Upgraded CO2 diffuser

The old CO2 diffuser really looks huge inside the tank, just upgraded to an external type + DIY bubble counter(will upgrade that soon).

So far the rubber seal at the bottom cover of new CO2 diffuser no water leakage and the mixing process is great with some fine bubble produces.

Overall, quite like the new CO2 diffuser, my tank is clean look without the old huge CO2 diffuser. Since the ugly diffuser gone, now the digital thermometer is an issue to me, looks big in front. Another item need to take away soon.

20" Tank Journal ( Step III )

i) First of all draw out the water with a pipe to lower water level easy for scape.

ii) Started to transplant from the old tank, it took hours for me to select & trim all algae on the leaves.

iii) Spray on some water to wet the leaves.

iv) After put all the balance of plants.....it is still looks too simple.

v) Temporary solution, DIY CO2, had something in mind to upgrade to an external CO2 tank with a solenoid.

vi) After all stuffs ready, bottle+sugar+lukewarm water+......where the heck of my yeast? Searched all areas in the fridge....couldn't find it, I was really fell from the sky. End up have to drive to the nearest store to buy a new pack of instant dry yeast. Wasted an hour, the water became cold, and need to redo for the lukewarm water....later +yeast+soda..........ready to produce CO2.

vii) The previous bottles had threw away, need to make a new one.

poke a hole in the cap & slot in the pipe connector, then seal the small gap with glue gun.

viii) Turn on the other side of the cap and seal with the glue gun for double protection.

ix) When the glue cold down, its really hold tight.

x) Now is the part between cap & plastic bottle.

xi) Try to flatten the glue in between the cap & plastic bottle with the hot gun.

Tips: How to check the leakage? It is simple, put your ear near to the bottle, blow in some air through the pipe, if can't hear the whizzing sound, means no leakage.

xii) Went out for awhile to get some rocks & a background plant, really hate the LFS...no name tag on the plant. Another nightmare on separating the infected hairgrass & the healthy one.

checked water chemistry, all okies. Wait for another day to let water get crystal clear. And more plants to add in later.

On the way

Just place an ordered to the carpenter for custom made cabinet for my small tank setup, the size will be 550mm(L) x 425mm(D) x 800mm(H), and the tank will be 500mm(L) x 340mm(D) x 340mm(H) a standard 54Li tank. I was thinking to put in a CO2 tank instead of DIY, getting lazy & also because of getting busier. Still under consideration & budget.

Attacked or died naturally??

Oh gosh! What happened to my Red Cherry shrimp? Ate by Amano shrimp............ =.=
I was afraid the water quality still unstable, cause the shrimp died, tested the pH 6.2 and KH 2.0 by this morning , after calculated the CO2 level is 37.86ppm, it should not be the cause of killing the shrimp. Is a big question mark to me now.

Recipe for DIY CO2 & equipments

I have successfully brew the CO2 since many months ago, and sharing my recipe in here.


The sequence & volume uses:

1. I am using two numbers of 1 litre bottle(1000ml) (as shown in photo below).
2. Ready 250ml (g) of sugar, fill it in the container.
3. Pour in 500ml of tap water, and 250ml of boiling water (ratio 2:1).
4. Do not shake the bottle, let the sugar sink to the bottom with lukewarm water.
5. And now, put in 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) of yeast.
6. Lastly, put in 5ml (1 teaspoon) of Soda bicarbonate.
7. Quickly seal the cover to prevent any bacteria get in the bottle.
8. Put it in a corner for about an hour to let the yeast fully active.

There is evidence that yeast mixtures last longer if you decrease the amount of yeast, and conversely last shorter periods if more yeast is used. Lower yeast also means less CO2 produced per minute, but produce more consistantly over time. Higher yeast levels will cause an initial higher burst of CO2 production with a gradually declining production over time. Keep this in mind while experimenting.

DIY a 1 litre 'milk' bottle is simple, punch a hole and put in a connector and air tube on top the cover and sealed the cover with hot glue gun after mixing yeast, soda and sugar. While this is probably the best method available, it can be cost prohibitive. A nice compromise is the DIY CO2 system. nowadays need to mix in between 9~12 days, and using 2 bottles to push out more bubbles to get 25~35ppm.

DIY a simple plastic container with drilling 2 holes on top the cover and put on the hose connector and air tube, sealed it with the hot glue gun. Then, that is a bubble counter. Later fill in some water to let the bubble out from the tube for counting.

Bought the CO2 reactor on 2006. It works good, diffuse Co2 in water achieve near to perfect. I like it! Even better then the conservative type. And the surface skimmer works good too, no more oil slick on the water surface.