DIY Co2 problems

[onnen]

I have Co2 being produced, but when the gas gets over the top of the tank about 1 inch it stops. This is all the further it will go. If I squeze the bottle a bit it moves, but when I let go it goes back to the same spot. I believe the seals are good. Any suggestions?

[m.lemay]

Several things could be happening. Either your not producing CO2, Your CO2 ran out, Bad yeast, or you got a leak. It does take about 1 day before the CO2 starts to produce. My guess would be, you got a leak. It doesn't take a very big leak to allow just a little pressure to release and then you don't have enough pressure in the bottle to overcome the head pressure from the water column.

[Jim Miller]

I use hot tap water, 1/2 tsp plain old grocery store yeast, 2 cups of sugar in a 64oz juice bottle. It bubbles immediately and continues for 2 weeks.

If you have done anything similar and are not getting bubbles you have a leak and they are sometimes difficult to find.

Take your DIY bottle and submerge it in a tub of water and put the output line as deep as it would be in your aquarium to provide the back pressure. You'll see your leak immediately.

Mine was a cracked check valve body.

jtm

[onnen]

I do have bubbles (quite a few actually), but don't get any in the tank. I didn't find any leaks, but replaced my check valve and sealed over my sealant for good measures anyway. I have 3/4 cup sugar, and about 1-2 tsp of yeast in RO water (2 liter bottle). Any other suggestions? I'm stumped!!!!

[m.lemay]

Maybe your check valve is in backwards. Its supposed to let the gas up the tube but not let the water back. Blow into it from both ends if your not sure which way it goes.

[Jim Miller]

You're a better person than I if you can find your leak without submerging the whole bottle and lines...

Do it, you'll find the leak.

jtm

[onnen]

I just put it under water and gave a little squeeze. No leaks. Bubbles only came out the end it was suppose to. Now what?

[m.lemay]

Kink the hose at the end so that the bubbles can't escape that way. Put a clothes pin on it or something to keep it crimped. Then submerge the whole apparatus and squeeze the bottle and keep it squeezed for a good 10 seconds at least. Look for bubbles along the cap, the hose, the check valve etc. If you don't find any bubbles (leaks) then your mixture is bad. Its probably bad yeast. Make sure the yeast is fresh. If its been sitting in the cupboard for ayear, chances are its dead.
You could have burned up the sugar real quickly with 1-2 teaspoons of yeast. try 1/2 teaspoons of fresh yeast from the supermarket. It'll take about an hour for the mixture to start reacting. Use luke warm water, not hot water to start your mixture. If the water is too hot, you will kill the yeast also.
If none of those things work, maybe you should go with pressurised CO2.

[Jim Miller]

Bread making is very enjoyable and will teach you a bunch about yeast. Our hot water tap comes out a little too hot for yeast but will cool to the proper temp within a minute or so when added to the sugar in my DIY juice bottle. After a few shakes to fully dissolve the sugar I add the yeast and a pinch of baking soda. By the time I get it connected to the line on the aquarium it is producing a bubble every couple of seconds.

Takes no time at all.

jtm

[onnen]

How did you connect your tubing to your bottle? What are you using for a reactor? Just curious

[Buck]

heres what I did...
Just took and put the smallest hole I could in the cap of an old 2 litre soda bottle and stuff in a "stiff plastic tubing connector "... then take aquarium sealant and dont be shy with it... inside and ouside of cap and let that set for an hour or 3 and you will be all set.
If the hole in cap is too big to start it will eventually wiggle free...
I do believe though that your mix isnt good as Lemay has stated...
I had a bad batch of yeast that was brand new once and drove myself nuts looking for leaks...it started hot and heavy but only worked for a couple hours and died.
New yeast did the trick and all was good...
Its trial and error with DIY which is why I went to pressurized but it definately works if you are willing to do the same ... :hehe:
As far as reactors... the sky is the limit... I personally had good luck with my design in a 30 gallon tank... if you care to take a look at how I made it here it is...very easy to make and cheap...
Bucks DIY CO2 Diffuser

Good Luck To Ya Onnen...

[onnen]

HHHMMM. I like that idea of a "hard tube". That seems like it would work very well and prevent leaks/separation. I'll try that on my next bottle.

Buck, I have been to your website before and read about your reactor (sounds great), but what do you think, in your personal opinion (others also), about a "wood block" (small bubbles) as a diffuser?

[Jim Miller]

My best luck has been with a small hole in the top of the cap with the tubing cut on an angle and pulled through. No glue at all and it has never leaked there ever. No glue required.

If you want to use a diffuser I found the Rena 2" made the best bubbles for the longest time. Cut away the top lip of the rubber insert since it collects the fine bubbles and aggregates them into larger ones.

I found the limewood diffusers would only work for a day or two before starting to release larger bubbles.

I got rid of the diffuser after a while and just ran the CO2 line directly into the intake of my System 3 filter and it works just as well.

jtm

[GulfCoastAquarian]

What I do is buy a plastic check valve and glue that with epoxy (or CA glue) to the cap. Then you can use that barb fitting to attach a hose to. It's a good idea to have a check valve because I've siphoned the contents of my nano tank down to my Yeast bottle twice already!

[Buck]

Its never easy huh Sam ?
Just when we think we got it licked another " issue " rears its ugly head ! :hehe: