DIY CO2 in 10 gallon shrimp/planted tank

[three105]

so ya, doing a 10 gallon shrimp tank... umm.... i was reading and found that some people use 2 liter bottles most of the time but would this be too much for a 10 gallon tank?? ummmm anddd if not what size bottle should i use and if it's like a 1 liter is it the same recipe just cut in half? annndd.... hmm what else? oh ya, how do i tell when to switch it and make a new one... how should i switch it and make a new one... like explain the process from when i see that it's low... and if theres not a way how often should i switch them out.

Thanks a lot! - max

[John7429]

The size of the bottle won't matter as much as how much yeast you use...

Using half the amounts of everything (except the yeast) will just cut how long it lasts, not how much CO2 it'll generate.

As far as going low, you'll see the mix disappear.

[eyebeatbadgers]

Originally Posted by three105

so ya, doing a 10 gallon shrimp tank... umm.... i was reading and found that some people use 2 liter bottles most of the time but would this be too much for a 10 gallon tank?? ummmm anddd if not what size bottle should i use and if it's like a 1 liter is it the same recipe just cut in half? annndd.... hmm what else? oh ya, how do i tell when to switch it and make a new one... how should i switch it and make a new one... like explain the process from when i see that it's low... and if theres not a way how often should i switch them out.

Thanks a lot! - max

You may want to try to construct future posts in a more clear manner. You will be more likely to get responses.

When I was using DIY CO2 on my 10 gallon tank, I simply used one 2 liter bottle. In it I put about 1/4 teaspoon yeast, two cups of sugar, a pinch of baking soda, and filled with tap water. I changed out the mixture every two weeks, regardless of how it looks.

An even better setup would have two 1 liter bottles, with half of the above recipe in each bottle. You would then alternate changing out the mixture each week in either bottle, effectively having a brand new and one week old mix every week.

This process would yield a more steady supply of CO2, and consequently, fewer algae problems.

The amount of yeast you start with does affect how much CO2 is produced, as well as how long the bottle lasts. If you start with more yeast, more gas will be produced, and will also burn out faster, this is just common sense.

1/4 teaspoon is a good place to start per 2 liters of solution, you can adjust as your experience grows.

[ronman84]

I'm just throwing this out there, but does anyone think that they might get better results from using a corn syrup such a Karo instead of regular sugar?

[John7429]

I use the jello method and it works great.

[three105]

thanks a lot everyone... can anyone post me a link to the complete method from a good website with a 1 liter recipe... i don't know how i would cut 1/4 teaspoon in half don't know if they have that small of a measurement I guess I could just eye it tho.

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by three105

thanks a lot everyone... can anyone post me a link to the complete method from a good website with a 1 liter recipe... i don't know how i would cut 1/4 teaspoon in half don't know if they have that small of a measurement I guess I could just eye it tho.

To prepare a 1 litre recipe, you'd just divide all the measurements by 2 (i.e. 1 cup of sugar rather than 2, 1/8 of a teaspoon instead of 1/4).

They make 1/8 measuring spoons as well, so it shouldn't be a problem to measure out that much yeast.