# DIY CO2 - small bubbles briefly or larger ones but longer time in tank?



## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

So I finished my DIY co2 and im very happy with it, feeling quite proud! atm I have it outputting to tank full of only plants but I want to move it across to main fish tank soon, but I have a question about dispersion.

I read lots of places that you want tiny little bubbles if possible so I tried out an idea I had of shoving some filter media into the end of the airline where the co2 comes out. It works REALLY good, the slight blockage ups the pressure of the system well and the bubbles come out tiny and very very fast!

Then I remembered about "catching" the co2 bubbles I read somewhere and people use dishes or cups upside down and I was looking at my system thinking about that and had another idea. I bought some airline suction clips so i could keep the end of the airline fixed in place and it was a pack of three, I only used one. So I got a second one out and turned the suction cup in on itself so the clip become like a mushroom shape. I used a wiretie to hold that shape in place and clipped it on the end of the air line - its like the co2 output has a little umbrella over it! However what I notice happens is all the little bubbles stream out of the tube made small by the filter media and then the umbrella catches them and they do stay in the water longer because of it but in the umbrella they sort of form back together and when they do escape its as a big bubble again.

so im not sure whats helping get the co2 into my system better? Just the tiny bubbles or use umbrella as well which ultimately turns them big again after a time?


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

http://1drv.ms/1F13d6e

that, hopefully, is a link to a video of it running so you can see what i mean about making bigger bubbles.


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## tscarborough (Mar 24, 2015)

Why not move the "umbrella" up towards the top of the tank?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Didn't get a good look.

I think the umbrella isn't a good idea, as you stated the bubbles recombine and don't disperse.

My system works best when I use an atomizer/diffuser to make tiny bubbles, that hopefully never reach the surface. The other option is to get an in-tank reactor or bubble ladder to promote better diffusion. The atomizer, diffuser, and reactor generate some back-pressure on the system, the bubble ladder does not but it takes up a lot of space.

I've heard people get great diffusion in DIY systems using a chopstick piece or a wood airstone on the end. You won't get micro-bubbles like a ceramic plate diffuser, but the pressure needed to diffuse through the former two is much lower and better-suited to DIY systems.


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

When I did my diy co2 setup, I fed the co2 into a power head which chopped the bubbles up and shot them across the tank. Diy got old and now I inject pressurized with an inline diffuser. I will never do diy co2 again. Pressurized is so much easier and cleaner. It's worth the initial investment.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

I'm not sure how I would move the umbrella up, its "clever feature" P) was that it was an airline clip so attached to the tube.

I have just ditched it for now - I now have the co2 in my actual tank and I placed the output under the filter. now lots of tiny bubbles come out, sit under filter and some disperse there, others release around the sides of the filter and some get pulled in to the filter and a few escape to the top - im okay with that for now!

I dont HAVE the investment for pro CO2 whether its worth it or not  Quite happy with this system though, nothing bad should be able to get through it (bubble counter and a check valve in place), I installed twisty airline valves so at night I can turn off the output to fishtank and turn on a suboutput which goes to a plants-only tank and ofc one of the bigger attractions.. my co2 recipie is infact for alcohol which im happily brewing away and will be putting to various uses after each bottle change


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

+1 on the alcohol 

There's a really neat thread on plentedtank.net about making "garbage can wine" in your DIY CO2 system. I'll link it up if you're interested.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

Yes please Gizmo! More info I can gather the better 

I have now placed the output of the co2 next to a canister filter which is ducking in the bubbles, chopping them up mega fine and then shooting them out across the tank - its really amazing how well it works! And I didn't have to drill a hole like some ppl have which is what was putting me off 

I'll do a proper video of the setup later incase anyone is interested  hopefully my plants will come back to life now.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

Could I please have that link, gizmo? ^_^ ❤


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

ultimate DIY CO2 with benefits… wine byproduct!
DIY co2 from wine


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

Much appreciated!


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## AFishNamedCP (Oct 7, 2012)

I just tasted the leftover ethanol from my last bakers yeast concoction (the standard formula). I was blown away at how good it tasted! I was under the impression from forum posts that the spent co2 reactor was going to smell rank, and taste like dirty socks. It was funky cloudy, but tasted damn good and smelled like ethanol. I poured the rest out. So, I would think using juice would turn out good too. (legal disclaimer: obey the laws, I do  )


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