Ron Uni Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 Hello Everyone, Im thinking about adding a CO2 kit to my planted aquarium and was wondering what y'alls thought was with this kit, what do y'all use and what would y'all recommend. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory Waliser Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 If you plan on using CO2 long term, I would personally bite the bullet and spend the couple hundred dollars on a good regulator and gauge kit. The fluval kit works fine, but there is no need adjustment for this system so I found it very difficult to adjust my bps down to where I needed in a couple of my smaller planted tanks. A decent kit can be a bit spendy but I promise it's worth it. I've tried a few cheap ones that either don't keep a steady bubble rate or a gauge will break and dump a full tank of CO2 in 5 minutes. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 I tried four of them, but I should have tried one. It was interesting to play with C02, but it is so hard to get precise control with a single-stage regulator. I would only get a dual-stage regulator with a solenoid that you can control with an outlet timer, or via pH and timer with an Apex system. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Uni Posted August 5, 2021 Author Share Posted August 5, 2021 @Rory Waliser @Streetwise thank you guys for your input. I think I'll wait a little bit before I buy a CO2 system. Been reading lots of really bad reviews of Fluval CO2 kit so if anything I'll probably use Cory's Easy Carbon instead. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 Easy Carbon is more about algae management and is not the same as dosing CO2. At some point, I will try CO2 again with my Apex. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Uni Posted August 5, 2021 Author Share Posted August 5, 2021 Gotcha so I'll let nature do it's self and hopefully the lighting I'm getting well help the plants grow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabetus Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 I bought one and returned it. Opted for a CO2 generator set up on amazon. A little bit of an investment ($80 for the kit, which came with the tank, solenoid, regulator, bubble counter, and funnel), but then to make the CO2 you do a ratio of citric acid and baking soda. Far more worth it than the little kit, those tiny CO2 tanks cost a fortune. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gestaltgal Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Just to put it out there: I have a 20 gallon that I have a Fluval Co2 on and it works fabulously. I have it set to 1 bubble every 2 seconds and my pogostemon stellatus octopus loves it. I have to change the Co2 about every month and a half. I did by solenoid to add, so it turns off when the lights go out. I may have just gotten lucky! And it works great for me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cohen Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 It is very weak and will only last a 10 gallon tank 2 weeks in my experience. It’s a good start but if you want co2 I would recommend spending a lot and get a 5-20 pound co2 cylinder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Uni Posted August 8, 2021 Author Share Posted August 8, 2021 Thanks @diabetus would you happen to have the link of what you got on Amazon? I'll probably leave it for the a future buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Uni Posted August 8, 2021 Author Share Posted August 8, 2021 @Gestaltgal sounds like you did get lucky but you also invested a little more to improve the product, do you have a link that you could share? Thanks for responding btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory Waliser Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 On 8/6/2021 at 2:42 PM, Gestaltgal said: Just to put it out there: I have a 20 gallon that I have a Fluval Co2 on and it works fabulously. I have it set to 1 bubble every 2 seconds and my pogostemon stellatus octopus loves it. I have to change the Co2 about every month and a half. I did by solenoid to add, so it turns off when the lights go out. I may have just gotten lucky! And it works great for me. @Ron Uni I must clarify that I was supplying to a 10 gallon tank when I tried the fluval kit. I needed to get it down to around 1 bubble every 3 seconds and it was just so difficult to get it there and keep it there. If you need more flow, I would say it is very attainable with the fluval kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 My tests were with two on a 20 gallon, and umm… one each on a pair of 2.5 gallon tanks. I could get them just barely dialed in for the slowest flow, but only if I wanted to run 24/7. If I turned them off and then on again, I had to re-tune. I could have made them work with solenoids, but that just led me to back to looking at dual-stage regulators with cool and quiet solenoids. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtydave Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 On 8/6/2021 at 3:42 PM, Gestaltgal said: Just to put it out there: I have a 20 gallon that I have a Fluval Co2 on and it works fabulously. I have it set to 1 bubble every 2 seconds and my pogostemon stellatus octopus loves it. I have to change the Co2 about every month and a half. I did by solenoid to add, so it turns off when the lights go out. I may have just gotten lucky! And it works great for me. Pogestamon stelatus octopus will grow like crazy regardless of what you do or do not do.Ive been in the hobby for 53 years and can definitively say its the fastest growing easiest to propagate plant I've ever come across. It's been my first suggestion as a plant to anyone looking into having a planted tank. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gestaltgal Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 On 8/8/2021 at 11:56 PM, Dirtydave said: Pogestamon stelatus octopus will grow like crazy regardless of what you do or do not do.Ive been in the hobby for 53 years and can definitively say its the fastest growing easiest to propagate plant I've ever come across. It's been my first suggestion as a plant to anyone looking into having a planted tank. Interesting! I couldn't get it to grow until the Co2 went in. The dwarf hairgrass also did better after the Co2. Because my water is pressurized, it off-gasses quite a bit when coming out of the tap (enough to drop more than 1 whole pH!), so I wonder if that's what does it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gestaltgal Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 @Ron Uni I added a solenoid from Amazon to be able to turn the Co2 off and on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtydave Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 On 8/9/2021 at 8:53 PM, Gestaltgal said: Interesting! I couldn't get it to grow until the Co2 went in. The dwarf hairgrass also did better after the Co2. Because my water is pressurized, it off-gasses quite a bit when coming out of the tap (enough to drop more than 1 whole pH!), so I wonder if that's what does it! Wish I had the answer but I don't I'm a low yeck guy,but the PSO grows like mad.Does the same for friends I give it to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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