co2 question

[strung_0ut]

Hi forumers,

I would like to set up diy co2 into my 60 gallon tank to give it a little boost to it.
All of it is low maintenance, got mosses and echinodorus.

My question is, whats a good mix without harming my fish in anyway, where if I were to maintain or neglect it because I am so busy nowadays that it wouldn't harm anything.

My fish are a discus, 6 cardinals, spiny mountain eel, leopard loach, 10 small specie corydoras (don't know what they're called), 5 japonica, 3 guppies, and 2 otos.

I will be using a old ladder for diffusion.

Thanks,
Dennis

[stormhawk]

Dennis, the usual mix would be fine sugar, baking soda, plain water and baker's yeast. DIY CO2 should be safe provided you ensure that there's no danger of the DIY liquid leaking into your tank and that none of the tank water gets into the bottle. Using a directional control valve and a check valve helps to prevent accidents from happening.

[strung_0ut]

So my usual mix of 2 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon yeast, shouldn't have any problems?

Dennis

[whuntley]

DIY CO2 is, IMHO a true PITA. [Is that a record for net jargon, here?]

Use champaign yeast, as bread yeast has very low tolerance for alcohol, by comparison. [Like me? ]

Never fill the generator jug more than about 2/3 full, so any foam that forms cannot get to your tank. Forget about check valves, etc. , but do make really sure you have no leaks. Use a very efficient reactor in the tank, or inject into a negative-pressure (place that sucks) region of a cannister filter.

When you are sufficiently disgusted with the poor results for the large amount of work, go out and buy a good cylinder, regulator, needle valve and after getting it set, forget it for 6-12 months at a time. Tank refills cost about 1/5 what the sugar yeast costs run over the same period.

Don't tell me you cannot get them in SG. You have bars that sell beer and welding supply places, don't you? I have found regulators cheaper at bar-supply places and refills are cheapest at the welding supply house.

Wright

[zmzfam]

Don't tell me you cannot get them in SG.

I thought Dennis is located in California??

My question is, whats a good mix without harming my fish in anyway, where if I were to maintain or neglect it because I am so busy nowadays that it wouldn't harm anything.

If you tend to get busy most of the time, follow Wright's advice. Get a small CO2 cylinder and you can leave it running for a few months (depending on the bubble rate you set it to) after tweaking it for about a day or so.

[strung_0ut]

I thought Dennis is located in California??

Haha, yeah I am. Awesome thanks you guys, everythings all setup already, I was just worried about my fish, I am not worried about big results neither, its all low maintenance.

Thanks again,
Dennis