# Hagen CO2 - 30G



## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

Picked up a free 30g from an uncle of mine and I'm planning to breed something in there, as well as grow out some amazon swords for my bigger tanks. I'll be using flourite as my substrate and I already have all the supplements. I came across the "Hagen CO2" with the bubble counter, and was wondering if anybody had any positive/negative feedback with it. Looks pretty damn cool


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

jamezgt said:


> Picked up a free 30g from an uncle of mine and I'm planning to breed something in there, as well as grow out some amazon swords for my bigger tanks. I'll be using flourite as my substrate and I already have all the supplements. I came across the "Hagen CO2" with the bubble counter, and was wondering if anybody had any positive/negative feedback with it. Looks pretty damn cool


They do work, but not for too large of tanks. I would say just build one with the yeast method with a 2L pop bottle.

What you need:
1-2 2L pop bottles (T valve if you use 2)
airline tubing
silicone
diffuser/ powerhead
check valve

The yeast eat the sugar and make co2 basically which i think is a similar concept to the hagen one. Both of these work fine, but you cant regulate the co2 amount, but its not a ton that could be harmful anyways. All you need to do is replace the water sugar and yeast mixture every couple weeks to a month. You can find more specific recipes online, but basically more yeast means a lot of co2 for a short amount of time while a little yeast and a lot of sugar means little co2 over a long time.


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

Should I be mixing the recipe in the 2L bottle itself, and then shaking the crap out of it? Or should I mix it somewhere else, and use a funnel to put it in the 2L bottle.

When I did the DIY method, the mixture from the 2L bottle was going in the tank, and water from the tank was also siphoning to the bottle. So do I shake the crap out of it, or do I just let it settle down?


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

jamezgt said:


> Should I be mixing the recipe in the 2L bottle itself, and then shaking the crap out of it? Or should I mix it somewhere else, and use a funnel to put it in the 2L bottle.
> 
> When I did the DIY method, the mixture from the 2L bottle was going in the tank, and water from the tank was also siphoning to the bottle. So do I shake the crap out of it, or do I just let it settle down?


 Mix it in the 2L bottle. You don't need to shake it, only gently to mix it. Get a check valve to prevent siphoning into the tank. Use warmish water too. I forget the exact ecipies so you have to search for one


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

I use the DIY co2 and you want to fill the bottle 1/2 full of water and use 1 teaspoon of yeast and 2 or 3 cups of sugar. If you do it corectly their is no need for a check valve but when you need to replace the mixture take the line out of the tank to prevent a siphon. I do not use a bubble counter or diffuser, I got the suction cups to mount the line just under the intake of the filter so the co2 gets absorbed as it travels in the filter. If you need any help setting is up just pm me and I will be more than happy to help.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

THE BLACK PIRANHA said:


> I use the DIY co2 and you want to fill the bottle 1/2 full of water and use 1 teaspoon of yeast and 2 or 3 cups of sugar. If you do it corectly their is no need for a check valve but when you need to replace the mixture take the line out of the tank to prevent a siphon. I do not use a bubble counter or diffuser*You want a diffuser or your wasting what co2 is made, which isnt much anyways. *, I got the suction cups to mount the line just under the intake of the filter so the co2 gets absorbed as it travels in the filter. If you need any help setting is up just pm me and I will be more than happy to help.


I would get a check valve any time your using airline tubing as it costs 2$ and can prevent loosing any equipment or ruining tanks


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

sean-820 said:


> I use the DIY co2 and you want to fill the bottle 1/2 full of water and use 1 teaspoon of yeast and 2 or 3 cups of sugar. If you do it corectly their is no need for a check valve but when you need to replace the mixture take the line out of the tank to prevent a siphon. I do not use a bubble counter or diffuser*You want a diffuser or your wasting what co2 is made, which isnt much anyways. *, I got the suction cups to mount the line just under the intake of the filter so the co2 gets absorbed as it travels in the filter. If you need any help setting is up just pm me and I will be more than happy to help.


I would get a check valve any time your using airline tubing as it costs 2$ and can prevent loosing any equipment or ruining tanks
[/quote]

But it restricks the flow of co2 and if it gets pluged up you could have a co2 bomb.


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

THE BLACK PIRANHA said:


> I use the DIY co2 and you want to fill the bottle 1/2 full of water and use 1 teaspoon of yeast and 2 or 3 cups of sugar. If you do it corectly their is no need for a check valve but when you need to replace the mixture take the line out of the tank to prevent a siphon. I do not use a bubble counter or diffuser, I got the suction cups to mount the line just under the intake of the filter so the co2 gets absorbed as it travels in the filter. If you need any help setting is up just pm me and I will be more than happy to help.


I only have a HOB on this tank right now. I read how it's best to place it on the intake of a canister filter, or powerhead. Would it be better to stick it near the intake of the HOB filter, or make a ghetto diffuser?


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## j66213b (Jul 29, 2006)

DIY co2= pain in the butt! unreliable and you can get bad levels= BBA!!(nasty stuff) save some pennies and hit up craigslist for a cheap co2 tank.. i got a 20lb tank for 40$ and i fill it once a year for 20$ you cant buy sugar for a year at that price!!! trust me if you do it right you will enjoy the plants so much more in the long run. But yes especially with a DIY set up an HOB filter will mess with levels but watch your fish no surface agitation and little photosynthesis= no O2 and can kill your fish... or get a drop checker that will continuously check co2 levels. But right now i have no air stones no hob filter and a glass looking surface but my plants produce so much o2 the fish are great! good luck and dont give up with plants!


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

So should I be using a check-valve for the Hagen CO2? I already got it setting up, and the water started siphoning upwards on the tubing but didn't reach to the canister. I have a spare check-valve laying somewhere, or should I just leave it running like this? By the way, what starts the siphoning anyways?


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