Researching Pressurized CO2

[JDogg]

ok..right now i am running DIY CO2 on my 75 gal... 6 bottles, diffused though a powerhead... i am getting good CO2 IME... ~60 ppm...

but due to the fact that the tank is in the coldest room of the house the CO2 production is getting slower.. last time i changed mix it took ~ 48 hours to get positive pressure... ( and that was using 2x as much yeast!)

i am now thinking of going pressurized...but am on a budget!

so i would like those of you experienced with pressurized to give some impute on going pressurized on the cheap

i would thinking of using a ph controller to conserve the CO2...

what would be a good system for a moderately planted 75? would one like THIS based on a paintball bottle work?

or should i look into something that uses like a 5-10 lb bottle? where is the cheapest place to pick up pressurized supplies?

i am thinking i will keep the Powerhead diffusion i have now since i am happy with the levels i am getting... so all i really need is... please let me know if i am missing anything
a bottle
ph controller
Regulator w/ emergency pressure release
Needle Valve

i am basing my set up one THIS

 

[mr funktastic]

u can get the milawake regualtor and ph controller for a decent price on ebay. then for the bottle look into local welding supply stores or home brewer places. u would want a larger set up like the 5 or 10 pound since a paintball bottle wouldnt last very long. www.rexgrigg.com also sells great regulators at a great price. u can get one with a solonoid to shut off co2 at night rather than spending the money on a ph controller.

 

[JDogg]

u can get the milawake regualtor and ph controller for a decent price on ebay. then for the bottle look into local welding supply stores or home brewer places. u would want a larger set up like the 5 or 10 pound since a paintball bottle wouldnt last very long. www.rexgrigg.com also sells great regulators at a great price. u can get one with a solonoid to shut off co2 at night rather than spending the money on a ph controller.

is shutting of the co2 at night ok? i do not want to stress my fish too much with large ph swings? my tap ph is 8.0 and with 60 ppm CO2 it is 6.8...

 

[rkilling1]

I agree with mr funktastic on this one. If this is for a single tank, then the Milwaukee regulator with solenoid would be my number one pick. Having a pH controller is up to you. I do not have one. I regulate my CO2 based on a pH 'drop checker' and I like to shut off the CO2 at night to save money.

Remember pH swings caused my carbonic acid (CO2) will not harm your fish. pH swings caused my changing your KH will.

If you read thru Tom Barr's web site, barrreport.com, you see plenty of posts where he agrees with turning off the CO2 at night.

EDIT: as for the pH controller, remember it only works if you maintain it. ie calibrate every so often and keep it clean.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Mine shuts off at night, and no problems with the fish. I've disconnected my controller, since it started going hay-wire on me. So I now have it turn on and off with my lights.

As for the paintball cylinder, you are going to be going in often to get it refilled. It's better to get a 5lb or 10lb bottle. Less trips, and overall, less cost. It cost me 30.00 to fill both my 10lb bottles, and I don't expect to refill them for about 9 months to a year. The 5lb I had lasted right at about 6 months, then I traded up for the 10lb.

 

[rkilling1]

So I now have it turn on and off with my lights.

FWIW, You may want to modify that setup a little LWB. Most people agree that the CO2 should start 30 minutes prior to the lights to get the CO2 up to the proper level before the plants start to consume it.

EDIT: here is some good info on going pressurized, JDogg:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=86379

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Actually, the 30 minutes doesn't do anything for me. I'm starting to use purely CO2 mist. So once the lights are on, the mist begins and the tank is full of mist. Besides, I have too many wires, etc, and don't want to get another timer. I'm finding with the mist I'm getting better growth, and much less algae. Not sure if you remember the pics I posted on the algae problems I was having with my 29G, but it's gone now. In fact, the BGA that kept coming back is finally reversing, and is almost completely vanished. Yes, the powerhead does disolve some of the CO2, but most of it is in mist form. I run a limewood airstone into the intake of the powerhead, and some does go into the XP2 intake as well. But I have it so the majority goes into the MaxiJet 600.

 

[JDogg]

thanks all

little confused what exactly does a Selonoid do and how important is it to have one?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, you should have a solenoid. It's what you plug into the power strip with the lights. What it is is a switch that cuts off the CO2, and then turns it back on. It's an electronic shut-off valve.

The path of the CO2 goes from the CO2 tank, through the solenoid, then the needle valve, then the bubble counter, and up through your check-valve, and into the tank. When the power is on (lights on), the solenoid is open. When the power turns off (lights off), the solenoid closes.

 

[Dominick]

I have that same product that u want Jdogg and so far i love it only thing is as they have said you need a solenoid i wish i had one and they do make an inline one i just cant remember where i saw that link it was posted in this forum

 

[rkilling1]

Actually, the 30 minutes doesn't do anything for me. I'm starting to use purely CO2 mist. So once the lights are on, the mist begins and the tank is full of mist. Besides, I have too many wires, etc, and don't want to get another timer. I'm finding with the mist I'm getting better growth, and much less algae. Not sure if you remember the pics I posted on the algae problems I was having with my 29G, but it's gone now. In fact, the BGA that kept coming back is finally reversing, and is almost completely vanished. Yes, the powerhead does disolve some of the CO2, but most of it is in mist form. I run a limewood airstone into the intake of the powerhead, and some does go into the XP2 intake as well. But I have it so the majority goes into the MaxiJet 600.

Mist is the way to go, no doubt. Well a combo of mist and dissolved seems to work the best, so I have been reading.

Just from reading on Tom's website (barrreport.com), they are getting better results when they inject (wether it be mist or dissolved) prior to the lights coming on. The plants start pearling many hours earlier then without the pre injection. This also helps stop the CO2 from fluctuating in the morning hours. This is only a suggestion that I do believe will help you maintain consistent CO2 levels.

 

[rkilling1]

I have that same product that u want Jdogg and so far i love it only thing is as they have said you need a solenoid i wish i had one and they do make an inline one i just cant remember where i saw that link it was posted in this forum

Why do you need an in-line solenoid vs a hard mounted one?

You can make an in-line solenoid from any solenoid really. You will just need to make sure that it either has tubing fittings or is capable of accepting those fittings. I can give you a list of parts to install a Clippard solenoid in-line if you would like.

One word of caution, A lot of solenoids that are running on 110 v, get pretty hot when energized. My Clippard solenoid runs at 165 degrees all day long.

 

[Purrbox]

A selanoid valve is only necessary if you want either a semi automated or fully automated setup. Semi automated works by plugging the selanoid into a timer to shut off the CO2 at night when it isn't needed. Fully automated works by plugging the selanoid into a pH Controller which turns on the CO2 when the pH gets above a set level and back off when it gets below a set level, this ensures that the CO2 levels will always be within a set range.

If you want to save on the expense of buying a selanoid valve, you can just leave the CO2 on 24/7. While a selanoid will pay for itself in time through CO2 conservation, extending how long a CO2 cylinder can go between refills, it is one more piece of equipment that can fail causing problems.

All three ways of setting up Pressurized CO2 will work well, so it's just a matter of picking the one that best fits your budget and maintenance style.

 

[Glenc]

Pressurized is definitely worth the investment. I did DIYC02 for a year, it worked well but was a pain to keep consistent. In my experience, consistent C02 levels are a huge factor in a getting and keeping a beautiful tank. Since going pressurized my tanks and plants have never looked better, water is crystal clear and I have very little, almost no algea. Kinda worried my otto's are going to starve! I run my C02 24-7, no solenoid. Nothing wrong with running a solenoid, but as Purrbox mentions, it's one less piece of equipment to worry about.

 

[JDogg]

for those of you who run your pressurized 24/7 do you run an air-stone at night?

right now i have an air-stone in the tank, in case i need it, but i do not run it at night with the DIY CO2. I have not had a problem with my fish gasping...but it is always ready to plug in the pump at a moments notice...

 

[rkilling1]

I just wanted to add that if you run a solenoid or ph controller, you can add more CO2 during the the daytime vs when you run it 24/7. If your CO2 target is lets say 40 PPM CO2, running that amount of CO2 at night may well kill your fish, but having a solenoid or controller setup will allow you run this amount during the photo period and not at night which gives the fish a break.

granted having more equipment does mean there is more things to break, so keep that in mind when you are setting up the CO2. I have my CO2 running into a powered reactor that is only on when the CO2 is on, so if my solenoid was to fail open it wouldn't effect my fish due to having my reactor turned off.

 

[Zezmo]

Running an airstone at night is totally acceptable. The only substantial differance between that method and say a solenoid is the amount of CO2 you save.

Personally, I prefer a solenoid because of the noise of the air stone at night. As for reliability, a good industrial solenoid will easily last many years. Unless you simply don't look at your tank and check the equipment then a solenoid failure is unlikely to cause any immediate disaster. That is, it either sticks closed and you get no CO2, or it sticks open and you give CO2 all night long (at your normal rate).

Solenoids are less useful in DIY CO2, since DIY runs 24/7 an airstone is recomended (but not required) at night in that situation.

 

[rkilling1]

for those of you who run your pressurized 24/7 do you run an air-stone at night?

right now i have an air-stone in the tank, in case i need it, but i do not run it at night with the DIY CO2. I have not had a problem with my fish gasping...but it is always ready to plug in the pump at a moments notice...

If you do run an airstone, I would suggest you have it set to turn off an hour to 1/2 hour before your lights come on. It will take quite a bit longer to get your CO2 levels up once the plants start to consume it.