I've never tried high tech, but I have a 10 gallon I'm planning on setting up.

I have a high light LED fixture, and I'm planning on dosing full EI, and MGOC capped with BDBS.

Would I need co2, or would flourish excel be enough?

I'm planning on using pressurized if I can get a setup around $50-75. Any ideas?


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I'm using the citric acid and baking soda method with a diy adapter of amazon. Been doing really good at 2bps for a week now and will easily last another two weeks at least. Really cheap and easy start to c02

I've tried diy before and I don't like it. Too much of a headache, with not being able to control it as much as you would pressurized. And I also want a clean look to the tank, not a diy system running.

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Well if you're going to have high lighting and are going to dose ferts, you're going to need to dose co2. All the excess lighting will grow algea since the plants won't be able to use it all without co2. Excel won't fully replace co2 in a high light tank. I would either raise/dim the lighting or get a pressurised co2 system.

I've already came to that conclusion. That's why I'm asking for suggestions on cheap "nano" pressurized systems.

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If you can, get a fully built system for $250 then sell it for $200 when you are done with the hubby.

Fluval Mini Pressurized 20g-CO2 Kit

on Amazon.com for $25

refill carts cost $.50 each.
each refill has lasted me about 2 months of non stop .5-1 bubbles per second 24/7 in my 10 gallon tank.

you will have to buy your own stylish diffuser to make the bubbles in the tank. They got cool stainless steel ones instead of glass. up to your own style. flourish excel will not be enough. you will be able to see your plants glow a neon green color under the light when they have good co2.

Thanks, I was considering that but wasn't sure about it on a 10 gallon.

Do I need a diffuser or bubble counter? It says it has a built in diffuser, so how would I use it?
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yes you will have to add on a bubble counter, otherwise there's no way to tell how much co2 is going into your tank. remember, that every bubble counter is different because different bubble counters=different bubble size. so 1bbps may mean 1.5bbps from a different counter. tweek your bubbles per second and find your own rate.

highly recommend getting a bubble diffuser because the thing that comes with the kit, you should just throw away. its a big plastic box that you stick in your tank and I don't even know how it works. Get something sexy like a stainless steel diffuser or a all glass one that has a built in bubble counter. up to you.

I was responding to this question.

Even if you are going pressurized co2, I would still recommend dosing a little bit of excel when you can. pressured Co2 and excel are not direct replacement for each other. Co2 can do things that excel cannot and excel can do things that co2 cannot. I would put co2 as primary and excel as secondary. the chemicals in excel help boost your plants by killing algae in the water, the little bitty spores and such. It also helps the plants "breath in" the co2 you are injecting. combine both co2 and excel for best results. I usually do 50% dosing on excel, just to give my tank a little boost.

Okay I'm getting the 20 gram fluval co2, with fluval diffuser and bubble counter. Will get excel later on. Thanks!

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I recommend not getting that fluval system. I have one and it's a pain to dial in the bubbles every morning. Especially when I'm in a rush. A set-it-and-forget-it co2 system is so, so nice.

I don't mind the disposable cartridges, but they do add up in cost over time. Though I'm still using them.

I'm rethinking the whole fluval thing after reading reviews...

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Did I hear you right? About a quarter a month for .5 to 1 bubble per second running 24/7? If so, is that the kind of performance you've heard from others as well?
At that rate and reliability, my big ole' yeast jugs aren't looking so noble .... I would spend more than that on sugar!