Beginner CO2 opinions

[KentFishFanUK]

What's people thoughts on these type beginner CO2 set ups? There are a few different brands making them and I know you can DIY the same thing but they are cheap and easy and don't take up much space, but do they actually do anything? 

I actually want to avoid a 'proper' co2 set up due to the expense and chance of messing things up - I don't like the idea that if I let it slide or it runs out while I'm away for a few days or something that all my plants might start to die back or I suddenly get an algae bloom or something. I also don't have room for one.

I want to keep things easy and low tech but wondered if I could use one of these set ups for the occasional 'boost' to get things established. Is that possible or is it better to stick with no added co2 for stability? 

Pics so you know what I'm talking about:

[Fish Folk]

On 8/11/2021 at 3:24 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

What's people thoughts on these type beginner CO2 set ups? There are a few different brands making them and I know you can DIY the same thing but they are cheap and easy and don't take up much space, but do they actually do anything? 

I actually want to avoid a 'proper' co2 set up due to the expense and chance of messing things up - I don't like the idea that if I let it slide or it runs out while I'm away for a few days or something that all my plants might start to die back or I suddenly get an algae bloom or something. I also don't have room for one.

I want to keep things easy and low tech but wondered if I could use one of these set ups for the occasional 'boost' to get things established. Is that possible or is it better to stick with no added co2 for stability? 

Pics so you know what I'm talking about:

The method used by Ocean Aquarium , San Francisco is very simple and best for those who do not want to get into a big set up.

Here is Aquarium Co Op video -- he gets right into CO2 the easy way at the beginning...

We have sometimes done this with an inverted 50 ml. Turbidity Column, dosing CO2 - ca. 50 ml / 30 gal during daylight. 

 

If you have access to rigid airline, you can make the "hooks" like he does at the SF Store. Otherwise, you can bend a coat hanger, and slide airline over top of it. My son made a YouTube video awhile back explaining this DIY approach...

It works, but the DIY is guaranteed to explode eventually. I like the bottled CO2 with airline attached. I think it could work out very well!

[Jungle Fan]

On 8/11/2021 at 1:24 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

What's people thoughts on these type beginner CO2 set ups? There are a few different brands making them and I know you can DIY the same thing but they are cheap and easy and don't take up much space, but do they actually do anything? 

I actually want to avoid a 'proper' co2 set up due to the expense and chance of messing things up - I don't like the idea that if I let it slide or it runs out while I'm away for a few days or something that all my plants might start to die back or I suddenly get an algae bloom or something. I also don't have room for one.

I want to keep things easy and low tech but wondered if I could use one of these set ups for the occasional 'boost' to get things established. Is that possible or is it better to stick with no added co2 for stability? 

Pics so you know what I'm talking about:

They work, and you don't have the risk of end of tank dump as with most DIY. You won't see nearly the same results as with a pressurized system with a CO2 regulator but I've used something like this long before CO2 became all the rage. In Germany they had a contraption like it that was marketed by a hobbyist from the Black Forest region; it was a bell made of glass by his local glass blowers outfitted with some suction cups, all you had to do was go to your local welding gas supply and get an inspected CO2 cylinder outfitted with a hose and you would refill the bell from it when the water level in the bell rose because the gas had been diffused.

Some advice, if you are going to go with this system get yourself a small piece of cork to float inside the cylinder, it makes it easier to see when your CO2 is low, respectively the water is up, and it is time to refill. It's what I used to do.

[Jungle Fan]

Just remembered what you said about the "occasional boost". This system really is more designed for continuous use than the occasional boost, aside from the fact that fluctuations in CO2 supply will show in diminished plant growth, the boost this system will supply is really not enough that a one time application may provide any notable difference. It is over time that a cylinder/bell system like this will show its effect, so don't get discouraged if it will take a few months to see the effect.

[KentFishFanUK]

On 8/11/2021 at 8:02 PM, Jungle Fan said:

Just remembered what you said about the "occasional boost". This system really is more designed for continuous use than the occasional boost, aside from the fact that fluctuations in CO2 supply will show in diminished plant growth, the boost this system will supply is really not enough that a one time application may provide any notable difference. It is over time that a cylinder/bell system like this will show its effect, so don't get discouraged if it will take a few months to see the effect.

Thanks! When I mentioned occasional boost I was more thinking like maybe I could do it for a few months until everything is grown in nice then maybe stop? Or algae starts creeping in so I do co2 for a couple months again to help the plants overtake the algae again and that sort of thing. So a 'low and slow' approach is fine as long as I don't need to keep it up permanently forever without ruining the progress I've made. 

That being said, do the fluctuations in co2 with that approach 'diminish' plant growth to the point I would be better not doing any and keeping it stable from the beginning? I mostly like the idea of speeding things up a bit until everything is well established but don't want to commit to doing it forever to keep it that way!

[KentFishFanUK]

On 8/11/2021 at 4:21 PM, Fish Folk said:

The method used by Ocean Aquarium , San Francisco is very simple and best for those who do not want to get into a big set up.

Here is Aquarium Co Op video -- he gets right into CO2 the easy way at the beginning...

We have sometimes done this with an inverted 50 ml. Turbidity Column, dosing CO2 - ca. 50 ml / 30 gal during daylight. 

 

If you have access to rigid airline, you can make the "hooks" like he does at the SF Store. Otherwise, you can bend a coat hanger, and slide airline over top of it. My son made a YouTube video awhile back explaining this DIY approach...

It works, but the DIY is guaranteed to explode eventually. I like the bottled CO2 with airline attached. I think it could work out very well!

Thanks! I'll be checking out the videos! 

[Jungle Fan]

The bell method will achieve results but speed is not one of its characteristics, you will see better growth than without CO2 for sure, you won't have any of the possible dangerous side effects of end of tank dump as with some of the DIY, and single stage regulators (dual stage are the safe way to go if you ever decide you want a pressurized system),  however consistency is the deciding factor. Keeping the bell refilled and sticking with it is key, if you go back and forth you likely won't be happy with the results. It's cheap enough if you can get the cylinder/bell and then get your own CO2 cylinder to refill it with. We don't have Tropica here in America for the most part so I'm not familiar how much the spray bottles are but if you can get your on CO2 cylinder I only pay $14.50 (10.46 British pounds) for a 5lb. CO2 cylinder refill here in Colorado and that is usually every  5 to 6 months where I'm getting them refilled now.

I'm running my 5lb. cylinder on a 75 gallon (about 284L) tank.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[KentFishFanUK]

On 8/11/2021 at 8:55 PM, Jungle Fan said:

The bell method will achieve results but speed is not one of its characteristics, you will see better growth than without CO2 for sure, you won't have any of the possible dangerous side effects of end of tank dump as with some of the DIY, and single stage regulators (dual stage are the safe way to go if you ever decide you want a pressurized system),  however consistency is the deciding factor. Keeping the bell refilled and sticking with it is key, if you go back and forth you likely won't be happy with the results. It's cheap enough if you can get the cylinder/bell and then get your own CO2 cylinder to refill it with. We don't have Tropica here in America for the most part so I'm not familiar how much the spray bottles are but if you can get your on CO2 cylinder I only pay $14.50 (10.46 British pounds) for a 5lb. CO2 cylinder refill here in Colorado and that is usually every  5 to 6 months where I'm getting them refilled now.

I'm running my 5lb. cylinder on a 75 gallon (about 284L) tank.

Ah well if I can find it for that price then it is cheap at least! Though I was hoping I could use it without needing to be consistent. Maybe I'll see how everything grows without it for now. Thanks for your help!

[Andy's Fish Den]

The kits like you posted and others can be used, but I would only use for a small tank. I used the Fluval one several years ago on a nano (5ish) gallon tank. the hard part was remembering to open the valve and fill the diffuser with co2 to dissipate into the water throughout the day. Some of them now may come with a regulator or solenoid that can be set up with a timer. My recommendation is you think you may want to use co2 one one or multiple tanks in the future, go ahead and buy a co2 kit with regulator, solenoid, and get a 5lb pressurized tank and go that route. Over time, you wont be spending more money by the time you buy the small kits and buy refill tanks of co2.