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just wondering abt others experiences abt the yeast-sugar co2? is there really a "magic" recipe for this??, how long does it really last (10-15 days)? how stable is the outflow of the co2??.....u can add some more info.. thx

Hi,
If you notice, in the right hand corner where your post
is listed on the forum, there is a little rectangle
that says, "Show messages from the last 14 days."
Click on that and change it to read "show all active
messages." And when you have finished with those you can
click on the "show archived messages." There has been
extensive coverage of the DIY CO2 injection system that
cover from the "mix" to the components of the system.

The main part is the receipe. I've seen threads for using
everything from brown sugar to molasses.

When the ingredients are first mixed, there is a surge
of CO2 that is released. Then, as the blend ferments
and forms alcohol, the production tapers off and a fresh
newly mixed bottle needs to be added. Again, the CO2
production surges, and again, over time, it tapers off,
and it too needs to be replaced. When this happens
with the fresh surge, the pH will drop, then as the
CO2 tapers off the pH slowly rises. The amount of the
pH swings depends upon how much CO2 is added, how well
it is aborbed, and lastly, the Carbonate Hardness (KH)
of the water. Needless to say, you want these pH swings
to be slow and small so the fish are not stressed.

The key to any type of CO2 injection is how long the gas
stays in the water. The longer you can maintain the
gas/water contact, the more CO2 will be absorbed by the
water. To do that we use difusers, or reactors.
Essentialy, a difuser is an airstone. The very best
difusers, are made of slintered glass and break the CO2
into extremely tiny bubbles. These bubbles are so small
that they are "blown" around the tank by the slightest
of currents and are easily absorbed before they can reach
the surface and burst. A reactor is a small tank into which
the aquarium water is pumped, the gas injected and then
the enriched water is returned to the tank. They can be
internal (suction cupped to the inside glass) or external
to the tank.

The key to modifying the pH swings that naturally
accompanies the aging of the mix, is to have a KH of
at least 3 degrees. Anything less and small amounts of
gas makes larger differences in the tank's pH. The
carbonate buffers the acid that is formed by the mixing
of CO2 with H2O.

Generally speaking, DIY CO2 should be restricted to tanks
of 30G capacity and smaller. Tanks larger than 30G will
require more than two active bottles and more tubing, and
more possibility of system leaks. Maintaining several
bottles in a row, and cleaning, mixing additional bottles
soon grows to be a real chore, one only a truly dedicated
person would continue for any extended period of time.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 21-Apr-2005 09:09

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