[pozman]

hi i am look for a some sort of co2 kit that not to cheap and not a really expensive, something that will get the job done in a 29 gallon tank.i think my plants are really hurting with out co2 and the chemicals arent helping at all.

 

[ddrfreak_tung]

go diy, cheaper then what you can buy for a commercial kit. WAYYY CHEAPER.

2 liter bottle
sugar
yeast
baking soda

 

[Noahma]

hi i am look for a some sort of co2 kit that not to cheap and not a really expensive, something that will get the job done in a 29 gallon tank.i think my plants are really hurting with out co2 and the chemicals arent helping at all.

http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/co2-regulators/choice-co2-regulator.html

GLA's stuff is top notch. Old punk on the forum used to offer a kit as well.

 

[jasonpatterson]

The choices:
DIY CO2 - Super cheap to set up, refills are expensive in the long run. For a 29 gallon you'd probably need at least 2 2L bottles, so 4 cups of sugar and a bit of yeast every week or two. It adds up fast and is relatively high maintenance. It's also not able to put out as much CO2 as a pressurized setup.

Paintball - You can put together a paintball setup for a reasonable price, less than $100. Refills aren't terribly priced, and you get the benefits of a pressurized setup.

5-10lb tank - Relatively expensive initial cost, extremely cheap in the long run. Depending on the equipment you want to buy, this can cost quite a bit to set up, though it can be done for substantially less if you buy used or lower quality parts. Refills are very cheap and last quite some time.

 

[ddrfreak_tung]

Oh oops I didn't read the post correctly, sorry 2 hr of sleep but
+1 on paintball

 

[Noahma]

Oh oops I didn't read the post correctly, sorry 2 hr of sleep but
+1 on paintball

LOL happens with me at least once per week with the no sleep.

I had a paintball setup on my 36 gal for a while, even with a nice regulated setup with solenoid, I was having to have my tank refilled monthly. I think the paintball setup works great for nano and smaller tanks, but once you get up above 15 gal, it makes more sense to go larger for the system.

 

[pozman]

ive read something online that it easy to od your fish on to much co2 with the diy

 

[btimmer92]

http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/co2-regulators/choice-co2-regulator.html

GLA's stuff is top notch. Old punk on the forum used to offer a kit as well.

I don't know whay Oldpunk stop making setups, Haven't seen any from him in a while, but I sell co2 setups too. More bang for your buck than GLA, in my strong opinion.

 

[pozman]

i dont think i am going to do diy i am probly going to get this http://www.petmountain.com/product/...ms/11442-107639/co2-natural-plant-system.html

 

[HypnoticAquatic]

that is diy lol just pay for a bottle to put it in but doesnt chance that its still diy

 

[somewhatshocked]

DIY yeast will last much longer than a week or two.

You can run champagne yeast and a bit of baking soda and get 8-10 weeks out of a bottle easily.

 

[tetra73]

I would consider 29g pretty big for DIY CO2. Yes, you would need at least 2 or 3 2L bottles. Depending on your plant mass and your bubble rates. If you are looking for 3 bps, definitely, you need 3 bottles. Yeast isn't expensive. Is the sugar. A 5lb sugar would last maybe 2 weeks for 2 to 3 bottles setup. A 5lb of sugar is about $4??? Do the math. Also, you need to stagger the bottles. You can have all 3 bottles starting at the same time. By doing so, you will first get a very high rate of CO2. After 1 week, your CO2 rate would taper off. Depending on the yeast and sugar, your CO2 rate will further taper off after that. You may want to refill one bottle after 1 week and another week with another bottle. As you can see, it is a lot of work.

CO2 paintball setup is OK. Fine tuning the bubble rate is pita. You may only need to refill the paintball tank after 1 month to 2 months, assuming you have no leaks.

The ultimate setup is a full CO2 system with regulator and regulator CO2 tank. You can purchase one here under $150, without the CO2 tank. I got mine here from the message board. The best decision I have made. I have a heavily planted tank. Supplying 4 bps isn't even enough, I think. It is a 40g tank. It is a set and forget system. I have a 10lb CO2 tank. It will probably last me at least 5 months worry free.

 

[inkslinger]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1529816/

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...226-fs-co2-supplies-new-regulators-added.html

They can help you !

 

[wi_blue]

Pozman, that Nutrafin is nice though it didn't cut it for my 20g. I upped to 2 2L bottles and just invested in a pressurized system. IMO the paintball is a nice medium.

 

[btimmer92]

i dont think i am going to do diy i am probly going to get this http://www.petmountain.com/product/...ms/11442-107639/co2-natural-plant-system.html

facepalm... that is the same thing as diy co2, except they put the yeast in fancy packets and call it "activator", and charge $30... the bottle and ladder are both nice, but you can make a bottle for free next time you finish a 2 liter of beverage.

there are 2 main categories of co2. There is "DIY", the kind where you mix yeast and sugar in a bottle of warm water to ferment and produce co2, and there is "pressurized", the kind where you have a pressurized tank of CO2 close to 1000 psi, and then you use a regulator to deliver the gas at a lower pressure. This regulator will have a needle valve on it, and usually other stuff like a solenoid(automatic shutoff), check valve, and bubble counter.

 

[pozman]

u guys got very good points, i think know i am just going to make my own diy co2 instead of buying it, i just want to do it right the first time becasue this is my first time with plants and co2

 

[btimmer92]

Learning from experience is necessary, it is good to gather information beforehand, but you just gotta accept that you may not do it right the first time, but then you do it right the next time. You can't go wrong trying out DIY co2, because the startup cost is negligible. But when you... I mean (if) you eventually decide that DIY is a huge pain, and if you can scrounge up enough money, then you will want to get a pressurized system.

 

[Chaoslord]

I did diy just to see if there would really be a difference. 1 week with the diy and my plants were acting like they were on steroids. So I definitely wanted co2. I did the math and the diy is cheaper to start but in the long run pressurized is cheaper. So I went pressurized, I got my regulator for 80 bucks it has a bubble counter and a solenoid, brand new bought it off the net. Refurbished 10 pound tank filled 60 bucks from a welding supply shop. It'll take me 1 1/2 years to break even and than its money saved. Plus there is no hassle making the mix.