# Dry Ice CO2 system



## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

I've seen people drop dry ice straight into their aquarium- it violently foams co2- but isn't it super expensive?

The bubbling only lasts a few minutes though.


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

By the time you've done anything worth while with dry ice, you've likely bought even the most expensive co2 system....


----------



## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

Dry ice is actually pretty cheap, about $0.50/pound retail. But the issue becomes storage and delivery to the aquarium. You make dry ice from a tank of liquid CO2 quite easily.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

lipadj46 said:


> You make dry ice from a tank of liquid CO2 quite easily.


Really? How?


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Really? How?


Open the tank valve.


----------



## JamesHockey (Nov 10, 2010)

Hoppy said:


> Open the tank valve.


Lol


Hi?uh... This is my iPod that I'm on..


----------



## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

lipadj46 said:


> Dry ice is actually pretty cheap, about $0.50/pound retail. But the issue becomes storage and delivery to the aquarium. You make dry ice from a tank of liquid CO2 *quite easily*.


Please don't give people the wrong idea. 



> *Can you make dry ice at home?
> The quick answer is "no". There is no practical or inexpensive method to make enough dry ice at home to
> 
> 
> ...




Source: http://www.continentalcarbonic.com/dryice/


----------



## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

Oh, and sorry to answer the OP. You would cause a huge temp. swing and most, if not all, of the co2 would be released out of the tank in a fog. 

Why not just DIY co2? Cheaper then dry ice, and a lot safer.

EDIT: Reread the first post. You mean put dry ice into a bottle? Adding dry ice into a bottle with water (I would imagine that is how you would get it to react) would cause it to explode from pressure build up (I doubt the outlet from a tube would be enough space to release enough pressure quickly enough). Trust me dry ice/water in closed bottle will explode. but like somebody else said, regardless of how you put the dry ice into the diy set up (saying it didn't explode) or tank, you would be replacing the dry ice every few minutes and I would imagine have a lethal effect on livestock.


----------



## Booger (May 17, 2004)

Why are people so scared off by a regulator knob?


----------



## RickRS (Dec 31, 2010)

Booger said:


> Why are people so scared off by a regulator knob?


Price.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

JamesHockey said:


> Lol
> 
> 
> Hi?uh... This is my iPod that I'm on..


Seriously. When you use a CO2 fire extinguisher you open the valve and a blast of CO2 snow, which is dry ice, solid CO2, comes out. CO2 exists in 3 forms, gas, liquid and solid. The transitions from one form to another depend on pressure and temperature, as well as an available source or sink of heat, but going from liquid, which has to be under high pressure unless the temperature is extremely low, to solid, occurs just by dropping the pressure to atmospheric pressure.

What we buy as dry ice is a "brick" of solid CO2, while fire extinguisher dry ice is a snow form, but both are solid CO2.


----------



## jvo0410 (Aug 25, 2010)

just an science experiment i wanna try because dry ice is cheap and probably not as messy as yeast and sugar


----------



## Heartnet (Sep 13, 2009)

It isn't as messy yeast or sugar, but it's also not as convenient either. Plus it's also much more dangerous to handle. You can't touch it directly because of it's extremely low temperature (around -100F) which can actually cause frostbite and it can crack glass if you're not careful. 

You should really get dry ice as close to the time you're using it. Dry ice won't last longer than a day without special insulators and whatnots to keep it from sublimating. For consumer use over here in NYC, it goes around for a dollar something per pound and they often have a minimum amount per purchase requirement. Often like 10 to 20lbs. 

And do not attempt to keep dry ice in your freezer because it's actually much colder than your freezer and will cause it to malfunction.


----------



## Akira (May 21, 2008)

I deal with this stuff alot at work as we have an ice blaster that cleans stuff realllly well. You could drop some dry ice in a bottle with water thats setup just like a DIY yeast system and you'd get some co2. I dunno how well it would work or even if its safe but you'd get some gas.....


----------



## Optix (May 31, 2011)

haha...get some gas alright

preceded by a loud "BANG"

to the OP...please please PLEASE do not try this

1. its not practical (as mentioned...it would be pricey...impossible to handle...impossible to measure the amount of CO2 into the tank...and very inefficient)

and 2. its is DANGEROUS (pressurized explosions...as well as a temp swing that would kill your fish and probably give you blisters (personal experience from highschool <_<) if mishandled)


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

WHY SHOULDN'T YOU DO THIS? This is why. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP4yp8y_NA

Can we be clear that this is a bad idea, now?


----------



## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Really? How?


You need a dry ice maker which is essentially an insulated container that can trap the solid CO2 as is comes out, it also needs to be able to withstand low pressures like 10-20psi. Every highschool I've taught at has a dry ice maker. They say you need a CO2 tank that is bottom feeding but the tank we had at my last school was a regular top feeding CO2 tank. Takes about 30 seconds to make a pound of dry ice. Like I mentioned above, even buying retail dry ice is pretty cheap when compared to getting presurized liquid CO2 for whatever reason.

It is only a bad idea if you put it in a closed container.


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

But since you won't be able to control the output, you're just asking for problems. 

Further, since you won't be able to store it at sub freezing temps, it will rapidly thaw and release a ton of gas quickly then be done. 

It isn't cheap when you'd have to do it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. 

Also, there is that potential that you could set off a bomb in your living room.


----------



## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

I'm not saying its anywhere near a good idea. I'm just answering the questions how it is made and how inexpensive it is.


----------



## Akira (May 21, 2008)

lipadj46 said:


> I'm not saying its anywhere near a good idea. I'm just answering the questions how it is made and how inexpensive it is.


same here


----------



## Booger (May 17, 2004)

I, for one, think this is a great idea. Who wants to spend dozens of dollars on a pressurized setup?


----------



## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Won't you still need a pressurized tank of CO2 and a regulator to use the dry ice maker? It seems that deciding to use a dry ice maker to eliminate a CO2 rig is kind of like buying a car that's missing it's engine in order to save gas.

In reality, liquid CO2 is only about $2-$3 dollars a pound (Cheaper if you have a really big tank). And how much of that solidified CO2 will be wasted if you don't put it in a closed container, 75%, 90% (I have no idea, but it would have to be quite a bit)? How many fingers will you have if you do put it in a closed container 2, maybe all 5 on one hand?


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

And also can we not forget about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP4yp8y_NA


----------



## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Before Amano discovered pressure co2 usage in aquariums, he experimented with dry ice and soda water, both proved to be expensive, ultimately leading to pressurized co2.

And after watching that video, you gotta be an idiot to try dry ice..


----------



## Booger (May 17, 2004)

chiefroastbeef said:


> Before Amano discovered pressure co2 usage in aquariums, he experimented with dry ice and soda water, both proved to be expensive, ultimately leading to pressurized co2.



Interesting. Where did you read this? I enjoy the mental image of Amano playing with dry ice bombs.


----------



## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Booger said:


> Interesting. Where did you read this? I enjoy the mental image of Amano playing with dry ice bombs.


It is from ADA's Aqua Journal site, all in English, very informative stuff, a lot of interviews with him as well.



*Quote from Aqua Journal*
*Aqua Journal: I see. That’s why only five of them were sold. How was CO2 delivered to aquariums before small cylinders become available?*
Amano: I tried a variety of things. I tried even fermenting a kippered herring in a bottle, which produced CO2. I cultured bacteria to produce CO2. I added dry ice to a tank, too. Nothing worked well. While experimenting with this and that, I happened to look at soda that I ordered at a pub. So I got a few bottles of them from the pub, took them home, and poured them into my aquarium at home. Lo and behold, aquatic plants started pearling big time.
*End Quote*

Link to the page where Amano is interviewed on co2: http://www.aquajournal.net/na/stories_behind/003/index.html


----------



## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> WHY SHOULDN'T YOU DO THIS? This is why.
> 
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP4yp8y_NA
> ...


OMG, I did'nt think people could be that, uhh, ______!! (fill in the blank) :icon_eek:


----------

