anyone use or know about this Carbo Plus CO2 Unit?

[aviran]

http://aquariumguys.com/carboplus.html

Anyone know if this would work on a 55gallon tank?

 

[malkore]

no
let me say again
no

carbo plus is the biggest piece of junk you can waste money on.

its not anywhere big enough for a 55gallon - 20gallons is what its rated for, so you'd need 2-3 of them for a 55gallon.
its more expensive than pressurized CO2
it barely works to begin with - you'll never get 30ppm with it
and if you have soft water, it won't work at all.

it 'works' by stripping your carbonate hardness, or Kh, to create carbon the plants can use. Every couple months you ahve to buy a new carbon block for $30-$40. Compare that to $10 every 6-12 months for a refill of CO2.

It really is junky. No one I know who keeps plants and has tried it has liked it, or kept it going for long.

A decent pressurized system might run you $30 more, but you'll make that up in 6 months by not having to replace carbon blocks.

 

[aviran]

thanks... that was VERY helpful!

guess i am going to have to go pressurized

 

[Glenc]

Thanks Malkore. I was thinking about getting that very device. Can always count on you to tell it like it is.

 

[malkore]

Over on another plant forum I visit, someone asks this question every week, without searching for the answer first.

It doesn't get brought up all that often here, mainly because we have the stickies at the top of this forum section.

But, I'm not sure the CO2 article covers Carbo-plus. I'll have to look into updating it.

 

[aviran]

it didn't... i looked before i asked *wink*

 

[malkore]

Yep, it sure didn't. Its such a bad system, it usually isn't even in my mind until someone asks about it.

Kudos to you for trying to research it first! Oops...I forgot, we don't have kudos anymore.

 

[Simpte]

no
let me say again
no

carbo plus is the biggest piece of junk you can waste money on.

its not anywhere big enough for a 55gallon - 20gallons is what its rated for, so you'd need 2-3 of them for a 55gallon.
its more expensive than pressurized CO2
it barely works to begin with - you'll never get 30ppm with it
and if you have soft water, it won't work at all.

it 'works' by stripping your carbonate hardness, or Kh, to create carbon the plants can use. Every couple months you ahve to buy a new carbon block for $30-$40. Compare that to $10 every 6-12 months for a refill of CO2.

It really is junky. No one I know who keeps plants and has tried it has liked it, or kept it going for long.

A decent pressurized system might run you $30 more, but you'll make that up in 6 months by not having to replace carbon blocks.

Way to sugar coat it, Malkore Though I would have said the same thing.