Based on a post I made in response to a question about Citric acid and Baking Soda CO2 it was suggested that I start a new thread to show my project. Here goes.
Out of boredom I setup a small 10 gallon tank a few months ago and purchased a Fugeray Planted Plus to go med to high light with DIY yeast CO2. After using the yeast method for several months I got tired of the lack of pressure and ability to adjust the output the way I used to do a few years ago with a pressurized system. Sure I could have spent the money on a new pressure system, but what fun would that be.
I started reading up on improving the yeast method when I came across the information on the Citric acid and Baking soda method. I did the research and found several threads here and on other sites with varying results. I looked on ebay and found the plastic bar type setup for $30.00 from a place in New York that also included two starter bags of powder. For $30.00 I figured what the heck, lets give it a go. Bought it and set it up a little over a week and a half ago.
I had read reports of the output from the Citric Acid/Baking Soda mix to be close to a month, 8 hours a day at 1bps. Currently I am running 2.3 bps 24/7 and only getting six days. Not what I was hoping for so now I am looking to improve on that . I will need to remix powders on Saturday and am going to try shutting off the flow when the lights are out using a valve I put together. I suppose I could purchase an electric solenoid but then you start adding cost and when do you stop and just go pressure. I will stop when it stops being fun I guess. :hihi:
Hopefully I will be able to add a few pictures after I post this. I am also playing around with different reactors to increase dissolve rates. I started with a Tom Barr internal reactor but that did not work any better than putting the CO2 into the intake on the eheim 2211 I have on this tank so I went back to that. Besides that the reactor takes up alot of room in a small 10 gal.
What I like about the citric acid is the output is much stronger than yeast and there is no waiting for the pressure to build up. I have much more bubble count control with the needle valve. I only need to see a huge increase in the time between refills for me to say I like it.
I will try to update now and then as I make changes and am very open to suggestions or questions.
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Out of boredom I setup a small 10 gallon tank a few months ago and purchased a Fugeray Planted Plus to go med to high light with DIY yeast CO2. After using the yeast method for several months I got tired of the lack of pressure and ability to adjust the output the way I used to do a few years ago with a pressurized system. Sure I could have spent the money on a new pressure system, but what fun would that be.
I started reading up on improving the yeast method when I came across the information on the Citric acid and Baking soda method. I did the research and found several threads here and on other sites with varying results. I looked on ebay and found the plastic bar type setup for $30.00 from a place in New York that also included two starter bags of powder. For $30.00 I figured what the heck, lets give it a go. Bought it and set it up a little over a week and a half ago.
I had read reports of the output from the Citric Acid/Baking Soda mix to be close to a month, 8 hours a day at 1bps. Currently I am running 2.3 bps 24/7 and only getting six days. Not what I was hoping for so now I am looking to improve on that . I will need to remix powders on Saturday and am going to try shutting off the flow when the lights are out using a valve I put together. I suppose I could purchase an electric solenoid but then you start adding cost and when do you stop and just go pressure. I will stop when it stops being fun I guess. :hihi:
Hopefully I will be able to add a few pictures after I post this. I am also playing around with different reactors to increase dissolve rates. I started with a Tom Barr internal reactor but that did not work any better than putting the CO2 into the intake on the eheim 2211 I have on this tank so I went back to that. Besides that the reactor takes up alot of room in a small 10 gal.
What I like about the citric acid is the output is much stronger than yeast and there is no waiting for the pressure to build up. I have much more bubble count control with the needle valve. I only need to see a huge increase in the time between refills for me to say I like it.
I will try to update now and then as I make changes and am very open to suggestions or questions.
