TURBO CO2 BIO SYSTEM- RED SEA

[tetrin]

i am planning to start a low to medium light 40g planted aquarium.
most of the plants won't be root-feeders...so i didn't invest in a wonder-substrate...just plain old black gravel ...
i have about 90w of fluorescent lighting over the tank...this is a bit tricky...the tank is 36"...and i have 3 48" 40W GE plant tubes over them...actually the 48" fixtures at walmart were very cheap ...so i'm guessing the tank gets 3/4th of the wattage...

i had made a DIY CO2 setup before...but i was constantly afraid of it bursting ...so i have decided to buy a commercial setup...
has anyone used this before ...turbo CO2 bio-system by red-sea?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20758&item=4373817098&rd=1...

if yes...could anyone tell me if they are effective or not?
tia...

 

[TankGirl]

Looks like a powerhead-driven system similar to the Hagen Natural CO2 kit, which is basically a fancy canister and hose assembly, with this one diffusing using a powerhead and the Hagen system using a bubble ladder.

If you can get it for the price on ebay then I'd say go for it. My only reservation is the size of the canister. The Hagen system would be inadequate for your size tank, and this one claims to be good for a 40gal. If the canister is at least the size of a 2 liter bottle then you are good to go. Takes the guesswork out of DIY for a reasonable price.

 

[tetrin]

thanks for the input TG...
but i decided not to go with it...couldn't find anyone using it and very few websites actually sold it...that was enough to turn me towards the Hagen setup...i would be running 2 of those for the 40g...already bought one on ebay...
i'll post a pic when i get it all set up...

 

[TankGirl]

Two should work, and though the canisters are small you won't have any problem with gas leakage. Save $$ and use dry baker's yeast and baking soda instead of their pre-made packets that cost a fortune for what they contain.

 

[tetrin]

yup...will do...i think i saw that post before...
thanks again...

 

[czcz]

How about keeping the Hagen ladder and cannister, and adding a T/splitter for a 2L bottle as 2nd CO2 source? Would be wise to have gas separator bottle between the two CO2 canisters and diffusers. Probably just as good or better (trade 2nd diffuser -- and you could diy a nice powered diffuser anyway with money saved -- for 2*canister setup with larger volume). Allows more experimentation with mix, too. Just a thought despite previous issues/fears.

 

[tetrin]

thanks for the idea czcz...i actually have a 2L setup ready with a gas separator bottle...i tested it out for a fortnight to check the consistency of the co2 generation rate before and it worked fine...lasted for a fortnight...
but as i said...i didn't have a pressure-release valve in the tubing and that made me very very fidgety...the tank is in my roommates room and he'll simple kill me if i spray fermented sugar over all his stuff...and he is a prototype of monica from 'friends' ...
so i would rather buy one more hagen canister for the peace of mind...