Not sure where to post this...but I am becoming afraid

For lights I would say 9325k. Plus I dont see how you are saying pressurized CO2 is confusing. You buy a tank, you buy a regulator with the attachments, you attach the reg. to the tank, plug in the solenoid and Voila. If you started with a 5lb tank you should have to worry or even touch the system for a good year or more.

Any worry of the tank exploding? Also...$$ is an issue here, I had not planned on spending that much on CO2 for this tank...do you think I need pressurized?

No, the tank won't explode...
I think you might have a bit too much light for diy, but not sure. Excel could be supplemented to co2.
And 10,000k bulbs would work great for you.

Id go with 9325k myself. It looks SO much better IMO.

I don't see how someone could tell the differences between 9325k* and 10,000k, but w/e. I think they should be be fine, as long as they're in the 5,000k(red)-10,000k(blue).

i like current usa 10,000K and 6,700K 50/50 daylight bulbs

I have 6700K coralife freshwater bulbs that came with my 2x96W aqualight.....

I use a 40G tank with 192 W of light on a DIY CO2, ferts dosed everyday, on alternate days....(one fert/day)....been going for a couple weeks with this light now and no algae at all


if anyone should be on pressurized, it should be ME .....but i'm not...yet...maybe a few months down the road

pressurized Co2 is more simple than DIY is. I suppose if you've never used it before, it can be a bit intimidating. You may be best off getting one of those all-in-one combos (Milwaukee, JBJ), as they come with everything you need, except a Co2 tank, Co2 tubing and a diffuser (or reactor). Once you jump into it, you'll be kicking yourself about how easy it is and why you didn't do it before....seriously.
Plus, the benefits your plants will get compared to DIY....huge difference.

Agree

I would have to agree with the DIY vs. the pressurized way. I have used both and the pressurized is SOOO much easier and not hard at all to use. It is pretty self-sufficient once it is all set. Just read the instructions on the set up and you're there. I had my pressurized system all set up in less than an hour. The hardest part, I think, was where to put the stuff on and in the tank. Make sure that the regulator is screwed on the tank tight, check for leaks, set the pressure correctly, adjust the bubbles to about 1 or 2 bubbles per second and you'll be kicking yourself why you didn't do this sooner!!

Besides, if you have any problems, we are all here for you, right?

gotcheaprice said:

I don't see how someone could tell the differences between 9325k* and 10,000k, but w/e. I think they should be be fine, as long as they're in the 5,000k(red)-10,000k(blue).

Click to expand...

You can. It's more like 8800K vs 10KK. The 9325K bulbs look pretty nice.

9325 it is, I just wanted to make sure that the light wasn't that strange red color that I know I don't like. Well...perhaps I may bite the pressurized CO2 bullet. Where does one get the 5 lb CO2 tank? And how much is it? And will it explode? What about this: http://cgi.ebay.com/CO2-System-DELU...yZ117435QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Will this work? Also, why do you need a diffuser, I thought you just stuck the tubing into the canister filter?
Thanks

Or this, I just saw it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Milwaukee-MA957...ryZ66794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Besides this I would need a diffuser and a CO2 tank?

9325K are great bulbs but they are pink. I prefer to mix them with 10K myself.

epicfish said:

You can. It's more like 8800K vs 10KK. The 9325K bulbs look pretty nice.

Click to expand...

Ah, what are they so different if the kelvin ratings are so similar? Basically they have the color or 8800k(which is pink as someone posted? Thought green was between red and blue on the spectrum)? Hmm, if they're pinkish, I prefer the 10KKs more cause of the blueish tint for my fish, though I do have lots of red plants that could be nicer with that pinkish tint. I'll pick those up as my next set of bulbs.

Cwhite said:

Or this, I just saw it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Milwaukee-MA957...ryZ66794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Besides this I would need a diffuser and a CO2 tank?

Click to expand...

Cwhite,

You will need a CO2 tank and a method of diffusion. You might not have to buy the tank though. There are a lot of places that have you put down a large deposit to get a filled tank ($80 - $90), and then you can swap them out for refills that will cost you $10 to $15. This kind of depends on where you live and what the rules are, etc.

I bought a 10lb tank on Ebay for about $80 and got it filled locally at a fire extinguisher shop.

As far as diffusion goes, it is kind of up to you. You can go with a glass diffuser or a reactor. I went both ways on my 29 gallon tank and decided to stick with a DYI reactor modeled after Rex Grigg's reactor. I love it because I don't get any micro bubbles of CO2 in my tank and the CO2 seems to be better dissolved in the water column. It also gets rid of the extra gear in the tank. They are easily built and plummed into the outflow of a canister filter. There is a picture of one in my 29 gal journal.

Thank you, I am thinking about getting one going...still slightly worried about exploding CO2 tank. Can anyone tell me if the 9325 watt bulbs are pinkish, this is what I have heard, doesn't sound to good to me..maybe a mix of 10000 and 9325
Thanks

Can't tell you about the bulbs, but no, your co2 tank won't explode. I think you're being a bit paranoid, as people constantly use co2 tanks, especially in beverage dispensers(they use the same thing), but you don't see resturants blowing up from co2 mishaps?
You'll be safe unless you penetrate it or something xD Just don't shoot your gun around it! Lol, you could stick it inside a thick cabinet and hope it'll rid of all the shrapnel.

And omg! I just pressed backspace and lost the page, but pressed forward and this thing was blank! Luckily you could alt z! someone should stick that!

Cwhite said:

Can anyone tell me if the 9325 watt bulbs are pinkish, this is what I have heard, doesn't sound to good to me..maybe a mix of 10000 and 9325
Thanks

Click to expand...

Did you read my post? I already said they were pink.

I have run CO2 tanks for years under my saltwater tanks as part of a Calcium reactor, no issues, and that, is a HIGHLY corrosive environment.

I have only ever heard of one CO2 tank ever failing in the hobby, and it wasn't the tank that failed, but the regulator, it simply dumped a ton of CO2 into the house which was harmless. they wouldn't have even known it happened if it wasn't hissing like a mad animal.

as far as explosions - CO2 is non volatile, while under pressure it is a liquid, so you simply don't have that violent chemical reaction you have going on in a hollywood explosion happening in a CO2 tank, if one ruptures or fails, it will be because of externally induced trauma or extremely poor maintenance, and it will result in extremely fast outgassing, but nothing else.