Help needed urgently for my DIY CO2!!!

[taz_boy]

hi,

i'm having some problems with my diy CO2 and need advices on how to rectify the problem.

after reading up on DIY CO2 on the net, i manage to concoct the right mixture that produce almost 1bubble/ sec.

however, i face problem injecting the CO2 into the tank.
when i connect the tubbing to my reactor and switched on my powerhead,
there was a back-siphoning of water into the tube

when i switched off the powerhead, the water in the tube goes back into the reactor.

so wat's the problem actually....

my setup is :

2x1.5 litre bottle-->Bubble counter-->reactor connected to powerhead

hope that advices could be offered asap to rectify the problem

[vinz]

The problem is pressure. When you turn on the powerhead, the water pressure inside the reactor pushes water up the tube. This is normal. Once your DIY solution produces enough CO2 to build up the pressure, it will start to push back and eventually push CO2 into the reactor... unless you have a major leak in your setup. Leave the powerhead on. If the water does not start to move back towards the reactor in a few hours, check for leaks.

To prevent water from going too far and ruining your CO2 solution, use a check valve... they cost about $1 for really cheap ones. Make sure you select a good one that does not leak.

DIY CO2--->Check valve--->Bubble counter--->Reactor

[michael lai]

Yup, agree with Vinz. The problem with most DIY Co2 is leakage. I silicon most of the connection lest those that I need to open to refill. If there is a leak anywhere, your pressure will never hit optimum levels so gotta be careful there, bro. have fun

[Johnc]

You can check for leaks by putting some water at the connections (such as where your tube goes into the cap of your bubble counter). Use silicon glue to seal any leaks.

You can also build a manual primer by using those tiny ballon pumps that come with the children's baloon set. I borrowed mine from my children

pump -> check valve (or clip) -> CO2 Bottle -> check valve -> bubble counter -> reactor.

With this set up you do not need to wait for a few hours for the pressure to build up.

Hope this helps.

[taz_boy]

You can check for leaks by putting some water at the connections (such as where your tube goes into the cap of your bubble counter). Use silicon glue to seal any leaks.

You can also build a manual primer by using those tiny ballon pumps that come with the children's baloon set. I borrowed mine from my children

pump -> check valve (or clip) -> CO2 Bottle -> check valve -> bubble counter -> reactor.

With this set up you do not need to wait for a few hours for the pressure to build up.

Hope this helps.

thanks vinz, michael,
yep as wat vinz said, i say the same effect, now the water in the tube is being pushed down...

i guess the setup is building up pressure now,
cos my observation is as follow:

before i connect the tube to the reactor,
i could observe 1 bubble/sec in the bubble counter,

however since i connected the tubing to the reactor,
the bubble count drop significantly.

is that due to the pressure building up in the setup???

and hmmm JohnNC,
how do u actually come out with that set up:

pump--->chech valve-->c02 bottle etc........

[Johnc]

Just drill another hole on the bottle cap. One for the CO2-out, one for Air-in. Initially, of course, what first comes out of the system would be a low CO2. The CO2 level will increase as the yeast start working.

[Goondoo]

Yup, agree with Vinz. The problem with most DIY Co2 is leakage. I silicon most of the connection lest those that I need to open to refill. If there is a leak anywhere, your pressure will never hit optimum levels so gotta be careful there, bro. have fun

If the pressure reach optimum level and there is a choke some where along the out flow, be prepare for a mess you will never forget

[michael lai]

Dear Taz,
The drop in bubble count is due to when you change your connection from 1 point to another, (the accumulated Co2 escapes)the pressure drops and you need an hour or so for it to built up again.

[michael lai]

And yes, as GoonDoo has pointed out, I keep my set up simple and short.
Taz, you might want to check out NTUC for the 2 Litre mineral water bottle, Brand: Alkaline. to use for your DIY Co2, cost $2.50

[taz_boy]

And yes, as GoonDoo has pointed out, I keep my set up simple and short.
Taz, you might want to check out NTUC for the 2 Litre mineral water bottle, Brand: Alkaline. to use for your DIY Co2, cost $2.50

hi michael,

r u still using DIy, may wan to add u to my msn so i can ask u more since u got the experience...

bTW how big is ur tank??
mine is 3ft, almost 40 gallon,
1x 2litre bottle enough for my tank??

add me at [email protected]

[michael lai]

Dear Taz,
Yes I'm experimenting with DIY Co2 now.
My Set Up is 2 Ft tank,
1 x 2 Litre Bottle
I use pure brown sugar.
The solution has lasted for about 20 days.(still counting )

The KEY thing here is the amount of Yeast to use. experiment with the amount urself but I found that 1/4 tps is about rite.

Sorry my computer is down now will update my email to you later.
Major Crash & Burn