Cliff
08-08-2010, 10:09 PM
I just put together and started using my first DIY CO2 system this weekend. I took the best parts of other DIY systems that I found when making mine (diagram & pics below). Here’s how I did it:
A) Took two 2 litre pop bottles and drilled a hole in the caps for the air lines. I drilled the holes a little smaller than the air line to get a tight fit
B) I then took a juice bottle with a large cap and drill two holes in the cap for air lines.
C) Ran a 18” length of air hose into each pop bottle cap, only going leaving about one inch of length on the inside of the cap. I put some aquarium safe silicon around the connection.
D) Next I ran a 12 inch length of air hose in to one of the holes of the juice bottle so there was only 1 inch of length on the inside. I connected this air hose with the two hoses from the pop bottles with a T connector.
E) in the other hole in the juice bottle I ran another hose about 24 inches into the second hole in the juice bottle cap (only one inch on the inside) and sealed both hoses to the cap with aquarium safe silicone. The hose in the pic looks longer because I trimmed it afterwords.
F) I placed a one-way check valve on the hose coming out of the juice bottle and then connected it to the bubble counter in the tank
The purpose of the juice bottle was to prevent any of the CO2 producing mixture from getting anywhere near the tank (a holding bottle should there be a overflow) Right now I’m only using one of the pop bottles to produce CO2. I’ll start using the second one after I’ve had a chance to see the impact of just one pop bottle to make sure I won’t be over doing it. I'm starting off slowly as using CO2 in a tank is all new to me.
For the CO2 production mixture, I’m using the ingrediants as suggested by Lady Hobbs in the below post. After 8 hours of use, still getting about 10 to 12bubbles each minute.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
I am open to any other suggestion to make this work even better.
][Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.)
][Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.)
A) Took two 2 litre pop bottles and drilled a hole in the caps for the air lines. I drilled the holes a little smaller than the air line to get a tight fit
B) I then took a juice bottle with a large cap and drill two holes in the cap for air lines.
C) Ran a 18” length of air hose into each pop bottle cap, only going leaving about one inch of length on the inside of the cap. I put some aquarium safe silicon around the connection.
D) Next I ran a 12 inch length of air hose in to one of the holes of the juice bottle so there was only 1 inch of length on the inside. I connected this air hose with the two hoses from the pop bottles with a T connector.
E) in the other hole in the juice bottle I ran another hose about 24 inches into the second hole in the juice bottle cap (only one inch on the inside) and sealed both hoses to the cap with aquarium safe silicone. The hose in the pic looks longer because I trimmed it afterwords.
F) I placed a one-way check valve on the hose coming out of the juice bottle and then connected it to the bubble counter in the tank
The purpose of the juice bottle was to prevent any of the CO2 producing mixture from getting anywhere near the tank (a holding bottle should there be a overflow) Right now I’m only using one of the pop bottles to produce CO2. I’ll start using the second one after I’ve had a chance to see the impact of just one pop bottle to make sure I won’t be over doing it. I'm starting off slowly as using CO2 in a tank is all new to me.
For the CO2 production mixture, I’m using the ingrediants as suggested by Lady Hobbs in the below post. After 8 hours of use, still getting about 10 to 12bubbles each minute.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
I am open to any other suggestion to make this work even better.
][Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.)
][Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.)