OMG! Are you really reading my comments? ❤ You're awesome! Please leave a comment about anything and let me know you're watching me because I'm hearing you! P.S. Joey from The King of DIY ate my cat! OMG I still love him though
I live on a small island where there is no pressurized co2 available and i have hard water, well the only test i have is ph and the last reading was 8.6 also i live in the caribbean where its pretty much hot all of the time so with all that said do u think diy co2 would make a difference in my 29gallon
You can commonly find one of these systems for around $15-20 U.S. They are a great option for low-tech low-budget tanks, and yes they do work. They are simple to use-no bubble counters, no expensive regulators, no adjustments. You just fill the diffuser in the morning (I do it when feeding the fish) and you are done. Just sit back and watch the plants start taking off. I have that Fluval CO2 system on a completely stock TopFin 5 gallon tank and the plant growth is so good I usually have to trim everything every 2 weeks.
Awesome video. I started doing this out of water bottles and just superglued a suction cup to one side of the bottle... I was lucky enough to figure out that the remaining “co2” is actually oxygen. Took me too long but once I did and once I deciphered how many refills per day I can do, I realized passive co2 is amazing. I got two off amazon and realized that I could split them and use them as four separate pieces for 4 separate nano aquariums 🤔 so then I realized all I needed was some sort of container that would hold co2 inside the aquariums, BAM started doing them out off water bottles. Using the mini-regulators from the sets I got on amazon. *EDIT: I’m a caveman and I’m typing from an iPhone 8 📱
Very timely video. What a coincidence that I was just thinking of passive diffusion for my tank and my favourite aquarium TH-camr makes a video about it
Great video I've tried this method and I did see some growth the 2 months I did it but now I don't run any Co2 just to simplify the system everything is still doing great
Nice video, i found a DIY co2 system that is in a cylinder that looks like a pressurized co2 canister, you add Baking soda, citric acid and water and close it up. it actually works extremely well, and lasts me about a month at around 5bps. (8 hours on) If you search for "Aquarium co2 reactor" on ebay and look for a silver canister. It cost me around $130 AUD but that was with solenoid, bubble counter and diffuser. just another option if you or others havent seen it before.
Yeh, I saw those but for he price, I could have gotten a pressurize Paintball co2 set up. That's why I never bothered to purchase one. I might just to test it out but it's a hefty price to just "test it out". Ya know?
@@TheWaterBox Hmm maybe for you it is, in Australia a half decent regulator is 150-250 AUD then the co2 itself is another 120ish (We are too babied and arent allowed personal paintball guns :) Oh and then a diffuser :/ I know its not terribly cheap, but i was actually surprised how well it worked. And for anyone with a smaller aquarium, at 1-2 bps it would last a long time and its cheap to refill.. Also my plants grow way too fast and pearl so i know its actually doing something :)
@@TheWaterBox I guess i should be a little more accurate, yes we can play at venues. and own a paintball gun, however you need a license for it and it needs to be kept in a gun safe, the license is the same as owning a real gun. we cant play airsoft, and they are trying to ban gel blasters :) keep in mind this is a country that doesnt allow kids to do cartwheels at school anymore :/
Yeh well, that kinds of stupid laws are propping up everywhere and kinda making kids a bit more fragile. Still weird to me that a paintball gun needs to be kept in a safe.
BOTTLE FLIPS OVER. Help! How do you keep the bell under the water. I’ve tried attacking two suction cups, but the buoyancy is so strong that it makes the suction cups slide up or the bottle flip over. Anyone have any suggestions.
yes it works, its is one of the first Co2 adding system to tanks whit plants, its cheap and easy. mid 80" we started whit this passive system before that there was not any Co2 system on the market for the hobby only Professionals like in Zoo's had pressurised Co2 bottles and PH computer for there tanks in that days..and it was so expensive to buy this Co2 system in the good old days. Most cases we used Bio-Co2 from sugar and yeast whit water in bottles to get Co2 for our tanks later on we get our Co2 bottles from welding company's that use Co2 Welding in that days or some gas bottle company"s some of them had Co2 bottles for welding company's. its a old trick but it works well whit out fancy expensive stuff that costs lots of money. Now these days i use pressurerized Co2 from 4Lbs or 2Kg bottle and a PH computer in my 120gallon planted Discus tank for years. The Co2 goes al the way true my Filter system and adding the Co2 directly to my intake and dissolved 100% before it enters my tank whit the out take.
@@TheWaterBox the new animations and pictures were helpful representations of what is going on in a fish tank, sometimes it can be difficult to visualize. Youre always very knowledgeable, of course. I just feel that you spent more time on video production.
Do you have any tips for the fluval co2 diffuser? The one I have does not like to stay attached to the glass and is constantly working its way up and out of my tank.
What about night time, in other co2 systems you turn it off with the lights. Do you not have to worry about it with this method, I'm new to planted aquariums.
You don't turn this "on" or "off". You just fill up the chamber usually when the lights are on so it can be used. If you leave the bell still filled when lights are off. It doesn't nothing other than keep diffusing naturally into the tank though probably much slower than if there were lights on. It will never "over" diffuse because it's only used up as there's is room for the tank to do so.
Hi man. Thanks for this video it actually explained what the Ista kit does, because the instructions kind of suck. Question though, my permanent CO2 test just isn’t shifting at all, it sticks to blue. Do you release enough CO2 with this method to actually get a measurable result?
Wow! Great information; I want to try this and see the results or if there are different results. However, I'm concerned If a small fish or frog breaths from inside the CO2 bell would it suffocate?
Doesn't seem to work in my 20gal , But I've found the best co2 hack in terms of plant grow , very dangerous but OMG the plants grow like crazy even carpeting plants like MC ....
I get a bottle of water from the aquarium and transform it into soda , after that you put it back in and voila instant very aggressive pearling , last for about 7-8h 😁........ Very very dangerous USE WITH EXREME CAUTIOUN . Nearly gassed my fish getting the balance ....
Hi! Great vid! I learned alot. Would it be safe for my tetras if I use the passive method overnight? or should I remove the bottle during the evenings? Thank you!
Yes. It's safe. The passive method allows only enough co2 in the water as natural. So it'll slowly dissolve the co2 into the water as there's room for it as it's being used up or dissolved at the surface.
Good day Thanks for all the great videos been a great help, I've started with co2 for the first time and using passive co2 I would like to know can I use a drop checker to see if levels are correct
A drop checker is useless with passive co2. Since passive Co2 only diffuses co2 naturally, it won't put enough co2 into your tank for it to ever change color.
Great information. I had seen this at Ocean Aquarium but I didn’t know how to accomplish it. How did you attach the soda bottle to your tank? When you were filling up the bell with co2 through the black tubing, was that from a can or regular tank? What’s the device that stops and starts the flow of gas into the bell and does it connect direct to the regulator? I’m not too familiar with co2 setup.
In the video, you see me put a suction cup to the bottle. I'm using my co2 regulator thing from a Fluval g20 system. It really depends on what you are using to add the co2 to tell you how. Normally people like the Ocean Aquarium guy does, he just carries around a co2 tank and connected a how with a vale to turn it on and off.
You don't NEED co2 to grow plants that don't need high co2 requirments. If it's low light demanding plants, you can do fine without co2 but co2 always helps.
A little. It'll only provide some nitrogen and potassium for the plants and not any of the other nutrients and barely much of that unless it's a very heavy stocked tank.
Hi thanks for the video. I've been fighting PH swings with my pressurized CO2 injection (i have low kh water), and this could be a nice compromise for me. In one of your replies below you say that the amount added won't show up on a drop checker. If the atmosphere gives you about 2 ppm (seems to be commonly quoted), do you have any idea how many ppm a passive system would give you? Would it be proportional to water/surface area in the bell and the size of the tank ... I guess? Are we talking about gettin 3 ppm in a 10 gallon instead of 2? Just looking for a range of improvement.
Thanks for the question. It's a passive system. it's not going to "inject" co2 into your system to where it'll make any effect to your ppms. It's passive. It'll take in co2 to whatever your tanks is capable at the given point in time through gas exchange. The only difference is you are giving it a pure souce of co2 to draw from. Why are you getting PH swings from your pressuized co2 system? If you're getting swings from using your pressurized co2 system then you need to LEARN how to use it. At which point are you getting too much of a swing? And for that matter, what do you consider as a "swing"?
@@TheWaterBox Hi, thanks for taking the time to reply. I've recently gone back to the hobby, and as an engineer was trying to experiment with "higher" tech stuff. Anyway, my understanding is CO2 leads to carbonic acid which lowers PH. The swing went from 6.89 to 6.49 in an hour and 20 minutes (using an Neptune Apex recently calibrated PH probe). I turned off the CO2 and the ph returned over the course of 6 hours. The lights were on during this whole time fwiw. I was using only about 1 bubble per 3 seconds as well in a 25 gallon planted aquarium with about 10 small fish. My county water has very low buffering (1 drop from API test kit) , so about 0-1 kDH. I'm trying hard to keep my PH stable as I have lost a several fish since they were introduced a few weeks ago. My PH was hovering in the 5.6 -5.8 range for a while, but I think I've gotten it closer to slightly acidic, which is fine with me.
Great and extremely helpful post. Quick question - since the system is passive (and thus, minimal control), is there any risk of pushing too much co2 into the tank?
No, because that can't happen. The "tank" will take in whatever co2 it need when the needs it based on the co2/o2 equilibrium currently in the tank. You're not forcing tiny micro co2 bubbles into the water column to dilute it with co2. That said, it's not as effective as injecting presurize co2 but a little more effictive if you didn't have a pure co2 source for the tank to uptake. It will not PUSH your growth but it will enhance it, if that makes any sense.
will the co2 and water reach equilibrium? as in, after a certain amount of co2 is dissolved into carbonic acid, will it stop dissolving after reaching a certain amount or will it continue as long as there are co2 in the bell?
Hey, thanks for the great video. Could I cover the opening of the bottle with a piece of mesh to prevent snails, shrimp, or corys from going up in it? Or, would that not allow the co2 to dissipate as necessary? I really like this idea but am trying to make sure fish and other tank mates are safe. Thanks for your advice!
I have a couple questions 1 should I worry as much about overdosing co2 but if its a plants only tank? 2 if some unwanted hitchhikers get into my tank with lots of co2 will the co2 be able to kill them off?
If you're using this passive system, you'll never overdose. It just won't happen. But if you mean pressurized co2, then you can have it as high as you want if there are not fish. But it'll just be a waste beyond anything more than 30ppm of co2 in your tank. For question #2, I don't know. Hitchhikers, I'm assuming you mean snails. I don't know that answer.
@@TheWaterBox Yes, the diy co2 method. Just waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Yup hitchhikers as in snail was wondering if that would be an effective way to kill off snail because overdosing co2 can kill shrimp and fish and was wondering if it'll do the same for snail. Thanks for the info very helpful!
Will the Co2 a human exhale be enough for aquarium plants and will the normal VOCs that accompany the Co2 cause problems for plants and or fish that may be in the tank?
@@TheWaterBox - sorry to bug you but that was a 2 part question. 1. Would the Co2 a human exhales be enough for aquatic plants? 2. Will the VOCs cause problems? Thanks for your reply and all the information you put out here.
You'll always lose co2 in the water, that's how it works. But if you're asking if you'll lose more with a passive system, the answer is most likely not anymore than not using an HOB filter. You want some surface movement to help with gas exchange.
@@TheWaterBox thank you! I actually have a passive system from tropica, but am planning to do a dry start Monte Carlo carpet from seeds, would you recommend I shift over to an injected system with a diffuser?
@@musicmonkay Yes. A passive system isn't going to give you want you need if you're going to try and DSM. And it's going to be harder with seeds as you don't know what you'll get with them.
Confirmed. I had a feeling my curious betta would go up that bell so I kept watch. No more than 10 min. later he was doing circles up in it. I immediately saved him and removed it. Not gonna risk my $50 prized betta for that. However I've had great success with the neo co2 system.Since it doesn't shut off I use an air stone at night to keep the water oxygenated. I use a T style hose splitter with second small neo diffuser and supply two 5 gallon tanks using 1 yeast packet(at least I think that's what it is) until next refill. Lush growth with low tech plants.
i wonder if you got one of these bells and filled it up with your breath if it would help increase the c02 in your tank any at all. like if you took a deep breath and held it as long as you can then pushed that breath down into the beel then did that until the bell was full.
@@TheWaterBox yea i kinda figured. but at the same time it seems like it could be possible. adding more fish might help to. like they gotta be producing some. idk man im just still mad at the idea of having to spend money for a natural gas. theres gotta be some way to naturally increase c02 in the tank.
@@TheWaterBox chopped and flipped soda bottle and a pice of airline. only problem is i doubt any c02 test kits would be sensitive enough to tell the difference.
@@ainumairah5410 I couldn't imagine the betta would asphyxiate as long as the water is still properly oxygenated . Some bettas are super curious though so...
Is passive Co2 for you? Let us know! For more information about Co2, check out this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLl7jTu1aWwVbYYdLkO80_fBQkADKW_doW.html
OMG! Are you really reading my comments? ❤ You're awesome! Please leave a comment about anything and let me know you're watching me because I'm hearing you! P.S. Joey from The King of DIY ate my cat! OMG I still love him though
I live on a small island where there is no pressurized co2 available and i have hard water, well the only test i have is ph and the last reading was 8.6 also i live in the caribbean where its pretty much hot all of the time so with all that said do u think diy co2 would make a difference in my 29gallon
@@Knight636 Yes, of course. It'll still help.
@@Knight636 you leave in the Caribbean and you have a fresh water tank ? 😃
@@MegaMaxxone lol yes its easy and i have to import eveything so a saltwater tank would become a burden
You can commonly find one of these systems for around $15-20 U.S. They are a great option for low-tech low-budget tanks, and yes they do work. They are simple to use-no bubble counters, no expensive regulators, no adjustments. You just fill the diffuser in the morning (I do it when feeding the fish) and you are done. Just sit back and watch the plants start taking off.
I have that Fluval CO2 system on a completely stock TopFin 5 gallon tank and the plant growth is so good I usually have to trim everything every 2 weeks.
They work really well on those small tanks for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video. I started doing this out of water bottles and just superglued a suction cup to one side of the bottle... I was lucky enough to figure out that the remaining “co2” is actually oxygen. Took me too long but once I did and once I deciphered how many refills per day I can do, I realized passive co2 is amazing. I got two off amazon and realized that I could split them and use them as four separate pieces for 4 separate nano aquariums 🤔 so then I realized all I needed was some sort of container that would hold co2 inside the aquariums, BAM started doing them out off water bottles. Using the mini-regulators from the sets I got on amazon.
*EDIT: I’m a caveman and I’m typing from an iPhone 8 📱
Right on!
Thank you for this idea!! I am definitely on the budget side and this works perfectly
You are so welcome!
Have u tried? How is it
Very timely video. What a coincidence that I was just thinking of passive diffusion for my tank and my favourite aquarium TH-camr makes a video about it
Perfect! GMTA! It's fate! :)
😩Bruh😩
That thumbnail took me back to my college days (except it wasn’t CO2 in the line)😏
Hahaha People been telling me the same thing about that thumbnail.
Great video I've tried this method and I did see some growth the 2 months I did it but now I don't run any Co2 just to simplify the system everything is still doing great
Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear other's experiences!
Hi, what plants u use in tank, low tech plant?
I use sodastream bottles with an adaptor. They last 6+ months and are so convenient and cheap to replace.
That works too!
Thank you for teaching me so much about keeping fish and plants.
Any time
Welcome back!!! I can’t believe I missed all these new videos
Welcome back yourself then! >>I
Nice video, i found a DIY co2 system that is in a cylinder that looks like a pressurized co2 canister, you add Baking soda, citric acid and water and close it up. it actually works extremely well, and lasts me about a month at around 5bps. (8 hours on) If you search for "Aquarium co2 reactor" on ebay and look for a silver canister. It cost me around $130 AUD but that was with solenoid, bubble counter and diffuser. just another option if you or others havent seen it before.
Yeh, I saw those but for he price, I could have gotten a pressurize Paintball co2 set up. That's why I never bothered to purchase one. I might just to test it out but it's a hefty price to just "test it out". Ya know?
@@TheWaterBox Hmm maybe for you it is, in Australia a half decent regulator is 150-250 AUD then the co2 itself is another 120ish (We are too babied and arent allowed personal paintball guns :) Oh and then a diffuser :/ I know its not terribly cheap, but i was actually surprised how well it worked. And for anyone with a smaller aquarium, at 1-2 bps it would last a long time and its cheap to refill.. Also my plants grow way too fast and pearl so i know its actually doing something :)
@@Bobby11 Oh wow, I know you guys have no guns (I guess it's good depending on how you look at it) but they don't even allow paintballing?
@@TheWaterBox I guess i should be a little more accurate, yes we can play at venues. and own a paintball gun, however you need a license for it and it needs to be kept in a gun safe, the license is the same as owning a real gun. we cant play airsoft, and they are trying to ban gel blasters :) keep in mind this is a country that doesnt allow kids to do cartwheels at school anymore :/
Yeh well, that kinds of stupid laws are propping up everywhere and kinda making kids a bit more fragile. Still weird to me that a paintball gun needs to be kept in a safe.
I use a Co2 tank but still useful information! Good to see this channel ramping up! 👍
Thanks! 👍
BOTTLE FLIPS OVER. Help! How do you keep the bell under the water. I’ve tried attacking two suction cups, but the buoyancy is so strong that it makes the suction cups slide up or the bottle flip over. Anyone have any suggestions.
I makes sure to use two suction cups secured tight (smaller holes or secure with hot glue gun/super glue). That's usually how I solve it from tipping.
Thanks for the info .
yes it works, its is one of the first Co2 adding system to tanks whit plants, its cheap and easy.
mid 80" we started whit this passive system before that there was not any Co2 system on the market for the hobby only Professionals like in Zoo's had pressurised Co2 bottles and PH computer for there tanks in that days..and it was so expensive to buy this Co2 system in the good old days.
Most cases we used Bio-Co2 from sugar and yeast whit water in bottles to get Co2 for our tanks later on we get our Co2 bottles from welding company's that use Co2 Welding in that days or some gas bottle company"s some of them had Co2 bottles for welding company's.
its a old trick but it works well whit out fancy expensive stuff that costs lots of money.
Now these days i use pressurerized Co2 from 4Lbs or 2Kg bottle and a PH computer in my 120gallon planted Discus tank for years.
The Co2 goes al the way true my Filter system and adding the Co2 directly to my intake and dissolved 100% before it enters my tank whit the out take.
Thanks for your insights! :)
Amazing, will try that tonight
Good luck!
Goodmorning bro
Love this video learned alot
Blessings to you and your family 🙏
Same to you!
Great coverage on the topic Chung!
Thanks!
Great Co2 discussion Chung.
Easily digestible information nicely presented.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks buddy!
Yo huge quality jump! I've always enjoyed the level of effort you use and this is next level. Thanks so much for sharing your passion
Thanks a ton! If you don't me asking, what quality jump are you seeing? :) Just curious.
@@TheWaterBox the different animations, edits, and camera quality are all awesome! Your information is also so nice!
@@rifraf6135 Thanks
@@TheWaterBox the new animations and pictures were helpful representations of what is going on in a fish tank, sometimes it can be difficult to visualize. Youre always very knowledgeable, of course. I just feel that you spent more time on video production.
@@nickybnick Got cha! Thanks!
Awesome video, thanks for the info!
Glad it was helpful!
THANK YOU!
Welcome!
I wish i had a tiny hot air balloon to fill up and have floating around! Shrimp always love to take a ride on whatever.
Ok!
This is such a cool idea!
Been waiting for another episode!!!
There you are then! :) Thanks for checking it out!
U can also put yeast into 20 Oz soda bottle and a tube out top of cap
👌
Great information as always 👍
Thanks 👍
Great video quality!
Thanks!
Great video ☺️
Thank you!! 😊
I don't use co2 but thinks for the info
YW!
Do you have any tips for the fluval co2 diffuser? The one I have does not like to stay attached to the glass and is constantly working its way up and out of my tank.
Which one are you talking about? They make a few different kinds. For their passive Co2 system?
Never knew this method.
I can use the CO2 from my ferments this way.
I guess so! I'm not sure what that entails though.
What about night time, in other co2 systems you turn it off with the lights. Do you not have to worry about it with this method, I'm new to planted aquariums.
You don't turn this "on" or "off". You just fill up the chamber usually when the lights are on so it can be used. If you leave the bell still filled when lights are off. It doesn't nothing other than keep diffusing naturally into the tank though probably much slower than if there were lights on. It will never "over" diffuse because it's only used up as there's is room for the tank to do so.
Can you blow into the tube if you don’t have a co2 pressure bottle ?
Sure. it won't do much of anything to help as it's not pure CO2 that's coming from your lungs.
where is the best spot to put the diffuser(bell like thing)?
I usually put it where there's good flow but any where should be fine.
Hi man. Thanks for this video it actually explained what the Ista kit does, because the instructions kind of suck. Question though, my permanent CO2 test just isn’t shifting at all, it sticks to blue. Do you release enough CO2 with this method to actually get a measurable result?
No, the passive co2 method will not do enough to change the color of a drop checker.
Wow! Great information; I want to try this and see the results or if there are different results. However, I'm concerned If a small fish or frog breaths from inside the CO2 bell would it suffocate?
Na, you should be ok.
This is how the dude at ocean aquarium does his co2 for all his tanks... Corey fron aquarium co-op did a store tour of his shop in SF.
Good video!
Doesn't seem to work in my 20gal , But I've found the best co2 hack in terms of plant grow , very dangerous but OMG the plants grow like crazy even carpeting plants like MC ....
Nice!
I get a bottle of water from the aquarium and transform it into soda , after that you put it back in and voila instant very aggressive pearling , last for about 7-8h 😁........ Very very dangerous USE WITH EXREME CAUTIOUN . Nearly gassed my fish getting the balance ....
@@MegaMaxxone ok!
can i use sponge filter in a tank with passive co2 or is it not advisable since it can create surface agitation
No it's fine, with passive co2 you WANT surface agitation. Hell, with pressurized co2 you want surface movement.
Hi! Great vid! I learned alot. Would it be safe for my tetras if I use the passive method overnight? or should I remove the bottle during the evenings? Thank you!
Yes. It's safe. The passive method allows only enough co2 in the water as natural. So it'll slowly dissolve the co2 into the water as there's room for it as it's being used up or dissolved at the surface.
@@TheWaterBox Thanks so much! ❤️❤️❤️
Good day
Thanks for all the great videos been a great help, I've started with co2 for the first time and using passive co2 I would like to know can I use a drop checker to see if levels are correct
A drop checker is useless with passive co2. Since passive Co2 only diffuses co2 naturally, it won't put enough co2 into your tank for it to ever change color.
Thank you ,another question would the co2 levels always be minimum using passive co2 (just enough) in tank
Yes.
Great information. I had seen this at Ocean Aquarium but I didn’t know how to accomplish it. How did you attach the soda bottle to your tank? When you were filling up the bell with co2 through the black tubing, was that from a can or regular tank? What’s the device that stops and starts the flow of gas into the bell and does it connect direct to the regulator? I’m not too familiar with co2 setup.
In the video, you see me put a suction cup to the bottle. I'm using my co2 regulator thing from a Fluval g20 system. It really depends on what you are using to add the co2 to tell you how. Normally people like the Ocean Aquarium guy does, he just carries around a co2 tank and connected a how with a vale to turn it on and off.
would you use fertilizer the same as for pressurize co2?
Yes
between passive co2 and liquid carbon, which one u prefer and why?
Passive Co2. Liquid Carbon is junk.
Has anyone tried the Dr. Moss adapter? I have not been able to find a cartridge that fits it.
Sorry, I've never had
Do you really need this for a aquarium with plants?
I got a betta aquarium with live plants
just 4 plants thought do i still need co2 thingy?
You don't NEED co2 to grow plants that don't need high co2 requirments. If it's low light demanding plants, you can do fine without co2 but co2 always helps.
The Water Box Ouh thanks alot and btw does fish poop works as a fertiliser for the plants?
A little. It'll only provide some nitrogen and potassium for the plants and not any of the other nutrients and barely much of that unless it's a very heavy stocked tank.
The Water Box Oh thanks
Np
Hi thanks for the video. I've been fighting PH swings with my pressurized CO2 injection (i have low kh water), and this could be a nice compromise for me. In one of your replies below you say that the amount added won't show up on a drop checker. If the atmosphere gives you about 2 ppm (seems to be commonly quoted), do you have any idea how many ppm a passive system would give you? Would it be proportional to water/surface area in the bell and the size of the tank ... I guess? Are we talking about gettin 3 ppm in a 10 gallon instead of 2? Just looking for a range of improvement.
Thanks for the question. It's a passive system. it's not going to "inject" co2 into your system to where it'll make any effect to your ppms. It's passive. It'll take in co2 to whatever your tanks is capable at the given point in time through gas exchange. The only difference is you are giving it a pure souce of co2 to draw from.
Why are you getting PH swings from your pressuized co2 system? If you're getting swings from using your pressurized co2 system then you need to LEARN how to use it. At which point are you getting too much of a swing? And for that matter, what do you consider as a "swing"?
@@TheWaterBox Hi, thanks for taking the time to reply. I've recently gone back to the hobby, and as an engineer was trying to experiment with "higher" tech stuff. Anyway, my understanding is CO2 leads to carbonic acid which lowers PH. The swing went from 6.89 to 6.49 in an hour and 20 minutes (using an Neptune Apex recently calibrated PH probe). I turned off the CO2 and the ph returned over the course of 6 hours. The lights were on during this whole time fwiw. I was using only about 1 bubble per 3 seconds as well in a 25 gallon planted aquarium with about 10 small fish. My county water has very low buffering (1 drop from API test kit) , so about 0-1 kDH. I'm trying hard to keep my PH stable as I have lost a several fish since they were introduced a few weeks ago. My PH was hovering in the 5.6 -5.8 range for a while, but I think I've gotten it closer to slightly acidic, which is fine with me.
@@TheWaterBox Also I'm using the citric acid/baking soda canister with a ceramic diffuser as a source fyi.
i have the sera system and it works with co2 tabs
Cool!
Great and extremely helpful post. Quick question - since the system is passive (and thus, minimal control), is there any risk of pushing too much co2 into the tank?
No, because that can't happen. The "tank" will take in whatever co2 it need when the needs it based on the co2/o2 equilibrium currently in the tank. You're not forcing tiny micro co2 bubbles into the water column to dilute it with co2. That said, it's not as effective as injecting presurize co2 but a little more effictive if you didn't have a pure co2 source for the tank to uptake. It will not PUSH your growth but it will enhance it, if that makes any sense.
@@TheWaterBox thanks for the reply. Helpful stuff. Ive decided to go with a pressurized system. Thanks again for the video series. Extremely helpful
@@dominicgo477 Nice! Always the best way to go I think!
@@TheWaterBox How many parts per million do you end up reaching with this method?
Thanks for the advice! How long do you run your co2 for in a day?
Are you talking about the passive co2 system? You just fill up the bell when it's empty. I normally refill it when the lights come on.
The Water Box oops sorry I meant I’m using an inline diffuser with my co2 tank
@@1ek Only when the lights are on in your tank.
will the co2 and water reach equilibrium? as in, after a certain amount of co2 is dissolved into carbonic acid, will it stop dissolving after reaching a certain amount or will it continue as long as there are co2 in the bell?
It'll stop.
@@TheWaterBox ahh thanks.. so there's no need for bubble counters, indicators and all that nuisance? great!
@@syazwanshafik6401 Na, not if you're doing it passively. It's not enough for register.
Hey, thanks for the great video. Could I cover the opening of the bottle with a piece of mesh to prevent snails, shrimp, or corys from going up in it? Or, would that not allow the co2 to dissipate as necessary? I really like this idea but am trying to make sure fish and other tank mates are safe. Thanks for your advice!
U are smart
It's fine and it will work just fine.
Epic
Tanks!
I have a couple questions 1 should I worry as much about overdosing co2 but if its a plants only tank? 2 if some unwanted hitchhikers get into my tank with lots of co2 will the co2 be able to kill them off?
If you dont ever want fish, you can put as much co2 as you like. You can blast that thing into max and you will be fine.
If you're using this passive system, you'll never overdose. It just won't happen. But if you mean pressurized co2, then you can have it as high as you want if there are not fish. But it'll just be a waste beyond anything more than 30ppm of co2 in your tank. For question #2, I don't know. Hitchhikers, I'm assuming you mean snails. I don't know that answer.
@@TheWaterBox Yes, the diy co2 method. Just waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Yup hitchhikers as in snail was wondering if that would be an effective way to kill off snail because overdosing co2 can kill shrimp and fish and was wondering if it'll do the same for snail.
Thanks for the info very helpful!
@@Iams-001 It's very hard to overdose anything using the DIY method.
Review on co2 tablet please. Thanks
Sorry. I won't review them as I don't think they work.
Yo! Love your videos. Do you have a Warhammer 40K Painting channel too?
Thanks, I do yes. i just haven't don't anything with it lately. 40k is just getting to expensive.
Will the Co2 a human exhale be enough for aquarium plants and will the normal VOCs that accompany the Co2 cause problems for plants and or fish that may be in the tank?
No.
@@TheWaterBox - sorry to bug you but that was a 2 part question.
1. Would the Co2 a human exhales be enough for aquatic plants?
2. Will the VOCs cause problems?
Thanks for your reply and all the information you put out here.
@@jlathem56 No and I don't know on the VOC part.
@@TheWaterBox - thanks!
np
If I use this together with a HOB or sponge filter will I lose the CO2 in the water?
You'll always lose co2 in the water, that's how it works. But if you're asking if you'll lose more with a passive system, the answer is most likely not anymore than not using an HOB filter. You want some surface movement to help with gas exchange.
@@TheWaterBox thank you! I actually have a passive system from tropica, but am planning to do a dry start Monte Carlo carpet from seeds, would you recommend I shift over to an injected system with a diffuser?
@@musicmonkay Yes. A passive system isn't going to give you want you need if you're going to try and DSM. And it's going to be harder with seeds as you don't know what you'll get with them.
@@TheWaterBox thanks! I just ordered a CO2 system!
@@musicmonkay Good luck!
Maybe this shouldn't be used with labyrinth fish such as cories...if they surface for air at the bell jar they're gonna gulp in pure CO2.
Possible.
Confirmed. I had a feeling my curious betta would go up that bell so I kept watch. No more than 10 min. later he was doing circles up in it. I immediately saved him and removed it. Not gonna risk my $50 prized betta for that. However I've had great success with the neo co2 system.Since it doesn't shut off I use an air stone at night to keep the water oxygenated. I use a T style hose splitter with second small neo diffuser and supply two 5 gallon tanks using 1 yeast packet(at least I think that's what it is) until next refill. Lush growth with low tech plants.
@@11miura You could just put a mesh on the bottom, or drill small holes in a closed bottle and use that instead of a bell
i wonder if you got one of these bells and filled it up with your breath if it would help increase the c02 in your tank any at all. like if you took a deep breath and held it as long as you can then pushed that breath down into the beel then did that until the bell was full.
No. it won't do anything. lol There's not enough co2 coming out of your breath to make any difference.
@@TheWaterBox yea i kinda figured. but at the same time it seems like it could be possible. adding more fish might help to. like they gotta be producing some. idk man im just still mad at the idea of having to spend money for a natural gas. theres gotta be some way to naturally increase c02 in the tank.
@@Zaku186 You're certain welcome to try.
@@TheWaterBox chopped and flipped soda bottle and a pice of airline. only problem is i doubt any c02 test kits would be sensitive enough to tell the difference.
Not enough to show up on tests unfortunately.
Ya you got a cold too buddy? I feel it
Allergies... The day I recorded it was a bad day. And I recorded like 3 episodes of videos. By the third, I was dying!
I'll pass but again thnks for sharing
No worries! Thanks!
👍👍👍🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹...
Thanks, I think.
wait a minute... your the guy that make video about model kit stuff right? 🤔
Yes, a while ago. :)
Why can't I blow into the bell?
You can all you want. Go wild.
@@TheWaterBox Would it work?
@@duncandonuts5268 No
@@TheWaterBox I just looked up only 5% of our breath is actually co2 haha
@@duncandonuts5268 Yep.
Yeah, my betta almost died coz he accidentally gulped the CO2 inside the container
Someone already mentioned, put a mesh at the opening so livestock can't go swimming into it.
@@TheWaterBox Actually I bore holes on the container lid. Now my betta can't get in. But the mesh idea is also good.
Chamber co2 not effective
👍
awful subtitles!
Make sure not to do this method in a betta tank, they'll try to breath it.
Good tip!
Damn about to buy this for my betta tank but found this..guess diy co2 is my next opt
Is it bad for them?
@@michaeljoseph8229 ive tried it and yeah betta do try to breath it, but he seems ok after that..
@@ainumairah5410 I couldn't imagine the betta would asphyxiate as long as the water is still properly oxygenated . Some bettas are super curious though so...
I mean if you want to half ass it...
Why is it "half-assing" it?