CO2 Equipment

[jonathan]

Hello,

I am interested in adding a CO2 system to my tank. Right now I have the cheap Hagen Natural Plant system, but am looking for something to boost growth.

Is there a difference between the "aquarium" co2 regulators and the less expensive co2 regulators used for beer kegs?

Please let me know if anyone knows of any good deals on the internet.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[savga]

I don't know what a beer keg CO2 regulator is like, but I'm sure that any regulator that will regulate the pressure to a few psi will work. You will need a needle valve and a bubble counter also. Many CO2 regulators made for aquariums also have a solenoid valve so the CO2 will turn on and off with your lights or can be controlled by a pH controller.

 

[jonathan]

thanks for you response.

 

[trenac]

Jonathan, here is a link for making your own pressurized C02 system... http://sammyxp.tripod.com/html/id23.html

 

[Guest]

I buy the plain old beer regulators. I get them locally for $50 each. And they are great units. Harbor Freight has a good unit for for $30 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47259 that will work just fine. You will, as stated, need a needle valve and quite possibly an adapter or two to make a standard regulator work with your needle valve. And believe it or not the Hagen ladder makes a great CO2 diffuser in up to a 30 gallon or so tank. The LFS is using one in a 55 gallon and getting around 20-25 ppm of CO2.

 

[Troy H]

You can get by with just about any CO2 regulator and needle valve for a simple setup, I personally like the ones made by Taprite if your not going to use any type of controlled output (as in off and on with your lighting or a pH controller) and I use the hagen "ladder" in my 29s and 30 with excellent results, in fact for the money, it's probably about the best I've found for tanks 30 gallon and smaller.

The only problem I see with going with the harbor freight regulator is it is a Chinese import, and it only has like a 90 day warranty, and Harborfrieght changes their inventory so frequently, it's a crap shoot as to whether or not they'll be able to give you a replacement should it be neccessary. It also isn't standard for American tanks, they give you an adapter to fit, which is one more connection to add to the possibility of leaks.

If your looking for just a plain jane regulator, Rapids wholesale sells a store brand or even a Tap Rite for a few dollars more and both of those have safety valves against end of tank dump, which is a good thing if you're not using a controller and solenoid valve. It's always better to keep an eye on the tank of course and not let it run down that far, but any back up is a good thing.