CO2 Questions

[birdman99]

feel lost in this co2 game.
Dont understand allot about this co2 stuff,wondering why i am reading things like " dont buy from pets stores" " go to machine mart and buy a big massive bootle of co2 for 20 quid",
The aquirium ones are 4 times that price,so is there a catch that im missing ? with the bottle thread fits or something?

Ive just bought the following for my small 30 litre tank situated in my kitchen. Im hoping to start some serious plant growing.
Is this stuff ok?? ive read that much my eyes are square but i still dont feel like i will understand till i actually get my hands on a system.

Glass ( CO2 Bubble Counter + Check Valve + Co2 Pollen Diffuser T Beetle ) SET

Up CO2 Solenoid Regulator adjustable Working pressure 110V-240V A-165 /USA USPS

One Way Non-Return Check Valve Aquarium Fish Tank Co2 System Air Line Pump

what do you guys reckon?

[gSTiTcH]

Wow.

You get what you pay for in CO2 systems. For a starter system, you can opt for a number of methods.

CO2 Source: There are essentially four different sources. Yeast Reactor, Mini canister (for CO2 powered pellet guns), Paintball cylinders, and large welding/beverage cylinders.

If you use anything but the Yeast reactor, you will need a regulator to match. Here in the states, we use a CGA320 CO2 connector for beverage/welding canisters. Your locality standard will vary.

I did a quick search for that regulator, and it claims that it will work. Caveat Emptor: It is a Hong Kong reseller item. You get what you pay for.

[AlanLe]

Contact Betatail he will build you a nice regulator. You get what you pay for. Don't go the cheap EBay route.

[katiedempsey]

you dont need CO2 for a tank that small unless you have some serious lights. 30 liters is around 8 gallons. I have a lovely 10G planted tank with driftwood, crypts and annubias nana. I use flourish excel (when I remember) its a liquid CO2. My plants are all doing great and they have lots of runners and new growth.
The problem with DIY CO2 is that if you calculate things wrong (and you have fish) they could all die. Small tanks are harder to run in this respect becasue things can change fast.
Personally, if I was going to add some CO2 to a tank that small I would use the CO2 natural plant system. It is a yeast reactor that costs around $40 and you can find lots of recipies online if you dont want to buy the refill pkgs (they are just yeast and baking soda.)

just my opinion

[Axelrodi202]

If serious plant growing is what you're after, there's no substitute for pressurized CO2. Excel works well, but the results are still less than actual CO2 and it gets pretty tedious having to dose everyday. A pressurized CO2 system can be fully automated, with you only having to get refills once everything's set up. DIY CO2 can't be turned off at night like pressurized setups can (as long as the regulator has a solenoid valve), and the levels of CO2 from DIY setups can be inconsistent, which is detrimental to some more delicate plants and increases the likelihood of algae problems.

[birdman99]

i appreciate all your advice.
and do appreciate that this is a small crap tank and seems silly to some of you
to spend so much time building this small tank.
My plan is to get a taste for co2 and aqua scape and then go slightly bigger.
I cant afford to make any mistakes with co2 though because this tank is in my kitchen and i have a family. the co2 will be hidden under the sink unit and secured but still.
Also i have a prized betta fish (halfmoon) in the tank so no fish loss can be had.
thats why i tend to buy a Co2 drop checker and not even attempt to put the co2 in the tank untill im 100percent sure im doing everything correctly.

just need to make my mind up t spend 20 pounds on a drop checker or buy a cheap hong kong ebay version??

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by birdman99

just need to make my mind up t spend 20 pounds on a drop checker or buy a cheap hong kong ebay version??

For something like a drop checker, a cheap eBay version will work fine, as drop checkers work on the same principle.

You could probably DIY one yourself for even cheaper.