# co2 enhancement



## wedginfool (Feb 20, 2011)

i've been thinking of adding co2 to my grow and am not sure what is the best way to go........ they have these new products out now the co2 boost bucket which is a natural co2 producing mixture with a pump on it, it's supposed to last between 60 and 90 days. and there is one other one that has the same type of mixture in it but without the pump and i guess it is just supposed to out gas into the room. 
then there is the co2 cylinders with the regulators on them and all the timers and that type of stuff 

i have read somewhere that co2 enhancement really boosts bud growth but i'm not finding any threads on using it here.

does anyone have any links to threads on using co2?


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## nova564t (Feb 20, 2011)

I know that you need to seal your growspace to use Co2.
I found this:


http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53879&highlight=carbon+dioxide


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## SensiStarFan (Feb 20, 2011)

I have never used a CO2 system and I know very little about it so I am sure someone the knows more about it will come along and tell you what is up.  But, from what I have read CO2 will bost bud weight by 20-25%.  It is not going to give you better bud if you are growing well.  Considering the cost, and again this is just completely my opinion, you are always going to be better off adding more lighting than CO2 assuming you are talking about your own personal house grow.

But again I have never used a CO2 system and I am sure someone with more knowledge will let you know what is up.

-SSF-


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 21, 2011)

How much money do you have to spend on CO2?  Proper CO2 enhancement is not cheap.  I wouldn't go with any of the bucket things.  CO2 really needs to be regulated and monitored at concentrations of 1500 ppm or so.  Tell us about your space, your lighting, and your ventilation and we can better help you.  You need an air tight space.  You need higher temps.  You need more lumens.  You need......


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## Locked (Feb 21, 2011)

Save your money....those CO2 buckets are gimmicky as hell. If it were that easy *And actually worked* everyone wld be using them and no one wld be spending hundreds of bucks on tanks, regulators and CO2 generators....jmo


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## benamucc (Feb 21, 2011)

^^ agree...

Depending on the size of your space, you could build your OWN co2 "fermentation" system.  Super cheap, super easy.  Check out youtube for some good versions that people are using in fish tanks.  I think this is for SMALL areas.  

Another option for small areas, are co2 tablets that are also an aquarium useage.  I'm going to use these to supplement my "locker" in about 4 weeks as an experiment.  

For the "real" system that the Godess is speaking of, you'll need a good array of timers, or one big CAP type controller, since you don't want your exhaust fans pumping all that expensive CO2 out.  I think they're designed to bring in "fresh" air 2x per day, while they shut off the CO2 during those recycle periods.


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## woodydude (Feb 21, 2011)

I investigated CO2 a couple of weeks ago. Buckets, home made, proper regulated systems etc and each time came to the same conclusion.
Proper regulated systems was the only worthwhile method, buckets, as Hammy said are gimmicks. Home made are ok if you have 1 plant and no ventilation.
So, with a proper regulated system, you have to turn off your fans, air exchangeers and exhausts while the co2 is being pumped. The bottle last about 2 months and in the UK cost around £40 ($60), a decent regulator is about £170 ($250) 
So, I was looking at huge costs for maybe 20% yield improvement. SO what did I do? I bought a new 600W digital ballast and cool tube reflector instead, these replaced my magnetic 400w so basically gave me nearly double the light which will do much more for my yields.
JMO. Peace W


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## Locked (Feb 21, 2011)

woodydude said:
			
		

> I investigated CO2 a couple of weeks ago. Buckets, home made, proper regulated systems etc and each time came to the same conclusion.
> Proper regulated systems was the only worthwhile method, buckets, as Hammy said are gimmicks. Home made are ok if you have 1 plant and no ventilation.
> So, with a proper regulated system, you have to turn off your fans, air exchangeers and exhausts while the co2 is being pumped. The bottle last about 2 months and in the UK cost around £40 ($60), a decent regulator is about £170 ($250)
> So, I was looking at huge costs for maybe 20% yield improvement. SO what did I do? I bought a new 600W digital ballast and cool tube reflector instead, these replaced my magnetic 400w so basically gave me nearly double the light which will do much more for my yields.
> JMO. Peace W



:yeahthat:

Plenty of other ways to get more bang for your buck....more light, more ventilation..etc.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 21, 2011)

benamucc said:
			
		

> ^^ agree...
> 
> Depending on the size of your space, you could build your OWN co2 "fermentation" system.  Super cheap, super easy.  Check out youtube for some good versions that people are using in fish tanks.  I think this is for SMALL areas.
> 
> Another option for small areas, are co2 tablets that are also an aquarium useage.  I'm going to use these to supplement my "locker" in about 4 weeks as an experiment.



Even with very small areas, these kinds of CO2 enhancement have very very limited benefits.  You are almost certainly better off just exchanging your air more often.  Also there is more that has to be done than to just pump CO2 into a space.  You need higher temps and higher lumens to utilize the extra CO2.


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## bi0phreak420 (Feb 21, 2011)

Bakers yeast,Water,Sugar...keep it warm and it will slightly bubble out c02.set it on a heating pad.Works great and its cheap.


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## ozzydiodude (Feb 21, 2011)

just go with more or bigger fans. for your exhaust


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 22, 2011)

bi0phreak420 said:
			
		

> Bakers yeast,Water,Sugar...keep it warm and it will slightly bubble out c02.set it on a heating pad.Works great and its cheap.



Sorry, but again, no.  This type of thing is really just a waste of time, effort, and money as it is highly inefficient.  Like Ozzy says, you are better off just exchanging your air more often.

CO2 enhancement cannot be done with any kind of effectiveness without the proper equipment.  If you actually test your rooms for CO2 concentrations, you could see how ineffective DIY CO2 setups are.


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## NorCalHal (Feb 22, 2011)

IMO, if you are going to run CO2, you HAVE to do it correctly, or not at all.
Boosting CO2 with buckets or homeade contraptions is a waste of time and money. They will do nothing to improve growth rates or yeild.

First things first, you MUST have your current grow method dialed in to perfection, as adding CO2 will increase EVERYTHING, in cluding nuit uptake and bug reproduction. If you fight at all with any issue in your room, be it temp, bugs plant health, then CO2 is not for you. You must have complete control of your envirionment and knowledge of your strains.

To fully take advantage of increased CO2 levels there are a number of items to consider, the biggest being a sealed room, meaning NO exhaust or Intake air at all during lights on. You have to be able to control temps and humidity thru Air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Usuing exhaust as cooling will waste your CO2 and it will have no effect.

There are more items to consider also, but that is the biggest issue with running CO2, sealed rooms. If you have one, I can go on to explain a little more if you want.


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## wedginfool (Feb 23, 2011)

thanks all 
my flower chamber isn't sealed but i can make all the changes i need to to run the co2 but what i want to know is if anyone can substantiate a 25 to 30% increase in yeild 

does anyone here use it

thanks


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## Hick (Feb 24, 2011)

wedginfool said:
			
		

> thanks all
> my flower chamber isn't sealed but i can make all the changes i need to to run the co2 but what i want to know is if anyone can substantiate a 25 to 30% increase in yeild
> 
> does anyone here use it
> ...



you  are only going to see those kinds of benefits.._*IF*_ everything is dialed in to perfection. IMO... 
  more lumens, more nutes, higher temps and rh... 'but' maintained at the proper levels for maximum absorption of the co2.


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## benamucc (Feb 24, 2011)

wedgin...thanks for starting this thread.  i thought i was so clever with my idea for my 3sqft locker.  looks like it's back to the drawing board... :stoned:


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 24, 2011)

Since CO2 enhancement needs enhanced lumens to be of benefit, I think this also increases the yield.  So, how much increase in yield is from the CO2 and how much is from a perfectly dialed in room with more light?


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## NorCalHal (Feb 24, 2011)

I can personally attest to the benefits of CO2.
As Hick stated, everything in your grow MUST be dialed in silly style. This includes hotter nuit formulas and higher  room temps.

GREAT question THG! 

You guys may know that I run more light then needed on most of my grows. usually 3000w over a 4x8 area, instead of 2000w. Even though I run higher wattage over a tray, I still only manage to get an average of a pound per 4x4 area of the p98bk. I have ran this strain since before I joined MP. I have never hit much over a p a 4x4 area with the p98bk, tryin many different approaches and plant training.

So, with my new room, I only had 2 lights over a 4x8 area, but used CO2 at 1500ppm for the grow. Temp was raised to 85 and rh was 40-55.
I averaged 1.25 pounds per 4x4 area, giving me a 25% increse in production.
After running p98bk for so long, I have NEVER seen such fast growth or bud size on her. For whatever reason, it extended the flower time 2 weeks also, contrary to what folks say about co2 speeding up harvest time, not for me.

So, I saw the benefit of CO2 without adding more lumens. It has bugged me because Lumens were the only item in the new room I felt I didn't have enough of. So, for the next round, I added more lights, 1000w for every 4000watts I had. I actually flip the room today to 12/12, so I am curious tro see if production will be incresed further.


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## benamucc (Feb 24, 2011)

:goodposting:


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## OGKushman (Feb 24, 2011)

i stopped using co2 after 2 yrs....have not noticed one difference. I actually test all my meds. THC tested levels are virtually unchanged...i just never noticed a change. I had a hard time letting the co2 build without getting temps up too high. My rooms are just to small.

solution - good ventilation


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## NorCalHal (Feb 25, 2011)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> solution - good ventilation


 
Solution = Ductless Mini-Split AC


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