Zabman Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi All, I want to have CO2 in my tank but don't know where to start - HFF sells a kit with everything in it except a bottle but it costs 660 bucks!! If I was to buy this: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farmi ... 358268.htm Would it be suitable and what else would I need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 The problem is that a lot of CO2 suppliers won't refill anything but their own rental bottles - so they can make sure they are safe etc, although there are exceptions. In addition to the bottle you'll need all sorts of other bits to do the job properly, so $660 isn't really that bad - I paid nearly 2K for a fully automated set-up. When all is said and done CO2 isn't necessary for most aquariums - unless you are trying to breed difficult fish there are usually better alternatives - more light for plant growth, bog wood to lower pH, buffers to stabilise pH etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabman Posted August 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Thanks for your post TheConch! Thats a lot of money to spend!!! I'm not sure if you have seen my post in the freshwater section but am looking for a heavily planted tank feedback has suggested that a CO2 system would be the cheapest in the long run! The thing on trademe comes with a bottle which you can swap at the supermarket so would be ideal - its all the fittings and counters and what not that concern me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 suppliers won't refill anything but their own rental bottles - so they can make sure they are safe etc CO2 bottles are checked and certified just like LPG heater bottles. They are just trying to screw money out of you by making you rent. There is always some one round who will refill them, usually smaller guys that also do fire extinguishers. Building up your own system is far cheaper, I had a fire extinguisher converted, bottle (including valve, cert, and fill) was about $120, the regulator was about the same again. This is about all your need, the rest is just a needle valve, some hose, and you can DIY a diffuser The setups with small swap bottles will be using soda stream bottles, these are fine but expensive long term because the bottle's don't last that long and cost a lot more to swap than a bigger bottle is to refill. But with saying that when I was running CO2 in planted tank it wasn't long before the plants had grown to the point that I was just pulling them out each week, so I removed the CO2 to slow them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Oh and once you have used bottled CO2 you will wonder why any one would ever bother with those DIY yeast CO2 things. Don't forget plants need nutrients, light and CO2 to grow, so make sure you sort out a good substrate and light as well or you are wasting your time with CO2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabman Posted August 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Lighting is high and substrate is as well - I honestly think my limiting factor will be CO2. If you could help me with this, ie how and where you got your stuff from - what everything does, it would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 As I said the bottle come from a scrap metal dealer, I just walked in and asked for his best looking CO2 fire extinguisher. The one I got was aluminum, but the tester said if you can get a really old steel one they are more likely to pass the test. The company that did the certification and changed the valve is here. http://yellow.co.nz/companies/Gas-Cylinder-Testing/Porirua-Cylinder-Testing-Laboratory/100412079_8405.html Which is no use to you at all unless you want to travel down to Wellington. I also got my regulator from him, but BOC sells them as do a few other places (like TM) just make sure you get a CO2 one, some of the other type's can't handle the acidic CO2. Once the CO2 is coming out of the regulator it is low pressure and you can treat it just like air coming out of your air pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabman Posted August 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Making some slow progress - purchased a regulator!!! LE250-RG001 Now I just need to get a needle valve, solenoid valve & learn how to control how much CO2 is going into the Diffuser (and how much I need)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 learn how to control how much CO2 is going into the Diffuser I made my own bubble counter, but they are cheap enough to buy now. Basically I got a small clear(ish) pill bottle, drilled two holes in the lid, that are a tight fit round the tubing that I pushed through them. The tube coming from the needle valve goes to the bottom of the bottle, bottle is 1/2-3/4 filled with water, the other tube is above the water line. Once the gas is on you can see the bubbles going up through the water. You should also look at getting a one way valve to stop your bubble counter and tank water syphoning back into the CO2 bottle when the gas runs out. Theres a guy on TM that sell stainless steel ones for about $10, perlenz(?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Making some slow progress - purchased a regulator!!! LE250-RG001 Now I just need to get a needle valve, solenoid valve & learn how to control how much CO2 is going into the Diffuser (and how much I need)! You can get all in one setups for about $170 + bottle. Add a bubble counter to your list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabman Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Have a needle valve, making a reactor. Problem - the only darn bubble counters I can find in NZ to buy are part of all in one setups. Can anyone please pretty please point me in the direction of one or 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabman Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I say a plastic one on TM that didn't really appeal. I really like the JBJ one but don't know if it can be bought here individually. Never used Ebay - wouldnt have a clue how to get the stuff here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 A Co2 proof non return valve is a must, the normal plastic ones you buy will not hack the pace, I use the stainless one that I purhased off pearlingnz, you had better invest in some Co2 proof airline as well, the normal stuff goes brittle. I have a bubble counter that came as part of a setup that I don't use, it is sort of like the one Suphew described, clear plastic bottle with a green top that you attach the line to. Drop me a PM if you are interested in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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