# What is the best Yeast:Sugar mixture for a DIY CO2 Reactor



## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi i am new to planted aquarium but am ready to start my own DIY CO2 system on my 30 Gal moderately dense planted tank.

i already made my reactor with a 2L pop bottle and a bubble counter with another bottle.

what is the best mixture to add into my reactor?
please give me specific instructions (amount to use, temp of water etc.)
do i need baking soda? i dont know how hard/soft gta water is.


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## arinsi (Mar 14, 2010)

follow this

http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/09/diy-co2-recipe-duration-vs-intensity.html


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

thanks ill follow that, do you tweak it in any way?
do you add baking soda?

i followed instructions nearly identical to these and i am producing no bubbles. i waited 2 hours and still nothing.
the ingredients i am using are, "activated yeast" from bulk barn, white sugar, baking soda and water. what am i doing wrong? i triple checked my lines


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Quadruple check your lines; there is probably a leak.

If it isn't, then we can move onto other things such as the possibility that you killed your yeast by using water that was too hot.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Not sure but by the time of the post it's says you only waited 26 minutes. But assuming that you did this is advance, you have to wait some where around 1 day to 2 days for it start producting Co2. This isn't a chemical reaction, it's a biological reaction. That means you have to give the bacteria days to develop into a strong colony to produce the CO2.

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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

water temp is a possibility. what temp should it be?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

lybrian1 said:


> water temp is a possibility. what temp should it be?


Tepid. Maybe 25C or so. Anything higher than 30 degrees Celsius and you're risking killing the yeast from the get on.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

it works now thanks . shud i discount it at night?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Discount?

Did you mean disconnect?

You could, but you would lose any CO2 pressure that has built up in the bottle. In addition, it will soon become a hassle to open and close the bottle of DIY CO2 everyday.


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

lybrian1 said:


> it works now thanks . shud i discount it at night?


I wouldn't worry about it. You will never have 1 2L pop bottle produce enough Co2 or diffuse it well enough to bring the co2 up to dangerous levels. Given the size of the tank, I would even consider chaining another 2L bottle on the existing set up.


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## arinsi (Mar 14, 2010)

ive actually had my diy co2 reach to dangerous levels before
gassed some shrimp and my tetras and otos were gasping for air.

it really depends on how you diffuse your co2


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

arinsi said:


> ive actually had my diy co2 reach to dangerous levels before
> gassed some shrimp and my tetras and otos were gasping for air.
> 
> it really depends on how you diffuse your co2


Seriously, how are you diffusing? I'm running 10L worth of DIY on a 60 gallon, directly into the intake on an Ehiem canister,in a heavily stocked tank, with low light plants and the co2 will hardly push over 20 ppm. That said, i do use baking soda in my mix.


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## arinsi (Mar 14, 2010)

i was running it into my intake too
day and night
and the outake is never above water


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## waj8 (Jun 30, 2010)

10 liters of DIY CO2 on a 60 gallon tank could easily gas your fish. The only reason it's not happening is because you have incomplete fermentations. You are probably talking about more than 5 cups of sugar per week. If it were to all ferment then that would be about 1/2 a pound of CO2 per week. That's a lot for a 60 gallon tank.


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