# Sticky  DIY Pressurized Co2 System



## Husky_Jim

Since the proper Plant keeping in an aquarium requires the installation of a Co2 system,many different types of Co2 systems where used by hobbyists around the world.
The most easy (but not so efficient) method for producing Co2 is the "Yeast-Sugar" method which is also (in short term period) the most economical one.This method can be applied in small aquariums up to 50 gallons because it requires a great ammount of "Yeast-Sugar" mixture for bigger tanks.
The best solution for Co2 is to buy a complete pressurized Co2 kit (there are many by different brands in the market),which contains also PH meter with magnetic valve,bubble counter,Co2 reactor and more....
But this has also great disadvantages.
It is a very expensive solution and usually the Co2 bottle that the kit contains is small so it requires many refillings according to it's use.

That's why many hobbyists develop their own "DIY Pressurized Co2 System" which is by far the best solution for your plants and your pocket.:laugh: 
Here is a guide on how to build your own!

First of all you need a bottle filled with Co2 with the appropriate pressure meters and tuning valves.You can find a cheap solution in the stores that sell Medical Gas.A 4-littre bottle is a good size which will last at least 6 months before it requires a refilling.
You will also need the following:

1.Needle Valve (low pressure tuning valve).You can find this in industrial equipment stores.
2.Irreversible Valve.Same valve like the one we use on our air pumps.You can find it on your lfs.
3.Bubble Counter.You can make one with serum equipment.You can find one on drugstores.
And last,
4.Air Tube.You can use the same tube you use on your air pums but a silicone-based one is preffered.You can find it on your lfs.

Construction:

Once you get the Co2 system, you have to adjust the Needle Valve on the output of the Co2 bottle after the Pressure Meters and put teflon tape in all the unions and the fittings in order to prevent any possible leak.
Then you put a 2-3 inch piece of Ait tube in the output of the Needle Valve and then you have to install the Irreversible Valve on the other side of the tube.
At the end of the Irreversible Valve you put the nessecary Air Tube (the lenght varies according to your space) and connect it with the Bubble Counter after filling it with 3/4 of water.
After the Bubble Counter you have to put the last piece of Air Tube in order to be installed in your tank.
I personally don't use a Co2 reactor and in order to diffuse the Co2 bubbles i have put the Co2 output Tube in my canister's filter intake which i think is the best way of dissolving Co2 in your tank's water.

The following pics will help you understand the entire setup.

*Pic1:*
Here is a pic that displays the Co2 Bottle with the Pressure Meters and the Needle Valve.










*Pic2:*
(A) Bottle's Output Valve,(B) Bottle's Pressure Meter,(.C) Output Pressure Meter,(D) Main Output Regulation Valve,(E) Second Output Regulation Valve,(F) Needle Valve.










*Pic3:*
(A) Needle Valve,(B) Irreversible Valve










*Pic4:*
Bubble Counter










Tuning-How to:

First of all turn all the Regulation Valves to 'close' position.Then fully open the "Bottle's Output Valve" (Pic2-A).You will now see the Bottle's pressure indication in the "Bottle's Pressure Meter" (Pic2-B).
Now turn carefully 'ON' the "Main Output Regulation Valve" (Pic2-D) until the indication on the "Output Pressure Meter" (Pic2-C) reaches 1 to 1,5 bar.It is preffered to have low output pressure in order to have a more 'stable' airflow and regulation.
Now fully open the "Second Output Regulation Valve" (Pic2-E) and the "Needle Valve" (Pic2-F).You will see a lot of bubbles in your "Bubble Counter" (Pic4) don't worry about it.Now close carefully the "Second Output Regulation Valve" (Pic2-E) until it reaches the 3-8 bubbles per second.
Now you are able to tune the rest of your bubbles with the "Needle Valve" (Pic2-F).Close it carefully untill you have a stable indication of 1 bubble per second in your bubble counter.
Then observe the bubble rate for the next days and make extra adjustments if needed.

*I also suggest you do several PH and KH tests in order to see the effects of Co2 in your tank's chemistry,cause big amounts of Co2 makes an increase of the Carbonate Hardness (KH) and more than 10dKH could harm your fish.
I suggest you to try to achieve a PH between 6,8 to 7,2 and KH 6 to 7.I believe that PH 7 with KH 7 is the optimum.
Always have in mind that this is a DIY solution without an electronic PH regulator (you could add one but it is very expensive) so be very aware of your tank's chemistry all the time.
Adjust the Co2 bubble rate in order to have the best water chemistry.*

I believe that the maximum time of the proper Co2 adjustment will be no more than 3-5 days.

The above system cost me no more than 160 Euros and 2 days to set it up.The Bottle's refilling cost 10-15 Euros and it lasts 6-12 month according to your Co2 consumption.

I wish you Goodluck and enjoy your Plants!!!!


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## booger

very interesting, good work Jim








boog


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## Chad_linden

Nice work, this should be pinned!!!


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## traumatic

great post!


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## Judazzz

PFury Info Section article









Great job, Jim


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## Pterogho

I can only agree that the recommended gadget is the most cost-efficient in long term use, in a very long term that is.
But I may also have to cry wolf, to a certain degree.
Before everyone get almost religious about external CO2 supply, please note the word external, I will bring out the following:

Not every tank with plants need extra CO2, generally it can be stated that only tank with a serious amount of plants and only a few fish won't work properly without extra CO2-supply.

A standard tank-setup can generally generate enough CO2 on it own. You have your fish, the bacteria in your filters and decor and even the plants during the dark hours, that give out CO2.

In fact, if you monitor the Ph-levels in your tank over a 24 hour period, you will find it pretty low at the end of the dark hours, and at its highest at the end of the light period, this is actually the CO2-level rising and falling.

But if you really want those tiny bubbles forming on your plants, then give them and good base-fertilizer, a quality light-composition and by all means CO2. But you may find that you will need to close down the CO2 supply at night, especially if your fish tend to "sleep" at the surface.
The prof. soulution to this, is having it controlled by a Ph triggered valve, but then we start to make it rather costly.
In many of my "standard" tank-setup that i've had over the years, I could keep going only by placing the filter-outlets so low, that they couldn't stir up the surface, and aerate at night.
The plants grew like weeds, and the fish never sought to the surface unless to feed.
I would actually claim that some tanks with panting fish should rather be administered a good plant-fertilizer, than an air-pump.

When newbees come to ask me how to get started with aquaria I usually start by saying that, an aquarium is a very limited and confined space. The more life you squeeze into it, the more scientific it gets to keep it healthy. How much do you want to make of it?

I personally enjoy this scientific stuff, but I didn't allways have the right knowledge and understanding of things, so believe me, I've learned my lessons the hard way.
I thought was doing the best, and ended up with dead fish, choked to death by the filters and plants during the night.
The lesson here..... your fish stand last in line when O2 is handed out in your tank.


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## (ActivePulse)

Quick question!!!! I have been keeping fish for around 7-8 years now, and have learned alot during this time, but what I don't understand is how a Co2 supply system is needed for live plants? Like I said before I have been keeping fish and piranha for a long time and have always kept live plants in my aquariums, my plants have always done very well with my setups and are very green and life like! presently I have a 125 gallon long with two AC 500's and a large powerhead for filtration. When reading some of the posts by other people, they state that Co2 is normally needed when there is a large amount of plants with a small amount of fish, this to me seems untrue, I presently have a 6-7 inch Elongatus in my 125 with a ton of live plants, which would be a perfect example for a Co2 system being needed, but I do not! My plants, like I said before are very lush and are growing very well. So with my experience a Co2 system is not needed, just make sure you have a good lighting system with a power-glo bulb that is ideal for live plants or another type that is similar, here is a pic of my setup so that others may comment on it and maybe give me more information regarding it


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## Husky_Jim

As i see from their posts, Pterogho and (ActivePulse) stated that CO2 system is not necessary.
I wont disagree to that but i have to make some comments on their thoughts and ask a very important question.

-First of all yes!You are not obliged to put a Co2 system to your tank.Co2 system provides an additional "help" on your plants growth,and believe me the difference between having or not Co2 is HUGE!!!
-Have you ever tried to keep Glossostigma or Lilaleopsis or Rotala Macrandra or any type of "difficult" plant?
If you succeded without Co2 then yes i have to admit that i am wrong and liar and that e.g. Takashi Amano is a fraud and does not know anything about planted tanks!!!!!!!
If not please don't try to give to other members the impression that Co2 is not needed cause you will lead them to the 'wrong' direction.
I never claimed that a person having 5 Anubias in a tank must have a Co2 system.

-This article was written with the intention to make more people that having piranha's (or not) to 'walk a step forward' on having a planted tank and try also many difficult plants spieces that were not used before in their tanks!
-Have you ever imagine a Piranha tank with it's foreground fully covered with well-grown Glossostigma Elatinoides?Imagine a beautifull green-carpet........

Pterogho*** If you read the article correctly, i suggested to everyone that will add a Co2 system to be aware for his/her tank's cjemistry all the time and that this is a DIY solution and that a PH regulator may needed. (i personally don't have one)

(ActivePulse)*** Don't take this wrong but your tank is not fully-planted,it is not even half-planted.Your plant number is way to minimum for that 125 so you cannot tell this a planted tank.I personally have more than 80 different plants (23 different spieces) in my 110 and i consider my tank half-planted.In your case Co2 is NOT necessary judjing also by the the types of your plants.

*I am not a plant god,i am just a piranha hobbist that happened to like live plants in the aquarium.......*


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## Pterogho

husky_jim! 
My reply was by no means an attempt to argue against you, and by no means you're, not a liar or anything the like.
From all your posts, I can only think of you as highly qualified to give advice on any subject so far.

My response was only a reminder of how much is actually needed to find succes with an aquaria.
What Mr. Amano is far beyond the the abilty of the average aquarist, and what he does can only be achieved by extra CO2-supply, that is true.

CO2 speed up the metabolism of the plants and thus in various chemical/hormonal ways directly improve the generel health of the fish, but there's also a risk of the setup "burning" out the faster, and as you state in your post, CO2-fertilization comes with a demand of alot of chemical undertaking in regard to the water-parameters.

All in in all I just felt an urge to stop the people that think that there's no way but all the way.
Aquarist that like I do, live in an area with very hard tapwater, and with a pretty high level of nitrates too, must be ready ready to take some rather costly actions in the field of water-chemistry, otherwise CO2 supply will be nothing but indifferent.

That I did this in connection to your post, may not have been the best of tactics. Sorry if you have felt even slighty offended by me, no way that this was my itention.


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## ViBE

From my dreadful experience....

CO2 is a minority in keeping healthy plants.

YOu want good looking plants?

2 most important things.

Fertilizers (any kind)
ANd lighting.

Man, I cant stress how important lighting is, you need at least 8 hours of full spectrum light. Normal Fluorescent tubes won't work. You need something brighter, that will hurt your eyes if you stare at it too long.

Feeling rich? Go invest in Metal Halide lighting system, those things will make your plants grow like weed.








Happy growing.


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## ViBE

Pterogho said:


> husky_jim!
> My reply was by no means an attempt to argue against you, and by no means you're, not a liar or anything the like.
> From all your posts, I can only think of you as highly qualified to give advice on any subject so far.
> 
> My response was only a reminder of how much is actually needed to find succes with an aquaria.
> What Mr. Amano is far beyond the the abilty of the average aquarist, and what he does can only be achieved by extra CO2-supply, that is true.
> 
> CO2 speed up the metabolism of the plants and thus in various chemical/hormonal ways directly improve the generel health of the fish, but there's also a risk of the setup "burning" out the faster, and as you state in your post, CO2-fertilization comes with a demand of alot of chemical undertaking in regard to the water-parameters.
> 
> All in in all I just felt an urge to stop the people that think that there's no way but all the way.
> Aquarist that like I do, live in an area with very hard tapwater, and with a pretty high level of nitrates too, must be ready ready to take some rather costly actions in the field of water-chemistry, otherwise CO2 supply will be nothing but indifferent.
> 
> That I did this in connection to your post, may not have been the best of tactics. Sorry if you have felt even slighty offended by me, no way that this was my itention.


 Very true!

CO2 isn't everything, there are a lot of CO2 in the Surrounding and giving off by the fish enough to satisfy your plants.

What I feel most people are lacking are the proper lighting. There are specific fluorescent tubes for growing plants.


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## Husky_Jim

This is a topic that made with the intention to help people who want to add a Co2 system on their tanks.

If you don't agree with the Co2 addition please write your thoughts in a new topic and i will be very happy to share my opinion on this....


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## Guest

If I have a large fish load, is using co2 dangerous? Will it be needed in a heavily populated tank?


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## moeplz

Anyone know where I could get a CO2 tank near philly in PA?


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## Magzinator

y cant i see the pics for the instructions?


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