co2 startup first time ever help?

[Georgiapeach88]

I have 5 tanks all with varying level of plants but my new project is overhauling my 36gallon bowfront tank. And debating adding a co2 set up. Fig I’d ask you lovely folks how to set up my first co2 system. What’s good beginner way to go bout it. What do I need to look out for.. Pic of my inspiration for my tank. Via md Fish tanks YouTube ch. pic of my new GBR pair. They will be in my 36g Amazon community once I redo my whole tank set up. Just waiting on my main manzanita wood centerpiece to arrive. I can’t get over how pretty my girl GBR is. 

[Vanish]

Let me start off by saying I love DIY. I built my entire 150g aquarium, from tank to stand to sump to light.

In this case, I don't recommend any of the "cheap" methods for CO2. Unstable CO2 is awkward for your plants and dangerous for your fish. The first time you experience a tank dump resulting in gassing all your fish you'll be upgrading anyway. I'll also say CO2 is not a magic bullet, as your plants growing faster absorb nutrients faster, and thus you start chasing deficiencies.

If you're going to get into it, do it right with a real dual stage (not gauge, that's preying on the uninformed, although your regulator should also have two gauges) regulator and quality components. I like the hobbyist built systems on ebay / plantedtank by far more than the prepackages systems like CO2Art. Definitely avoid cartridge based systems, the expense adds up extremely quickly to the point where you'll be kicking yourself for not fronting the money for a true CO2 tank.

My system was expensive up front; total around $600. 20lb tank, dual stage stainless regulator / needle valve, dwyer flowmeter, DIY rex griggs reactor. It has been running flawlessly for 6+ years at a cost of $14 / year supplying CO2 for a 90g aquarium. Only need to swap the CO2 tank about once a year.

Edit: I forgot to mention - the CO2 more than pays for the cost of itself through the sale of extra plants.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Vanish

[gjcarew]

On the other side of the spectrum I bought a $50 regulator, inline diffuser, and CO2 canister from some random Chinese brand off Amazon and it has been running fine for the past three years. Overall cost was $150 and it does the job as well as any other system.

I don't recommend DIY, for many of the reasons Vanish mentioned above. But if you want to go that route, Christel Kasselmann has a decades-old method that is sound. 

[Mmiller2001]

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why

[Georgiapeach88]

Thanks everyone. Will look/ read everything and try not to get confused 😂😂 going to take me a sec to understand everything. 

[Torrey]

On 1/25/2022 at 8:31 PM, Georgiapeach88 said:

And debating adding a co2 set up. Fig I’d ask you lovely folks how to set up my first co2 system. What’s good beginner way to go bout it. What do I need to look out for.

Cory just posted a fabulously easy introduction on how to set up CO2, and the mistakes most folx make. 

I want to say Saturday?

He walks everyone through why the tank needs to be in the house for a while before hooking up the system, demonstrates how to get the pressure right and how to adjust the number of drops per second, and why the pressure will need to be adjusted again. 

Except he explains all of it while setting up the CO2 for Ladybird, so we (the audience) get to actually see how each part of the system interacts. 

I suspect that you will want to bookmark the video for future reference. 

[Mydonkeyfish]

I also want to set up co2 on my 75 but i am waiting for the aquarium co op regualtor!😄

[Georgiapeach88]

On 1/26/2022 at 11:14 PM, Torrey said:

Cory just posted a fabulously easy introduction on how to set up CO2, and the mistakes most folx make. 

I want to say Saturday?

He walks everyone through why the tank needs to be in the house for a while before hooking up the system, demonstrates how to get the pressure right and how to adjust the number of drops per second, and why the pressure will need to be adjusted again. 

Except he explains all of it while setting up the CO2 for Ladybird, so we (the audience) get to actually see how each part of the system interacts. 

I suspect that you will want to bookmark the video for future reference. 

Oh that’s awesome yes will definitely check that out.