# DIY Co2 mixture



## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Use a 2 liter bottel, 3/4 cups suger, 1 teaspoon of the yeast, 2 thirds full of luke warm water and shake well. Produces a good amout of Co2 enough for a 10 for one week.


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

Ok cool Thanks I have the bottles all made up. Doing 1 yeast mix and one catch all bubble checker bottle with the hose going right into the impeller of a small pond pump, (like a table top pond pump)


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

Sounds good. I have 2 running on bubble counters and 1 through a powerhead


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

I use two teaspoons of yeast and get tons of bubbles right away but the mixture is spent a lot sooner. 

Add a teaspoon of baking soda as well. This acts as a stabilizer. Your mixture will last 2-3 weeks instead of one.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

shrimp pliskin said:


> I use two teaspoons of yeast and get tons of bubbles right away but the mixture is spent a lot sooner.
> 
> Add a teaspoon of baking soda as well. This acts as a stabilizer. Your mixture will last 2-3 weeks instead of one.


Yeah I forgot about the baking soda! Ive tried a tablespoon of yeast and 2 cups of sugar, which works crazy at first but 3 days later your all out.


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

Well 2 hours after mixing mixture I got maybe 1 bubble every 15 minutes, got up thismorning and I'm getting 1 bubble every 10 seconds in the second bottle. But listining to the pump and seeing the little bubbles it seems I'm getting a good flow of CO2, I'm thinking the check valve maybe holding back some pressure. Going to work on a reaction chamber out of a gravel sweeper since I have 1 cut up. How long will the standard airline hold up to CO2? It's cheap stuff I got off Amazon.com $3.70 for 25 foot shipped


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## brewster (Jan 1, 2012)

I do 1/4 tsp. yeast, pinch baking soda, 2 cups sugar, and water to the top of a 2 liter label. It lasts 2 - 3 weeks depending on room temp. I do one bottle for a 29 gallon run through a Fluval 340. I get enough Co2 that I have to unscrew the lid when the lights are out as I have wiped out my entire aquarium by leaving it running. The other option is to run a powerhead on a timer that agitates the surface when the lights go out.

Make no mistake, running DIY Co2 on a small aquarium can be risky business. It is possible to make a good go of it however as I have been running multiple bottles on a 340 gallon for years with great success. I run that one through a gravel cleaner as you have mentioned. The current success has cost me in the past however.


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

Ya I plan on having the pond pump kick on and off with the light so at lights out the bubbles will just go to the surface, with air pump thru a 10" bubblewall coming on at lights out


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

As you can see I went horizontal with it so the pickup from the pond pump is on the bottom. Most of the bubbles that's not fine or build up on top of the inside of the tube go into my hob intake


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

CO2 bubbles entering the impeller sounds like a fast Timex. I'm wondering if I should have a few fish in with the plants, but pH has dropped from 7.6 yesterday to 6.6 today. So should I cut back on the time the pump runs and just let big bubbles go to the surface, run the air during the day with it (went to a small stone beings I have no room now for the 10 incher) or leave it? Maybe even try restricking the flow of CO2 I have no defuser on it just the open end of hose.


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

Another thing I'm wondering about should I keep dosing with the Excel with the CO2?


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## speerwashere (Feb 24, 2012)

pH this morning at 5am was 7.6 ppm


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