NickD Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 I have a 29 gallon with some plants that are co2 recommended. Can anyone provide a link to a reliable and not insanely expensive co2 setup? I have 2 sponge filters as well, I re-did my tank yesterday and I was squeezing out the dirt for literally 30 minutes. Then it finally got clear and more clean. These sponges have been in the tank for half a year. Should I replace the sponges now or do that later, and in general how do I maintain a sponge filter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Sounds like you have really good sponges. you really only need to replace them when they start to break down. other than that, just keep using them and cleaning them. It's easiest to take them over to a sink and just use tap water. even on city water. there's not enough chlorine in the water to kill your beneficial bacteria unless you let them soak in it for over an hour. and the running tap water really speeds the cleaning of them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bsquared Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 I am currently running an Fzone regulator which is about $60-70 bucks on a 5lb CO2 container from a homebrewing supplier in my area. The whole setup cost about $100 and a refill on the tank costs me $20. I have only used maybe an 1/4 of my tank so far over the past 6 months though running 1 bubble per second so I shouldn't need to refill for over a year. The Fzone regulator is not anywhere near top of the line and needle valve isn't buttery smooth but so far I have not had any issues. Once dialed in it has been rock solid. Even with this "cheap" pressurized system it is still miles ahead of a diy or baking soda based system. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 (edited) @Bsquaredhow does a co2 setup work? Edited March 19 by NickD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Agreed that a 5lb tank with a regulator is the way to go. I’ve had a couple of the citric acid and baking soda mix-your-own setups too, and they work well, but over the years I got tired of buying citric acid and mixing my own. Also agreed that sponges just need cleaned and not replaced. I’ve had some of my sponges for 4 years and they’re still chugging right along. Maybe at the 10 year mark I’ll think about replacing them. CO2 systems go: CO2 source ->Regulator->Bubble Counter->Airline Tubing into the tank->Diffusor. I would also recommend a drop checker so you know where you’re at and you can dial it in based on your goals. What plants do you have that are CO2 recommended? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWMEYER Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 We never clean our Sponge filters until hardly any bubbles come out and they are totally clogged. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 (edited) @AllFishNoBrakesbunch of baby tears can u just get a 5 pound tank on Amazon? @AllFishNoBrakescan u list all the required items needed for a co2 setup as well Edited March 19 by NickD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 (edited) Ya, I bought both of my 5lb tanks from Amazon. Then took them to the local welding supply place and swapped them for filled tanks as it was cheaper to do that than just buy the full tank from them. You’ll need: -CO2 Tank -CO2 Regulator (most regulators come with bubble counters) -Airline Tubing -Check Valve -CO2 diffusor -Drop checker (most of them come with the solution you need to put in the drop checker) Optional, but very valuable in my opinion: -Some kind of filtration to keep the CO2 bubbles in suspension longer. Some people run a canister filter with inline CO2. I have 3 different setups, but they all basically do the same thing. 1) Canister filter. Outflow nozzle is pointed down with the diffusor below it, so the CO2 rises from the diffusor, and then gets pushed back down and around the tank. 2) Internal filter with a small spraybar angled down. Same theory. Bubbles rise, and then get pushed back down and across the tank 3) Small wavemaker in my 55 gallon. Same theory. Bubble rise, then get pushed back down and across the tank. Edited March 20 by AllFishNoBrakes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bsquared Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 @AllFishNoBrakes lined everything out nicely. On a 29 gallon tank you should be able to get away with a simple CO2 diffuser as long as you aren't cranking to CO2. In my experience once you go past 1-2 bubbles per second, especially using a "cheaper" diffuser you start to have a lot of larger bubbles forming and not really getting absorbed into the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 On 3/19/2024 at 5:38 PM, Bsquared said: In my experience once you go past 1-2 bubbles per second Agreed. My 29’s are about 2 bubbles per second. Maaaaaybe just a tad more, but not 3. That’s where the drop checker is really handy. I’m not going for 30ppm, just a nice extra boost to help out the plants and ward off algae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted March 20 Author Share Posted March 20 @AllFishNoBrakesi use 2 sponge filters, will that work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 (edited) On 3/19/2024 at 6:52 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said: 2) Internal filter with a small spraybar angled down. Same theory. Bubbles rise, and then get pushed back down and across the tank 3) Small wavemaker in my 55 gallon. Same theory. Bubble rise, then get pushed back down and across the tank. I did both of these at first. It worked, but the internal filter with a spray bar needed to be cleaned weekly. And neither that or the wavemaker were exactly beauty points in the tank… The wavemaker pretty much needed to have leaves cleared from the grate every day or so,.. I ended up going with a canister filter with a spray bar and an inline diffuser. No regrets. Cost more upfront, but works the best… before you choose a tank, check with local refill shop for their price. For me it was cheaper to buy a swap tank from them, than buy from Amazon.. with my refil shop, a 20 pound tank only costs $10.00 more to fill than a 5. The tank itself cost twice as much…. A 5 pound tank lasted me about 6 weeks running 2, 29 gallon tanks and a single 20 high…. The 20 pound should last me 6 months. The tank upgrade ends up paying off for me in 1 year… your mileage may vary. It is worth finding out what the various options cost. Edited March 20 by Pepere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 On 3/19/2024 at 7:15 PM, NickD said: i use 2 sponge filters, will that work? It can, but I really recommend some kind of filtration that is going to keep the bubbles in suspension longer. I did a sponge filter and the CO2 diffuser for a long time. Upgrading to an additional internal filter to suspend the bubbles longer and circulate them around the tank more was a game changer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhugger Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 On 3/19/2024 at 9:29 PM, Pepere said: with local refill shop for their price. That was my experience as well. A clerk in a local welding shop was fantastically helpful. Swapping out tanks takes just minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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