Problem w/new DIY CO2

by **natalie265** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:47 am

Today i noticed a tiny bit of what must be my yeast/sugar mixture seeping out of the end of the tube and into my tank. The rest of the tube is clear, so it isn't a constant seepage, just looks like a small bit of it somehow managed to work its way out of the canister and down the tube and into my tank. Is this normal? Should i be alarmed? How can i prevent this from happening? What should i do?

by **jweb** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:27 am

Yes be alarmed! Don't let that happen. It can pollute your tank. The only way I know of preventing it, is to not DIY it, haha. Sorry, but that is my honest opinion. Well you could also just try using less sugar or yeast next time.

by **Tmercier834747** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:12 pm

Use a check valve in the line. This should allow just air and no solution through. If you're using the nutrafin canister, I never had this problem with it even before I put a check valve in. Be sure you're not filling the canister with too much water. Sugar has to also be almost exactly to the "line" about 1/5th up, and yeast should be between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp. Whatever you do don't shake the canister while its hooked up to your airline. A tiny bit of solution going in to your tank shouldn't hurt much (though a water change would be recommended) but if it was seeping in for a few hours or if a good bit of solution went in, I'd change out at least 50% asap.

Also...after I put sugar and room temp water into the canister I cap it and shake vigorously for about a minute to make sure the sugar is good and dissolved before I add the yeast. I un-cap, add my yeast, cap it, then shake very gently before hooking it up to my airline.

by **peterkarig** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:22 pm

This happened to me when the intake of my filter got plugged. I have the co2 line rigged into the canister filter circuit, so when the regular intake got plugged the pump sucked the co2 solution right into my tank. It was a mess for a while. I don't have any problems now. The amount of yeast is the most important thing in producing a constant measured amount of co2 I think. My system runs for about 2 or more weeks before it stops.

by **a1k8t31524** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:05 pm

holy shit pete you got a working comp again?

by **jweb** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:20 am

a check valve wont work will it? they only allow flow one way, and if the stuff is coming out the same way as the CO2 then it will allow it to come out.

by **adehaan86** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:35 am

For the little I know about DIY CO2, the way to stop the yeast sugar ETC going into the tank is to make sure the tubing is not down in the yeast/tubing, try a bigger bottle like 2 litter or 1 gallon and make sure the tubing is only in there far enough to make sure it does not fall out. Cause i know you need to wait a couple hours before applying the CO2 because it will actually suck water out of tank before it creates pressure to make CO2 go into tank.

Hope this helps

by **jweb** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:56 am

you're partly right adehaan86, but if the bottle is much larger than the solution you CO2 will just fill the bottle and not pump into the tank. So I think the only real way is to find the perfect solution mix. I used a ketchup bottle with a nozzle on it like the ones they have at restaurants. it works okay, but you hhave to make sure that the solution isnt too high or it will bubble out.

by **Tmercier834747** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:11 pm

No, I doubt a check valve will completely stop liquids from going through, but I'm sure it will hinder them as its meant more for passage of gasses than liquids, which is why I listed additional precautions. =P

by **natalie265** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:14 pm

Thanks for all the feedback. I DID add a little bit more water when i added more yeast (my orignal yeast was expired and not working) Maybe the small amount of extra water was too much.

Problem w/new DIY CO2

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