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DIY CO2 Injection?
I was just wondering if i were to use regular airline tubing, approx. how long would it last?
is back siphoning a common thing that happens with diy co2 systems because im not sure if i can get a hold of a check valve.
would having a second bottle (a gas seperator), to some extent, prevent the gunk and tank water from mixing (either way)?
Probably the cheapest and still the best vessel you can use for a yeast generator is the two-liter soda bottle. If you can find one of those four-liter versions, that is even better. There are several factors that make the soda bottle a good choice. First off, it is designed to hold a solution of water with dissolved CO2 under pressure. This is important. The pressure that builds up in a yeast generator can be substantial. I would venture to say it is not lethal, but it certainly can make quite a mess if it fails and sprays sugar water and yeast all over your house.
The cap and how to attach the tubing is another issue that has created much discussion. Most of these caps from soda bottles are made from polyethylene. Polyethylene does not readily bond with most glue. So gluing the tubing in place is not desirable. Leaks will occur, especially at the bond joint. Furthermore, since we're dealing with gasses, the seal must be airtight. The best all around solution is some mechanical means to attach tubing. Some type of bulkhead fitting is needed.
Gas Delivery (tubing)
Getting the gas to the tank water is the next consideration. Tubing should be selected based upon several factors. One is pressure retention, or the ability of tubing to retain its shape under pressure. As tubing is put under pressure, it should not expand in relation to its diameter. Also the tubing will need to be inert; meaning not break down over time due to chemical reaction with the CO2 gas internally or the air or water externally. This pretty much eliminates standard airline tubing used for fish tank aeration. Another consideration is flexibility.
A good candidate for this application is silicon tubing. It does not react with CO2 as quickly, has good pressure retention characteristics and is very flexible. There is also special tubing designed specifically for carrying CO2 gas, and I would encourage spending the few extra dollars needed to use this. But silicon tubing will last for several years, and is in keeping with the cost savings approach DIY implies.
It is also important that water is not allowed to run back down the line by suction or siphoning. This problem is easily remedied with the use of a check valve. Many check valves are available commercially. Several factors should be considered when selecting one. I would avoid choosing one made from metals. The caustic nature of CO2 gas, the high water vapor content of the gas (which usually contain carbonic acid), will cause a metal check valve to fail. Therefore it is important to choose a plastic valve or one designed specifically for CO2 applications. In addition, for the same reasons, I recommend avoiding the use of any metal components in the entire system. In pressurized tank systems, there is generally no liquids, or solids for that matter, to foul or corrode metal components. So the use of metal components is common in these systems. The same should not be assumed on a yeast based DIY system.
If you cant get a check valve you can keep your yeast bottle at the same level as your aquarium. Just use tape to create a loop in the gas line and it should help prevent any accidents.
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