NEED HELP WITH C02

[rockafilla156]

i have just been given a nutrafin c02 canister and i don't know how to set it up or what to fill it with.  i would like to try my hand at live plants in my 2 4o gal, 2 35 gal and 29 gal tank. is there a certain amount of co2 to be safe for angelfish.  any info would be appreciated. thanks

[BigDaddy]

A general receipe is 1 cup of sugar to 1 tsp of yeast in at least a litre of solution.

You want to be able to measure no more than 30ppm of CO2 in your tank to maintain a "safe" range of CO2.

[dan2x38]

In a 2 litre pop bottle I use 1 tsp. yeast & 2 cups of sugar. This creates CO2 at a stable level for 10 days to 2 weeks. It creates longer than that but it decreases CO2 output. You want a stable output as possible. By adding more yeast CO2 is created faster but it decreases faster. Inversely less yeast slower production longer producing. You can also add baking soda making the water harder raising the pH this also will slow production and make it a more stable output for longer period. Play around with your mixture see how long it produces. Always use treated water yeast does not like chloramine/chlorine kills it. You can make a bubble counter to check CO2 output. Here is a diagram of the system I use: http://ovas.ca/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1073 The small bottle is a gas exchanger/bubble counter also protects against anything getting into tank or input line to tank. Good luck hope this helps.

[presto]

Use the ladder and tubing, ditch the canister and use 2L bottles.

Use 2 pop bottles that connect to one line going into your bubble ladder. When you change one, the other will continue to work or you until the second catches up. If you keep them offset, there will be continuous co2.

I don't think it is possible to have too much DIY co2?

I don't test co2 ever, and I have had 3 pop bottles connected to co2 ladders, bell, ceramic air stone, all in my 25 gallon. Never had problems.

Also, I use dry fertilizers and CLF bulbs(2.6 wpg) in a DIY canopy and I can't stop pruning my plants.

[fischkopp]

I don't think it is possible to have too much DIY co2?

There is no problem with high CO2 levels if your tank is for plants only. But with fish there will be a too high level. Put it that way: If most of the fish become calm, sit on the ground, breath very slow or fast, then you should back off the CO2 and get an airstone running very soon. Your CO2 levels are fine if you never saw this