Adrienne Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Please keep your answers simple :oops: I'm looking at using a CO2 system with my new tank. Firstly, if it has a sump as well as an external cannister is it worth while or not? :-? Secondly, the more I read about systems and look the more confused I get about what I need. Can you buy a complete system or do you have to get it as separate parts? If its seperate parts what exactly do I need? Thanks as always Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 no such luck that its idiot proof.i was going to co2 my five footer but i decided not to after the home brew of co2 exploded.what a mess.the plants are growing well with out it.i just add ferts if plants need it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemines Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 i saw a red sea co2 set up in HFF mt roskill, about $600 and then you need a gas bottle. very good if you can afford it, and a lot more control over how much co2 you're putting in and certainty that is it co2 by itself and not any yeast by-product. carbon is extremely important for plant growth but remember the Lieberg minimum law, if one factor is missing or not in proportion, growth will be restricted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Best way to inject co2 is through pressurised co2. To put it as simply as i can, you buy or rent a gas bottle filled with co2, and slowly diffuse it into the water. Complicated part starts now: You need a co2 regulator to get the gas out of the co2 tank, plus a needle valve (which attaches to the regulator) so you can make the correct amount come out at a time. Regulators with needle valves can usually be bought on trademe for around $150 for an alright one. I think there are even cheaper ones there though, just single gauge ones, but even they would be fine. You then need the bottle. You can rent them from BOC gas and gear for around $10 a month, plus $30 for a fill (you need to pay for the first fill, but will probably only need it filled ever two years or so for the D size bottle (i think the smallest is D) OR you can buy a bottle from somewhere (not sure where, trademe often has them) and get it filled somewhere, but the down side to that is that you have to get it tested and certed every 5 or so years (i think) Once you have all that stuff, you will need some tubing (cheap as chips on trademe for co2 tubing) and a diffuser or reactor of some sort. The diffuser/reactor is what puts the co2 into the water in your tank. You can get them on trademe for $20-$30 for an alright one, and a bonus for you is you could stick it in your sump (which would keep the clutter out of the tank) The only problem you have is that by having a sump, the water gets alot of surface movement, and gets thrown around everywhere, so all the co2 you put into the water will just de-gas, and it will be pretty pointless. Having co2 on your tank would help, but not as much as it would by having it on a tank without a sump. IMO, you dont need co2, as your fish will create enough waste to keep your plant needs up, but it definately does help. Im sure that probably confused you, because i pretty much confused myself, but i hope in some way that it helps..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 CO2 provides carbon to your plants so they can build plant material and grow. This process needs lots of other components to be complete and work. Without these things (including good lighting) you are wasting your time and money. A cheaper source of carbon would be to add flourish excel as that will provide the carbon and then you will see if that makes a lot of difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayci Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 I wish I knew how to make flourish excel. Too expensive that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Cheaper than $600 worth of CO2 equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I am currently using Flourish but not flourish excel. I have bristlenose, corys and rams in the tank currently and will be adding discus - wasn't sure how they would go with the excel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I use Flourish Excel on my planted tank with nine adult discus and they are fine. I only dose at the recommended rate though and don't recommend double dosing as I have lost fish that way in the past. I would like to get a proper CO2 setup but in the meantime Flourish Excel is working well plus I no longer have any Black Beard Algae in the tank. I would recommend giving the Flourish Excel a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I seem to remember that a company put out a pretty good CO2 unit that just screwed into a soadstream bottle....gave about a years worth for a tank (dep onsize of course) had teh mixer the fine needle valve and all. It may have been JBL but not 100% on that. I think around $500 + bottle for +/- $45. Very easyto use and get refils etc. HTH Navarre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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