breathe..."

which type of prepak mixtures are you going to use? i would not recommend using the ones by nutrafin because they are usually expired and wont work. instead i would make your own mixture. i make my own mixture for my hagen natural system. i dont know the right amounts for a 2 liter bottle but i am sure someone who uses one can tell you.

yea i was going to buy the nutrfin pre packs.. thank god i didnt.. whats is the best size bottle to use 1.5 or 2lt.. and wats the mixture quantity for either??

thx

2l is the best fill it up 1/2 with water and add 1.5 to 2 cups of suger, a pinch of baking soda (not essental),
disolve some baking yeast in water and add that too.... you should get bubbles in the next 24 hours, for best result some suggest keeping the bottle at about 26c.

I use a 2L bottle with 2 cups of sugar, 1 level tsp of yeast and fill it to the point where the bottle starts to taper with luke-warm water. You will get bubbles within the hour and the mix lasts for weeks.

I use the same recipe as james747 does, only I add a small ammount of protein powder. Temp of the water is important as well. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast, to cold and they wont react.

^_^[hr width='40%']"Has someone taken your faith? It's real, the pain you feel.
The life, the love, You die to heal.
The hope that starts, The broken hearts...
I’ve got another confession my friend, I’m no fool.
I’m getting tired of starting again, Somewhere new."

so whats the best way to keep the temp right?? we are currently in winter over here at the moment.. what the best way to ensure it keeps warm??

i used to use the same recipe as babel and james, they work good for about 3 weeks.

you wont need to keep the whole bottle warm for the whole time its running, just warm water to get the yeast started at the begining thats all. just keep the bottle near your tank, since your tank should be somewhat warm too.

i know some drug stores sell generic brand soda thats 3L big, which i am guessing with the right recipe it'll last a lot longer.

the most pain in the neck part about DIY is to change the solution every so often, and making the cap connect with the airline was like...:%) so i quit

ps. make sure your yeast is not expired, they usually only good for 6 months

Room temp is fine....the important part is making sure the water is the right temp when you make the mix...If I remember my bread recipes it should be between 78 and 82F...
Mine was able to produce CO2 around 65 or so alright, it was a bit slower though. I did stop over the colder winter months because I wasnt willing to add a heater to a bucket of water just to run a CO2 unit. Once it started getting warmer I used a a blanket over the tank, lights and CO2 unit to help keep everything warmer.

^_^ [hr width='40%']"Has someone taken your faith? It's real, the pain you feel.
The life, the love, You die to heal.
The hope that starts, The broken hearts...
I’ve got another confession my friend, I’m no fool.
I’m getting tired of starting again, Somewhere new."