Yes of course. I'm using this kit that's 15 bucks on Amazon.
Basic concept is you have baking soda in one bottle and citric acid in another. Once you seal up the system you push some acid into the other bottle and keep doing that until you build up some pressurized CO2. After you open the valve and it starts flowing into your tank, the pressure behind the acid will slowly push more of it as needed into the reaction chamber. This allows for you to turn the system off which is not something you can't do with the yeast/sugar method.
I like this method so far, but it does have drawbacks. Some people struggle to build up enough pressure for ceramic diffusers to function correctly. With those coke bottles I can get up to 2 bar without really fearing that they'll pop, but I wasn't sure if even that would be enough. Instead, I chose to route it into a small pump on the right side there and I get great diffusion. The problem with the first time I did that was I didn't have a bubble counter so I was just using the end of the hose to count. Once I had it at a bubble a second, I attached it to the pump, but the lower pressure in there just slurped up all the CO2 before I noticed. Basically used 2 weeks of reactants in an hour lol. I have a bubble counter, check valve, drop checker, and longer tubing coming on Wednesday. (sorry for this wall of text, I just got started and couldn't stop)
Yeah pretty much. Everything you need you can get on amazon.
The valve system is the most expensive part, and it's super cheap on amazon.
Other than that, you need two 2 liter bottles and a diffuser.
It runs on water, baking soda, and citric acid. Basically a science fair volcano reaction.
I mentioned it in another comment.
But get one of these from amazon, plus a diffuser and two 2 liter bottles. One is filled with water and baking soda, the other with water and citric acid. There are plenty of youtube videos and tutorials to get the mixture right. It's super simple, and if you do it right, you shouldn't have to refill it for a few weeks.
Citric acid is much better than vinegar, it produces a stronger reaction. In fact theres a method called DIY citric acid co2. All you need is two 2 liter soda bottles, the citric acid kit 200g citric acid, 200g baking soda, and water
Joey the king of diy had a YouTube video on these setups. I am about two weeks into running one. Buy baking soda for about 50 cents a pound at Walmart and I got a 10 pound bag of citric acid on Amazon for about $25.
A citric acid kit is the ultimate diy c02, not sure why anyone would bother with yeast when this is so much easier, cleaner, and steady. It has a pressure gauge and a needle valve so you can turn it off at night.
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've had a rough/busy week. Here is a link to the setup I purchased, minus the 2 litre bottles and chemicals. https://www.amazon.ca/ZJchao-DIY-Aquarium-Plant-System/dp/B008CUZJF6 It also contains a metal ball on the Citric Acid side with a magnet to pull it out of the liquid and stop the reaction. All of this is attached to airline tubing and then into a 3 in 1 glass diffuser with a ceramic plate.
My aquarium is a 30g community tank. Cardinal and Rummynose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, an EBR and a GBR. Also lots of live plants.
Couple of ways. There is the yeast/sugar and baking soda/citric acid. I find the baking soda way to be more reliable. You will need 2 2l liter bottles and i would buy the diy co2 kit that is super awesome. Also diffuser and bubble counter. I run my tank with 2-3 bubs. DIY CO2 Aquarium Plant System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.OxgybV71V35P heres a link!
Two 2 liter soda bottles. I bought this hose/cap thing on Amazon to connect the bottles.
So I got this for my DIY system and got a large amount of citric acid online and making soda from Sam's Club. It works pretty well for a small tank like yours if you ever wanted to consider it
I've been considering setting up a DIY Co2 system. Would something like this be a good place to start? http://www.amazon.com/DIY-CO2-Aquarium-Plant-System/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=pd_sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=511Ek4woPxL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0BC8SD6AFR3HPD5WDBZA
Why not try DIY CO2. I bought one of these for a low tech tank and it works very well. The gauge doesnt work but it doesnt need to. For some reason the instructions show a tube going down into the liquid of the main reactor but that doesnt make sense and you should just pull it off. Mine is still producing CO2 3-4 weeks after i initially set it up.
Absolutely. DIY CO2 is ridiculously easy. I’m not that technically inclined so if I can do it anyone can. This may seem like a lot but it’s not as bad as it looks. I used to use the Fluval 88g CO2 system but it was ludicrously expensive to but the proprietary refill canisters. This setup is soooo cheap and completely reliable and produces ample CO2. I’m happy to tell you some pitfalls once you get it set up because it would be hard for you to follow me without having it in front of you.
DIY CO2 Aquarium Plant System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_o0JPDbTTNQCT0
Fluval 88g-CO2 Bubble Counter - 3.1 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GCPM6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_40JPDb482G6RQ
Fluval Ceramic 88g-CO2 Diffuser - 3.1 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GCO35G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-3JPDbJ43F4ZG
Milliard Citric Acid 5 Pound - 100% Pure Food Grade NON-GMO Project VERIFIED (5 Pound) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EYFKNL8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_34JPDb122FQKM
ARM & HAMMER Pure Baking Soda 8 oz (Pack of 6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00860VYYC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A5JPDb8FKP7NN
2 x normal 2 liter soda bottles
An airstone doesn't defuse co2 properly, it's very inefficient, I suggest grabbing a DIY co2 regulator, diffuser, and a bubble counter if you wish on amazon, should cost you twenty-five dollars or so, you'll see a huge difference.
DIY CO2 Aquarium Plant System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_bJyuyb1E5K3FV
Fluval Ceramic 88g-CO2 Diffuser - 3.1 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GCO35G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ULyuybPW9C6G2
Fluval 88g-CO2 Bubble Counter - 3.1 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GCPM6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DKyuybDD5AXPX
I use a DIY system with two bottles, one filled with baking soda and the other one with citric acid. You can find it on Amazon
Here you go, this is more or less the exact setup I use. Citric acid is cheap, plentiful, and easy to use so I used it for my acid. The kit sells for about 14 dollars on Amazon and there are a bunch of bubble counters and diffusers to choose from.
EDIT: A check valve isn't really necessary since the pressure inside the system makes it impossible for the water to back siphon. Plus the diffuser itself requires pressure to push water through, so it's effectively impossible for a siphon to start unless the diffuser falls off.
Thanks! Here's the one I use if you're interested.
Yup thats exactly what happeneds.
I learned about it from this video here by Aquarium Co Op
https://youtu.be/VfAJ3ITS3Nw
I bought a DIY Co2 kit from amazon that uses vinegar and baking soda.
https://www.amazon.ca/ZJchao-DIY-Aquarium-Plant-System/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=diy+co2&qid=1571041282&sr=8-3
Hope that helps :)
Neo Co2 Diffuser Get the small one for DIY Co2 which doesn't produce as much pressure as a Co2 tank and regulator does.
Check valve Says not to use them with Co2 systems, but I've used this style of check valve for years with no issue.
I've used everything listed here in the past before I was able to get a 20lb co2 tank for my regulator. Given you tune the light intensity you can get very good growth out of using this system.
Another thing I noticed about your post is you said your sword plant is turning white. This could be an indication of an iron deficiency also. Given you said you had brown gravel do you have any root tabs for the sword? If not pick up some Seachem Flourish tabs and stick one under or near a group of plants to provide them the nutrients they need. Because you're looking to use Co2 this will start growing the plants faster and they will need extra nutrients because of it.
More Info: I started this tank by dry starting dwarf baby tears and moss for 2 months. I recently added AR and temple compacta and flooded the tank. Made a DIY co2 generator with parts from Amazon as the cost of a full setup was a little high for me.
EDIT: This setup is using this co2 kit and this diffuser
Not OP, but I followed the guide laid out here a while back : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JzvfHO31Ug&t=76s
and the kit is available on Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/DIY-CO2-Aquarium-Plant-System/dp/B008CUZJF6
Personally, I found this to be too unreliable for me (But I was running a much larger tank). I'd imagine this would work well for smaller tanks though.
Wow. Some people! If you go down the DIY route I recommend Citric acid & bicarb instead of yeast. Much, much more reliable and tunable. I use this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008CUZJF6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
With an upgraded needle valve (a must):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00PBDQJK6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you go down the DIY route I recommend Citric acid & bicarb instead of yeast. Much, much more reliable and tunable.
I've been using it for ages with great results.
I use this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008CUZJF6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
With an upgraded needle valve (a must):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00PBDQJK6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
i used a system like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CUZJF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_PLoOyb8PKEMAW
then something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002APX5U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_aOoOyb1YCZFSN
inline before the bubble counter to get finer control of the gas. its not made for co2 but it worked ok. I had this setup on a 3 gallon so i really had to dial it back. you might be ok with the 1 valve on a 12 gal.
If you're still interested in trying CO2 at a lower cost, I used this.
You can find tons of Youtube Videos on how to set it up. You will need the above, two 2 liter bottles, a diffuser, and bubble counter. You probably also want a check valve to prevent siphoning.
You will also need to remember to turn the CO2 off each night, or to turn an air bubbler on. If too much CO2 builds up, it will kill your fish by morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JzvfHO31Ug - This video explains it all!
this video pretty much explains it I bought everything I needed from Amazon & big Al's
Citric acid I bought from Amazon and baking soda was from grocery store
3 in 1 diffuser, bubble counter, check valve. I live in Canada I bought it from Big Al's
I've read about ppl saying to be careful not to tip over the bottles so I just cut 2 holes in a box to make sure the bottles didn't fall
This is what I've got going on.
I bought this cap/hose system
You don't absolutely need a bubble counter but you could buy one if you want to be more precise. Also, the cap/hose thing allows for an easy and simple set up.
theres a super good diy set up thats super cheap. Baking soda +water then in other bottle citric acid and 3 parts water with hoses and valves built in. Let me know what you think of my list and let me know if im missing anything if you dont mind
As for CO2 I do this in my 5.5 gallon and buy citric acid in bulk. Works like a charm.
Yes, I bought the DIY Kit from Amazon.
Why don't you like the filter?