[APD] Filtering DIY CO2

[Vaughn Hopkins <hoppy1 at surewest_net>]

I have been lurking here for many months, and have learned almost 
everything I know about planted aquariums here.  Thanks to all of you 
for reviving my interest in the subject, which started with a guppy 
tank about 50 years ago when I was a teen ager.

A year ago I disassembled and sold my 120 gallon planted aquarium in 
anticipation of a move to a smaller place, a move that still hasn’t 
taken place.  Now I am looking forward to setting up a 55 gallon 
aquarium, with a $500 budget.

One thing I tried on the old setup, which I haven’t read anything about 
here is the use of activated carbon to filter the CO2 from a DIY 
yeast/sugar system.  I  had read about people experiencing trouble with 
plastic/rubber check valves in such systems, and I reasoned that CO2 
was unlikely to be the cause of the trouble, so other gases emanating 
from the yeast solution must be the cause - gases like alcohol fumes, 
for example.  So, I bought some activated carbon filters made for gas 
masks, and used an almond can as a filter holder - the filter with an 
o-ring around it fitted very nicely inside.  I cemented nipples on the 
bottom of the can and in the plastic lid, which I cemented to the can.  
For about a year and a half I had no problems with the check valve, and 
the air stone I used in my reactor also worked fine.  Then, I 
accidentally got water in the filter, removed it and was too lazy to 
make a replacement.  In less than a year the air stone had a gunky mess 
all over it, and it eventually disintegrated a few months later.  Did I 
prove my contention that non CO2 gases were the cause of the problem?  
And has anyone else tried something like this?

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