[Rob in Puyallup]

Hey!

I've been using 2 sources of co2 on my 29 gal tank for the past 6 weeks or so. One is a Hagen HOT thingy-bob with a ladder, the other a diy with another ladder diffuser. Thinking of making the big move to pressurized co2 and curious, firstly, if such is necessary on a tank this size, and if so, what all is needed to add co2 from a tank into the aquarium. The Hagen thing releases about one bubble a second, the diy about 3 a second.

I have a Oddesea fluorescent lamp fixture that holds 2 65 watt bulbs. Currently I only use one and that's for about 9 hours a day.

Thanks for any help that comes my way!
Rob

 

[Postal Penguin]

I use pressurized on my 29g and love it.

Min equipment:
Tank
Regulator
Hose
Needle Valve
Bubble counter
Diffusion method(reactor, powerhead, ceramic, etc)

Optional but practically necessary:
Timer
Drop checker
Check valve

Optional:
pH controller

 

[Darkblade48]

As far as I know, the Hagen CO2 is essentially DIY CO2, just in a fancy package.

While you could use DIY CO2 on your tank, switching to pressurized means less hassle, and not having to deal with sugar, yeast and switching out bottles every so often.

With the lighting you have, your plants will definitely benefit from the addition of CO2 (then again, regardless of light, all plants will benefit from the addition of CO2).

As Postal Penguin mentioned, the bare minimum equipment includes:
CO2 Tank
Regulator
Airline Hose
Needle Valve

Also highly recommended:
Check valve
Drop checker
Solenoid - Postal Penguin forgot this Without a solenoid, you can't use a timer
Timer

Optional:
pH controller

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Thanks for the info, guys!

Now to find a source for all these things!



(Anthony... you are correct... Hagen is basically a diy sugar, yeast, baking soda setup in a pretty package.)

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

A quick question...

What size co2 tank do most folks use for their aquariums?

 

[speedie408]

A quick question...

What size co2 tank do most folks use for their aquariums?

I'd say 5lb-10lb bottles are the most common. If you've got a pair of mean guns, you can try a 20lb (they're heavy but will also last forever) roud:

Best price I've found for a brand new aluminum bottle (no hassles or bid wars) was at aquariumplants.com

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Thanks Nick!

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

So... I'm back to looking into setting up a pressurized co2 system and looking for recommendations for easy to use complete setups for my 29 gallon tank.

Any suggestions?

 

[Darkblade48]

If you are looking for a complete setup (minus the tank, I suppose) and don't want to build your own regulator, you should check out these sites:

http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/index.htm
http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/co2-regulators.html
http://sumoregulator.com/

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Well... I got one!

I found and bought a "Red Sea CO2 Pressure Regulator for Paintball CO2 Bottles" at a local fish store yesterday. Less than a mile away from that I found a sports store and bought a paintball co2 tank. Now I just need to find a place to fill it!

 

[Darkblade48]

I would check the sports store that you purchased the paintball CO2 tank from first. If not, paintball ranges should also have the equipment to refill the tanks.

 

[accordztech]

doesnt the paintball ones need some type of adapter to work with co2 valves?

 

[Darkblade48]

If you have a regulator with a CGA320 fitting, then you will need an adapter if you want to use it with paintball canisters.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

doesnt the paintball ones need some type of adapter to work with co2 valves?

It fits perfectly on the paintball cylinder I have... (Of course it's made for em...)

I do wonder how long a 12 oz cylinder will last on a 29 gallon tank...

 

[Darkblade48]

I was assuming accordztech was talking about standard CO2 regulators

Of course, the Red Sea CO2 kit is made for paintball canisters, so it will not need any adapters.

As for the duration a 12 oz cylinder will last, it really depends on how fast you are injecting it into the tank, and whether you are controlling it via a solenoid (i.e. turning it off at night). I'd say a few months, perhaps.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

I have ordered a solenoid.

Looks like I may get a larger cylinder!

 

[Darkblade48]

Do note that if you are getting a larger cylinder (i.e. a 5 lb or a 10 lb tank), your Red Sea regulator will not work on them.

 

[tacoman1423]

I have ordered a solenoid.

Looks like I may get a larger cylinder!

walmart should have a 24oz paintball tank at around $30.....24oz should be around 1.5 lbs

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Yup.... bought a "Spyder" 20 ounce cylinder at Fred Meyer on my way to work last night... $29.97.

Will call around later to find a place that'll fill em!

 

[Left C]

You can buy a larger CO2 cylinder, get the adapter(s) and refill your paintball cylinder yourself.