Initial CO2 equipment

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Dobber

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
42
Hey guys, I'm new to aquariums in general but just started one with plants. Looking to see what the general consensus is regarding CO2 products. What do you like? What should I avoid? I currently have a 50g tank. What items will I need in general? Regulator, tank etc. Thanks for any input you have to offer.


9-11-2001 Always Remember
 
You'll need:

A co2 tank: choose paintball or regular. Paintball tanks are smaller but cheaper initially and easier to find a shop (Dicks sporting goods or other sport stores) to fill. Normal tanks are harder to refill but welding supply stores will. Make sure it fits on your regulator or you have an adapter. Any brand works really. Mine is an empire paintball tank.

Regulator: goes right on the tank (needs to fit, some work only on paintball and vice versa) and decreases the output pressure. Also most importantly lets you adjust the flow. Milwaukee and aquatek brands are good, GLA is super high quality and worth it if you have the money.

Tubing: co2 resistant tubing, make sure its aquarium safe and getting stuff thats the same as your tanks background is super helpful, trust me. Any aquarium and co2 safe brand is good.

Bubble counter/check valve: sometimes they're separate but finding a 2 in 1 is easy and helpful. It ensures no water goes into the tank (check valve) and lets you count the bubbles (bubble counter). Fluval has a good one i think.

Diffuser: you can just run the co2 line right into the intake of your filter, or get a diffuser. The first would be cheaper. Air stones aren't good enough IMO, so a proper ceramic diffuser or atomizer is helpful. Some are super expensive and you pretty much get your money's worth. There are some generic ceramic diffuses on amazon, cheap ones are fine and work well enough.

Co2 drop checker with 4dkh fluid and pH reagent: this tells you how much co2 you're pumping in. Green is good blue is too low yellow is too high (can harm fish, invertebrates are particularly sensitive). Any brand on Amazon works pretty much. Glass is good to have, and looks good. Its pretty self explanatory.
 
Thank you very much for the in depth information, it's greatly appreciated!


9-11-2001 Always Remember
 
If this is your first planted tank however, I would not start with pressurized co2 because the plants that actually need that kind of co2 will be hard to maintain for a beginner. Instead, if you really want co2, I would go for DIY or liquid until you have gotten a good taste of planted tanks for yourself and you think you can move on to harder species of plants.
 
Yeah I am very new to aquariums. What are these items you are referring to?


9-11-2001 Always Remember
 
Thank you very much!


9-11-2001 Always Remember
 
Back
Top Bottom