# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  DIY CO2 mix for 500ml bottle

## diki

Anyone can provide me the amount that is required to have (suger, yeast, bicarbonate...) for a 500ml bottle or similar? Need to set up one for my shrimp tank and maybe later for my shallow tank. Thanks in advance. Got try to search the forum but cannot find the correct post.

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## Johnc

Hi diki,

There is really no fixed formula. The more sugar you have the longer the mixture will last. The more yeast you put, the higher the bps, and the faster the sugar will be exhausted. Bicarbonate is optional, but helps to buffer any acidic build-up.

I have a 1 litre DIY CO2 bottle that last more than a month (almost 2 months I think). I used half a bottle of uncooked rice, half cup of sugar, a pinch of yeast, and several pieces of coral chips at the bottom. 

You can adjust that for your set up.

/John

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## diki

> Hi diki,
> 
> There is really no fixed formula. The more sugar you have the longer the mixture will last. The more yeast you put, the higher the bps, and the faster the sugar will be exhausted. Bicarbonate is optional, but helps to buffer any acidic build-up.
> 
> I have a 1 litre DIY CO2 bottle that last more than a month (almost 2 months I think). I used half a bottle of uncooked rice, half cup of sugar, a pinch of yeast, and several pieces of coral chips at the bottom. 
> 
> You can adjust that for your set up.
> 
> /John


Thanks for the advice.

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## michael lai

Hi Diki,
Why 500 ml? The solution might run out real quick...... :Opps:

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## celticfish

johnc,
may i ask why you put the rice in for?
thanks!

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## valice

Rice is starch (more complex form of sugar), which will last longer than sugar... You get sake in the end... Hahaha...
The sugar added in Johnc's concoction is normally to kick start the yeast into work...
Normally a rice mixture can last much much longer than a purely sugar one... But it is a fine balance, cause sometimes, your yeast is killed by the alcohol built up before everything is fermented...

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## XnSdVd

That and rice is cheaper  :Wink:  
I got nagged to death when my mum found out i was using 4 cups of sugar... haha!

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## valice

Using rice also got 2 schools... one school is to use half cook rice, so that the fermentation is easier, since it is softer, and so the yeast can break it down into sugar and then alcohol easier... and the other school is of course to just use uncooked rice...

Up to individuals... And using rice is definitely much cheaper than using just sugar...

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## XnSdVd

OT - valice, what's your MSN? [email protected] add me

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## |squee|

I halfed the amount for everything I used for my 1L.

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## diki

> Hi Diki,
> Why 500 ml? The solution might run out real quick......


I was thinking since it is a 1 ft cube tank and I got a 500ml bottle lying around, so I decided to use it. I also have the nutiafin bottle so might switch to that some other time. Actually also since it is small, can hide behind the tank or it would look unsightly (initial thought but now is beside the tank). I did not think of the solution might run out real quick. Hm...., see how things goes. I only have moss (Singapore and java moss) in the tank and the CO2 injection is to kick start the growth of the moss in the 1 ft tank. Once the moss grows thick enough (cover most of the bigwood), may cut the CO2 altogether to make it low maintenance tank as well. May switch to a bigger size pet bottle next time round to redo the solution. Thanks for the warning.

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## XnSdVd

If that's the case you can use 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. that'll make your solution last longer.

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## diki

> If that's the case you can use 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. that'll make your solution last longer.


Ok. Thanks for the advice.

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## wolverxaxx

> Hi diki,
> 
> There is really no fixed formula. The more sugar you have the longer the mixture will last. The more yeast you put, the higher the bps, and the faster the sugar will be exhausted. Bicarbonate is optional, but helps to buffer any acidic build-up.
> 
> I have a 1 litre DIY CO2 bottle that last more than a month (almost 2 months I think). I used half a bottle of uncooked rice, half cup of sugar, a pinch of yeast, and several pieces of coral chips at the bottom. 
> 
> You can adjust that for your set up.
> 
> /John


hi i know this might seemed to be kinda long time ago, but do you mind sharing whats the mix? planning to use a 1.5L bottle

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