Bender Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I can't quite get my head around it, but my brain keeps telling me there is a way to use the principles found in this link to make a Co2 generator without the use of yeast. Perhaps if some of the more scientifically/inventor minded members were to have a look...? The-Boy-Mechanic-1000-Things-for-Boys-to-Do/A-Laboratory-Gas-Generator By the way, this is a very interesting book to look through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Looks like it would definitely work - the H2SO4 reacts with another compound to release carbon atoms and oxygen atoms which will readily combine as CO2 (carbon dioxide). As the CO2 is formed it goes out the taller of the tubes inside the large bottle (CO2 doesn't rise to the top but will sit on the surface of the acid building up inside the large jar so need to be careful in setting the height of the tubes to get max CO2 and not overflowing the acid). The first gas to be forced out of the large bottle will be normal air until enough CO2 has been generated to fill the chamber. Once CO2 is flowing, the small bottle will saturate the water with CO2 and eventually form a back pressure through the tube enough to force the acid back up into the top bottle and eventually cause a bit of bubbling in the H2SO4 till the CO2 stops being generated due to lack of acid. Your end result will be a mildly carbonated bottle of water (not highly carbonated as it won't generate enough pressure to carbonate the water. Essentially, it is a large soda syphon If you let the CO2 go directly into your tank through a diffuser (instead of collecting in that small bottle) you would have a continuous supply of CO2 which could be controlled by a valve. Only problem is the cost of a reasonably strong H2SO4 (Sulphuric Acid) to react with marble chips or other solids in order to release the CO2. The other problem is simply having such strong acid in the fish room and risking breakage or leakage. Yeast is much cheaper and safer :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Thanks Wayne, I couldn't quite break it down like that. I was hoping a milder acid would do the job, but that ones a little to risky for me. Oh well, back to studying yeasts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Why do you need to study yeasts? The yeast method is so easy. 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon yeast, water, tadaaaa CO2. And best of all, you can get everything you need in a supermarket and rummaging around your fishy-stuff-odds-and-ends box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) Better still.... get a beer fermenter.... fill it up with a brew.... collect the CO2 for the plants in the fish tank and drink the beer afterwards!!! :D Edited April 8, 2009 by fishbites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hahaha, I've been toying with the home brew idea for quite a while... has anyone tried it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 The home brew method works in essentially the same way as the yeast + sugar method. I don't want to speak for Wayne but I think when he said it was better he was referring to the dual benefits of CO2 for the plants and beer for the fishkeeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Well its a good excuse to put down a brew Bettarazzi The plants need CO2 ... better put down a brew!!! Beer brews finish fermenting quite fast though. Using another recipe - you can use about 8kg of sugar to 25 litres of water plus a bag of turbo yeast and you end up with plenty of CO2 and you get 3 weeks worth of CO2. After 3 weeks the final product can be distilled down to about 5 litres of 80% ethanol which someone else was talking about on here but can't remember which thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 I realise what Wayne meant, isn't it obvious? I was merely asking if anyone has tried the method as I have been thinking of doing so rather than disposing of the stinky sugar/water/yeast mix it's a win for all concerned. As it doesn't take long to brew beer I am thinking it isn't very reliable as far as CO2 supply goes, hence I haven't tried it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted April 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Nanna's blackberry wine used to take at least a month to ferment, would that be better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Sounds nicer than beer...might be more of a headache at the end of it though haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Any brew that produces CO2 and bubbles away for a long period of time could be used for gassing a tank I suppose. The ethanol producing batch does actually taste good when you cut it back to 40% and flavour it to taste like your favourite spirit! All fun aside ... I'm starting to wonder if it would actually work if the CO2 from a brew was exhausted into a tank. I assume a diffuser would be necessary and a check valve to stop backflow of water. Bubble counters and other apparatus wouldn't be necessary though would it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 If you put ginger powder in the yeast and sugar mixture wouldn't you get ginger beer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 You don't need bubble counters etc for DIY Co2, which this would just be a bigger version of. I would be concerned that on a tank where a single soft drink bottle's worth of Co2 is adequate, you'd be using a bucket's worth. It might add too much Co2 to the water, maybe? I don't bother with a check valve, mainly because IME 1 in every 2 of them don't actually work . I use a loop in the airline that hangs below the bottom of the Co2 bottle and the tank, so anything that siphoned out of either the tank or the bottle would theoretically stop when it came to the bottom of the loop, rather than continuing to 'siphon' uphill to get into the tank/bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 If you put ginger powder in the yeast and sugar mixture wouldn't you get ginger beer? This will make the bug/plant... mmmmm home made ginger beer is the best! Might have to start a brewery! I use a bubble counter on my DIY CO2 to stop any nasties getting from the yeast mix into the water, pretty similar to the loop idea. It would be a bit too much CO2 unless it was some how split to supply several tanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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