Cheap Low Budget CO2 System (DIY CO2)

[@dustin89clanton]

I’m really glad you have this video up still after making a new diy co2 video, I find the instructions a bit more clear in this one and you might have been nervous but I think you did great explaining things. Both videos are very helpful and appreciated.

[@MJAquascaping]

Glad it helped!

[@dustin89clanton]

@@MJAquascaping followed the video and a DIY diffuser video and it’s working like a charm. The diffuser is made using a chopstick cut down into a reed basically. Thanks again 👍

[@vikalawa5301]

I used this method but even after 1 days and 5 hours still no bubbles are forming ,i used blueberry syrup mix instead of gelatine and air stone instead of diffuser can you help ,by the way love your videos

[@dustin89clanton]

@@vikalawa5301 I think gelatin is important to his method to slow down the sugar consumption so the yeast doesn’t choke itself out producing too much alcohol too quickly. Is there any pressure buildup so far? That would at least let you know something is halfway working. If there isn’t any pressure and the bottle squeezes easily then there may be a hole somewhere in the cap/line that needs to be glued better, or the lid of the bottle may have something on it preventing a good seal.

[@vikalawa5301]

@@dustin89clanton no their is no pressure build up

[@robertchristie2231]

Thanks mate. Did this and works perfect for 20L tank. Gelatine idea is genius. Keep up the good work.

[@donmccormick615]

I am IN LOVE, the idea of COOKING with Aquascaping is AMAZING

[@mariarusnak9975]

The ending 🤣🤣🤣 I cant 😂 cool video 👍🏻🙃so many tips

[@Josh_Stuchbery]

I've tried all sorts of different recipes for co2 and yours is the best by a mile. Adding the galitine is a brilliant idea.

[@MJAquascaping]

Great to hear!

[@MrDoldora]

Clear explanation! Highly recommend for first co2 beginners.

[@migz9932]

Brilliant video. Tried this. Edit/Update: ok so my actual hose had a tiny hole in it!!! Replaced it and working like a bomb ❤ "The bubble are working. But nothing comes out of my diffuser. There' are no leaks and bought the correct diffuser many have used on dyi co2 systems. Maybe my house is just too cold."

[@pauljordan7465]

Try an air stone instead of diffuser, not enough pressure maybe. Turn off at night to increase pressure

[@Adr3n0lin3e]

OMG. This is perfect, I am just going to combine my Kombucha/ Beer making hobby with my new Aquascape hobby. I'll just have the one-way release valve from my fermentation project go to my fish tank!

[@the80s61]

The bubble counter and on/off using the medical equipment for infused thats better,when you turn it off the bubble will still push to it but slowly

[@PaulZyCZ]

That gelatine sounds like a nice improvement. I was using a mixture without it when I had bio CO_2 system on my fish tanks, otherwise it was basically the same (even the same dry yeast). Don't use silicone, it won't take a hold. Epoxy could work, but I was using electrical tape and a piece of tubing (from inside) to get rid of any leaks on the cap. I heard it can be tweaked further with special yeast, such as used for wine or "hard liquor basis" which last longer as they can stand higher alcohol levels.

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

The silicone caulking should be put on the inside of the cap, not the outside. It will hold the pressure up to rupture of the bottle (approx 100-150psi).

[@ricotrucker1]

Can I use powdered gelatin or not?

[@johnnynewburgh9745]

Not clear on instructions but what it looks to me is Single line going into first bottle (REACTOR) 1" down from cap and water level 3" below top of bottle.Second bottle(the wash) FIRST hose coming from reactor 6"-8" long going down into bottle. SECOND hose to check valve going into bottle 1" from cap then water level 2"-3" below top of cap. Thanks for the video great info

[@alex1sarah]

I want to use this setup on my tank but I was wondering if I could turn the system off at night by pulling hose to the CO2 out

[@huudinh501]

Awesome Video. I made my DIY Co2 and it works. I'm about to add a valve when I finish my 1st bottle to see if we can regulate the amount of Co2 and shut it down at night.

[@samanth_k_nanda]

Never seen anyone do that in this method , is it really working? Iam using this method for 2 years now

[@trustn01rs]

I know this is an old comment but just in case anyone else sees this do not try to shut it off at night, the bottle will explode, if your worried just run an air stone on a timer at night to maintain oxygen levels

[@MuhammedfayazMuhammed]

Tnx A Lot MJ.. BTW is there any way we can stop the Co2 by night ?

[@Tohm_Cat]

so of a night you don't remove the diffuser or anything just extra surface agitation via air stone or outflow ?

[@nanobubbles3083]

I never knew about this. I’m definitely going to try it out. I bought a Fluval co2 kit and hate it so I’ve been doing more research after that experience. Really wishing I bypassed the kit and just bought the equipment all separately. But this diy system will be fun to try. Learning a lot from your channel. Thanks so much!

[@MissBuilderBear]

Which Fluval CO2 kit did U buy? Im interested to hear more of ur experience & I’ll be glad to hear your honest appraisal .. I wish I could afford to purchase an Fluval kit , even if only to discover I HATED it. What part of the kit didn’t you like or didn’t work for you? Would you be interested in selling it by any chance please? I look forward to you response & hope you consider selling to a n Aussie Nerdy noob fish girl ready to dive headfirst into Co2!! Cheers.

[@420_Logan]

@@MissBuilderBear it's $20 usd and each cartridge runs out in 2 days. A pack of 3 replacement co2 cartridges costs $17 usd. Not worth it at all

[@bryanhaller6012]

Bro! You make so many great videos on my hobby topics! Thank you!!! So appreciated!

[@018catalina]

Great tip again! On my diy co2 the yest is leaking in aquarium through diffuser. Now I’ll add the second bottle.

[@MJAquascaping]

Just uploaded a new video about diy CO2 😬 it’s very similar, just a better quality. And yeah the second bottle stops yeast from getting out of the diffuser 😊

[@018catalina]

@@MJAquascaping right on time! Perfect!😊👍

[@paulateixeira7033]

Your videos are a real treat. I have learned solo much from them. The bloopers at the end really made me laugh. Thank you so much!

[@robertskerke4855]

Hi I’d like to thank you for your thoughtfulness making this tutorial.it’s great to know this about this method.it saves wasting money on commercial products.and what a great idea the gelatine is. I also like the clumsy bits in the last part of your video.😂👍🇦🇺take care Robert

[@AquaNoxLTD]

I just started watching a few of of videos on ur channel about diy n co2 I just joined I like ur channel n there's not a lot of aquarium channels I like now so keep up the good work

[@MJAquascaping]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@natblack94]

Thanks so much for this tutorial! I'm going to do it on my small tank (paid for a CO2 kit for the main tank like a sucker). PS You're very nice to look at. 😉

[@aktismoon1867]

Did it worked? :3

[@abbasmohammadi144]

Perfect👌👌 but in night, when the light is off What can we do ??

[@MJAquascaping]

Nothing 😊 just keep the CO2 running 24/7 if you have some surface agitation from your filter you will be fine

[@larag4646]

Wonder if wine yeast would last longer since it can handle more alcohol?

[@FarizMammadov-qw8rc]

I have setup this system now. I just keep Jelatine sugar water refriragtor only 7-8 hours. After make mixture, 6-8hours later CO2 realised. I use passive CO2 bell. I hope this work for my plants. Thanks

[@railfe_]

Does the measurement need to be precise? I dont have a weighing scale atm.

[@vaibhavsurve5278]

Can you please make a video on how to refill it.. Or else please comment what are the steps to do so.

[@MJAquascaping]

Basically just clean the bottle with warm water, and then fill it with a new recipe. Also watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/haXTl5-qg5ZoY5o&lc=Ugz9_HRzz3o70tOF6-d4AaABAg

[@vaibhavsurve5278]

@@MJAquascaping Thank you so much!

[@Heikalsaini]

What is the consistency of the sugar+gelatine mixer? Should it be hard? Soft jelly? Or watery? Asking because I can only get the powder type gelatine

[@jimmyg4818]

Thank you for the information. I’m going to try it. Can a tell me what size bottles to use???

[@emelioomega12]

Can we replace the co2 diffuser to air stone?

[@utkarshsingh8334]

Nope that wouldn't work well or maybe not work at all as it will either produce very large bubbles or might not produce at all as it requires high pressure to produce bubbles

[@hevpjf]

which liters of co2 produced by day please ? in4 weeks ?

[@kevgardiner4852]

Hi how much ingredients do I put in a 2 litre bottle for a 40 gallon tank please ?

[@benburgess2868]

Im using the amazon diy co2 caps do i need to cut the first line so its out of the mixture

[@r6zoar441]

My dennerle 60l cube came I’m going to reuse my fluval canister filter even if it might be abit overkill I have it lying around definetly going to do this thanks for the video!

[@0ptccopa434]

is there a way i can time it so that it is on at the same time as the light

[@HaAngling]

Could i use agar agar instead of gelatine?

[@allukahrushton1753]

The bloopers at the end though! 😅🤣 Have you got all the sugar out of your carpets?

[@MJAquascaping]

took a while! haha

[@lestercardoz8976]

I made this and i been able to make CO2 however when i connected the diffuser i am not been able yo get any bubbles.... Is this a pressure issue?

[@twinkle_starlight4440]

Can i use airstone as a diffuser?

[@idanhe1828]

Thanks for your video. It’s very clear and looks easy. What are the bottles you “pre-made” ? Water-gelatine-sugar? Or the whole mix including the yeast ?

[@architecturenewbie2548]

Hey thanks for explaining how to do the mixture. But the only thing you forget was. How much water did you add, once you where adding the yeast.

[@domocrazy2lp]

He said it in the video, it’s a liter of water

[@aquascapebomahdi3309]

Hi thanks for ur informative video i tried that at home but failed there was leakage of gas through the cap how can i seal it tight though i put adhesive tapes

[@MJAquascaping]

Ideally you would use silicone glue, because that stays flexible, but regular superglue works as well.

[@Cj-cv4wb]

does anyone know how often you need to replace the second bottle with water for diffusion?

[@hrtiwari]

Your video motivates me to try this diy. Thanks from India.

[@MJAquascaping]

You can do it!

[@arumugamprabakaran]

What co2 diffuses you have used, because I am not able see any bubbles from the diffuser but I can see co2 bubbles from tube after removing the diffuser can you provide any suggestions

[@art7801]

Thanks for your information, it's great for low buget aquarium, I trying your idea ,and works great , Greatings from Prague!!!👍🙏

[@titanuranus2136]

I wonder if you could brew some cider and make CO2.

[@hoseinfazel6260]

Thanks.iam going to use this method for my 30liter tank.how much b/s iwill need for a full plant tank?

[@MJAquascaping]

For a 30 liter tank 1 bps should be enough

[@hoseinfazel6260]

@@MJAquascaping thanks a lot

[@calderallc2663]

Do you let the system build up pressure before putting the diffuser in the water? Or will the system make enough pressure to push water out of the diffuser line? My DIY system is making a bubble every 3 seconds. I have a one-way valve on there. the diffuser is in place in the water. But the system doesn't seem to be pushing water out of the line. Or am I not waiting long enough, and it should be diffusing CO2 tomorrow?

[@iniyane3577]

will the yeast rise up and flow into the second bottle ,how can i prevent that?

[@MJAquascaping]

It might, be that's not a problem, if you want to avoid it you can try adding a little bit less water.

[@johnnymaker3621]

Last question i hope. I did everything like you. More than 24h later i have no bubles coming out of the difuser. How many bubbles are supose to come out? One or two every hour or you can look anytime and see bubbles?

[@MJAquascaping]

This depends a lot on the room temperature, but in general I would say 1 bubble per 4-5 seconds. When you try to squeeze the bottle do you feel pressure? Or can you easily squeeze it?

[@johnnymaker3621]

@@MJAquascaping the one with water or the one with sugar? The one with sugar is imploding. It is normal?

[@MJAquascaping]

@@johnnymaker3621 the one with sugar should be almost rock hard and impossible to squeeze

[@johnnymaker3621]

@@MJAquascaping defenitly not happenig. I dont understand whats happening

[@MJAquascaping]

@@johnnymaker3621 You probably have a leak somewhere

[@das7736]

have you tried using an air control valve to control the outflow of CO2? regardless of that, the video was great, thanks!!

[@jaderainhans9095]

u can buy the cap for bottle for 1$ and 30 cent that made for making a diy co2 kit

[@caffeinatedw-w]

Thanks for the video! I have a question, when you said to prepare new bottles ahead. It means that you only make the sugar+gelatin mix, then add yeast later when you swap out bottle right? Thanks!

[@MJAquascaping]

Yes, correct!

[@meghancass3187]

What kind of output can we expect from this system? I like the simplicity!

[@mihaiciornei5648]

Seriously??? I will try, it really intrigues me. It can't be that simple !!! I'll be back with results.

[@Fariz.Mammadov]

Where the result sir?

Is it good to put this system out of the water at night?

[@Construction_Savvy]

What do you do, when comes night? How do you shut down the co2 for a night?

[@Construction_Savvy]

Why dont we can use metallic bottles, so for the night its possible to shud down the co2 ?

[@ehaaron]

3 sheets of gelatin? Can I use powdered gelatin? how many grams would one sheet of gelatin be?

[@hans164]

bro u deserve more subscriber like 250k or 1 mill

[@hans164]

at least

[@MJAquascaping]

hahaha thnx man! we will get there!

[@chelioschelio4171]

Nicely explained everything in detail. Thanks a lot

[@PlantedElement]

The video is well done, nice and calm and then the end BLAM! Lol. Thanks for sharing this!

[@Year-tk9ii]

If i make another spare of bottle with yeast just the night before i replace the old one, do i put the lid on fully so it wont “explode” or i leave it open without lid?

[@MJAquascaping]

Leave it open 😊 if you close it there is a chance it will explode 😅

[@Year-tk9ii]

@@MJAquascaping hahahaha ya i was also thinking about that. Thank you. I made my first diy co2 following ur advise and it worked!! Haha now im making the second one for my bigger tank. Thank you 🙏

[@Year-tk9ii]

@@MJAquascaping MJ, do i need to wait for the gelatin to become firm before i add the water with yeast?

[@MJAquascaping]

@@Year-tk9ii awesome! Happy it works for you!

[@MJAquascaping]

@@Year-tk9ii yep! First let it firm up. If it’s not firm you will get a lot of Co2 and the bottle will run out a lot faster.

[@jorykozak1239]

hell yah, i am going to try this on my 75G tank as soon as i get on days off. on the fence about a professional CO2 setup so this will give me a pretty good idea if i actually wanna use CO2 or not! i wonder tho, could i not just double all the ingredients and through everything in a 2ltr bottle? twice the capacity, same ingredients, maybe could get 8 weeks instead of a monthly swap?

[@paulcollins9445]

Could you pull out diffuser and put in tub over night to stop it at night or would this not be advised.thanks

[@MJAquascaping]

Yep you can!

[@paulcollins9445]

@@MJAquascaping brilliant thanks just subscribed as getting back into aqua scaling and your tanks and videos are brilliant thanks

[@wds525]

Thank you very much for this video. I just made it but I have one question, if you or your viewers could help: I just saw a similar recipe, but instead of gelatin, they added baking soda? Is the process very different or similar? Thank you! Regards from Portugal!

[@NavierS2024]

Can you use saf-instant yeast in this diy method?

[@ssujeeth45]

Hi. Am getting 30-40 bubble counts per minute. Is it ok?

[@Angelie-ve8wl]

Hi. You mentioned that by adding gelatin, it is good for smaller tank because the amount of CO2 is regulated/controlled. Does that mean if I have bigger tank, say 80 gallon, it is better to opt out using gelatin because bigger tank needs more CO2? I hope I get an answer. I would like to try this method. Thank you.

[@MJAquascaping]

Yeah for a big tank like that it's probably better to skip the gelatin. Just know that without the gelatin the bottle won't last as long. You could also try to make a system with multiple bottles to give you more output.

[@Angelie-ve8wl]

@@MJAquascaping Thank you so much for answering my question. Your video is such a great help for a beginner like me. Keep up the good work. ♥️

[@Angelie-ve8wl]

@@MJAquascaping I also have another question. Is it necessary to make another bottle for "rinsing" or is it okay without it? Is the alcohol produced with CO2 harmful to my fishes? I'm sorry for asking so many questions. I'm new so I'm still fumbling. Your help will be appreciated though so thank you.

[@MJAquascaping]

The rinsing bottle is not necessary :) The only thing that could happen is some ''yeast foam'' could get in the tubing and in the tank, but that's not harmful or anything.

[@Angelie-ve8wl]

@@MJAquascaping Hi again, Marc. I'm sorry for this ignorant question. But should I use instant dry yeast or active dry yeast? Thanks again.

[@deadmanwalking1930]

Great video. I just got a LED light and want to add co2 in my grow tent. Just curious though as to what the co2 ppm would be using only sugar and water vs adding geletine

[@ramiedarmody1582]

Great information, I'm going to try this. Thankyou.😊

[@alexmunteanu8173]

How do you make it bubble faster?

[@MJAquascaping]

shake the bottle, add more yeast, increase the surrounding temperature

[@johnnymaker3621]

Awesome video. I have a 120 l tank with a external filter that have a flute out pipe and an oxigen bomb. Should i turn the oxigen pump off while i am using co2 ( daylight) and turn it on by night? Or can it be on all the time?

[@MJAquascaping]

Best would be to have the oxigen pump only at night!

[@johnnymaker3621]

@@MJAquascaping and can i take co2 out of water by night?

[@020hectare]

Kan ik de flessen niet gewoon elke avond er vanaf halen en elke ochtend erop doen?

[@theduck4469]

Hi! You said that the system should not work during the night because of the lack of light. How do you manage your bottles? I saw some electronic valves that stop the CO2 during the night but that wouldn't make my bottle to build pressure and pop? I'm new to the planted tanks. I would really appriciate your help.

[@MJAquascaping]

With these diy systems I just run them 24/7 I do make sure I have enough surface agitation to prevent low oxygen levels during the night

[@theduck4469]

@@MJAquascaping I went yesterday out and got the tubing and an airstone. It's making small, fine bubbles. I will buy a proper diffuser later on. I was exited so I made mine at 2 am lol and when i got up around 7:30am already it was producing bubbles. It has a 1bubble/second rate. So far after 4h of pushing bubbles I do not see any problem with my big and baby guppies. I will keep an eye on them after i turn off the light for the first night. I moved the outlet of the filter so the water now is more wavey. Thanks for your awesome content and help!

[@thies2770]

Will stone bricks made for oxygen work as a diffuser?

[@weixianlim7669]

hi, what if i take out the diffuser from the tank while i dont need it ?

[@MJAquascaping]

You can, but the system will lose a lot of pressure, so when you put the diffuser back in, it will take a while before you have bubbles again.

[@weixianlim7669]

Thx for fast reply !!

[@jeffreyvera4944]

Why is my sugar mixture bottle filtering into the wash bottle?

[@MJAquascaping]

Is your air tube inside the mixture or above it?

[@jeffreyvera4944]

@@MJAquascaping both bottles have heavy balls and long air lines under mixture and water

[@nathanrainbraza2770]

Can I use baking powder instead of yeast??

[@tivo3720]

What should I use as a diffuser ..?

[@MJAquascaping]

A proper CO2 diffuser like the Aquario neo diffuser

[@Ishiisan]

I want to try this out! how many grams is 3 sheets of gelatin?

[@johnnymaker3621]

Can i use a oxigen difuser instead of a co2 difuser?

[@MJAquascaping]

Yep!

[@edvinasa4855]

And how u know when its time to replace bottle?

[@MJAquascaping]

after 4-5 weeks you will notice that less Co2 bubbles are coming from the diffuser. at this point you could probably wait another 2 weeks. but its better to change it a little earlier, so you keep consistent co2 levels in your tank.

[@atanasgeorgiev128]

Thank you very much!

[@codename4734]

Hi MJ. Are you experiencing any white slim on the diffuser. I have been using method and my diffuser gets clogged with this white slime/film. I have to clean it everyday to maintain fine bubbles. Any suggestion greatly appreciated

[@ringobernardino5145]

since it cant be turned off,, is it ok i put that co2 24/7 in the tank with plants only (no livestock),, will it kill the plants since the co2 still inject the whole tank day and night?

[@MJAquascaping]

Perfectly fine to inject CO2 24/7 👍😊

[@ricardocaliman2830]

Great vid, and thank you.... I have never heard of "sheets" of gelatine. What would the powder equivalent be?

[@NinhNguyen]

Any place that sell baking products will have gelatine sheet.

[@ricardocaliman2830]

@@NinhNguyen not that I've found in this country (yet) 😢 but if you don't know, I'll just try on my own I guess.

[@isaacott3230]

@@ricardocaliman2830 im in the same predicament. Did you figure it out?

[@ricardocaliman2830]

@@isaacott3230 sadly no

[@ricardocaliman2830]

@@isaacott3230 unfortunately no.

[@nathalieeager8259]

Hi Marc ! Great vidéos ! Is it possible to connect a solenoid with thin system?

[@MJAquascaping]

Hi Nathalie! Thank you 😊 No unfortunately that's not possible. If you would shut the system, the pressure would keep building up and i guess the bottle would explode 🤔 so although it is a very cheap solution, this is definitely the biggest downside.

[@nathalieeager8259]

@@MJAquascaping ok thanks !

[@notnot.6417]

do i need to squeeze the bottle?

[@MJAquascaping]

no need, sometimes you can give it a light and gentle shake to speed up the process

[@weixianlim7669]

Can it still works if the co2 diffuser trapped with water ?

[@MJAquascaping]

I think so!

[@weixianlim7669]

I left it more than 1 day and looks like not working 😩

[@deepakjakkareddy]

Hi, thanks for the clear explanation! Can you please let me know how long does it take for the CO2 pressure to build up?

[@richardprall4997]

I made one of these systems this week and I was getting no pressure. The diffuser was just a tank decoration. The system was pushing a bubble a second. I tried various diffuser options and was getting no bubbles. Today I checked the whole line system and found a small leak. Remade the line system, pressure and bubbles with glass diffuser was instant with the newly sealed system. I nearly gave up with this system. But I am a bit of a stubborn git, so rechecked everything, and boom, fixed. Now watchinh little bubbles flooding my tank.

[@subhankardas6401]

How long each bottle lasts ??

[@dilshanjayashanka8607]

How many days can use this🙄🙄

[@MJAquascaping]

1 month average

[@dizzyguy7423]

how does the gelatine work? is it just another food for the yeast to consume?

[@MJAquascaping]

The gelatin makes it more difficult for the yeast to consume the sugar, or basically they will consume it at a lower speed, this makes the system last a little longer.

[@dizzyguy7423]

@@MJAquascaping oh ok, do you know any alternatives that would work? flour maybe?

[@MJAquascaping]

@@dizzyguy7423 nah either gelatin or agar agar

[@dizzyguy7423]

@@MJAquascaping ok i’ll give it a try

[@dizzyguy7423]

@@MJAquascaping ph and sorry 1 more question 😅 is the gelatine/agar meant to be completely dissolved in the water?

[@chrishamill9272]

How do I upscale this for a 8x4x2 area?..

[@wylieryanjonlean3661]

How do you know the yeast isn't producing anymore CO2? Is it gonna stop bubbling? Or?

[@MJAquascaping]

You will notice less CO2 coming out of the diffusor

[@jannielcloete1506]

Hi I've tried this system with my new diffuser and it needs alot of pressure to push bubbles through. How long does your system take to start diffusing bubbles into the tank? Thanks

[@joeyr184]

Its answered at 11:50

[@classychandu5090]

Love the video man! Definitely trying it 😁

[@MJAquascaping]

Cool! Let me know how it works for you 👍

[@classychandu5090]

@@MJAquascaping I definitely will.

[@nijeshthottathil8210]

Nicely presented... How much water in ml and 3slices means how much in grams?

[@MJAquascaping]

300 ml and 5 grams of gelatine

[@nijeshthottathil8210]

Thank u