co2 - need help setting it up

[n5762715]

Hey everyone,
I am setting up a planted aquarium and I want to set it up with co2 fertilization I just dont know how to go about it. I have been on sites and they all have different types of systems, some ranging massive in price range. I want to know what sized and what type I should add to my tank. My tank is 270 litres. I dont want to go overboard with the co2 setup but I want something that is worth having.
Any advise would be awsome especially the exact name/brands that are good value and work well.
Thanks heaps
Chris

[fish_r]

hi Chris
it's relatively cheap if u buy the components urself all u need is a reg and solenoid with a needle valve attached for fine adjustment IE:
something like this one :
http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=3439&catID=58
i dont know much about this one but it gives u an idea what to look for.
"i wouldn't use a milwaukee one again though which is similar after having 2 now that have problems with the solenoid sticking" and i know of others that have/had the same problem with that reg.
then u need a way of getting it into the tank u can use a diffuser or external reactor, i prefer the later as theres nothing in the tank to see.
i use a dupla external reactor
http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=3507&catID=58
but u can also make ur own but imo there not as good as the dupla units.
then u can either buy or hire ur Co2 bottle. i hire a "D" size bottle from BOC gasses "lasts me about a yr" $35 every 3mths hire and about the same to get the bottle refilled.

all up without the bottle ur looking at approx $350 plus Co2 hose then the hire and fill of the bottle. some people also use co2 fire extinguishers, but if u go that route make sure u can get them filled locally. i find it easier to use BOC's bottles.

u can also get a pH controller too which plugs into ur solenoid to switch the Co2 off and on to keep a constant pH level u pick but then u start getting into the $$$ IE : something like this one
http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=3481&catID=58
i dont use a pH controller and cause my solenoids buggered i just bubble off the Co2 when the lights are off with an airstone... otherwise if my solenoid was working i just used to use a timer to switch the Co2 off when the lights are off and on when the lights are on.

might help to have a bit of a read here too
http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13474&highlight=

HTH
Rob...

[RipSlider]

To be fair, it kinda depends on how hard your going to push the plants.

Remember that there needs to be a balance between

co2
Light
nutrients

increasing one of these without the others doesn't do a whole lot of use, for e.g add in co2 without plenty of light and nutrients, and you get more acid water. Add more light without the CO2 and nutrients and you get more algae.


So, what you need to get depends on how hard you want to push your system really.

At one end of the scale, you might just want to give your plants a wee bit of a helping hand due to not being in the best of enviroments for plants

If that's the case, a yeast reactor to a tumble plate, along with 2w per l of light, and a dose a week of ferts will be plenty. you've a good sized tank, and so you might need 2x yeast reactors.


Right at the other end, you can go for a full blown EI approach, with large cylinders of co2, balanced metal halide and atanic lighting at 3.5-4w per liter of water, adding in daily does of nitrates and phospates and all that other stuff that discus probably don't love so much ( although Amano has some cool looking discus tanks running on EI, so it's probably not too bad for them)

Essentially, it comes down to where your budget is, and what your end goal is. Just remember that it's only really useful if you upgrade the co2, the lighting and the nutrient supplies at roughly the same rate:

i.e small co2 system is OK with "normal" lighting, and some fert's. However, if your going to spend hundreds on a amazng co2 system, you'll only get the true benefit of it from also spending hundreds on your lights and taking the leap into starting to ADD to the tank chemicals that you've got used to desperatly trying to remove.

Steve

[fish_r]

i look at it as in, if ur going to spend the money to get Co2, u may as well spend the intitial out lay of money and get a decent reg and decent gear cause u will find u will probably want to get it later if u do want to get ur plants growing properly. IMO DIY "yeast methods dont work well with discus cause of the pH swings etc.and if uv'e only got 2wpg of lighting u really dont need Co2 anyway"but it would help"
the advise iv'e given is similar to what i have on my tank about the same size as Chris's, but i'm running 2.5wpg of T5 HO lighting so the WPG rule really goes out the window
at the moment i dose with dupla and seachem ferts, but soon to receive dry ferts and to start dosing that which works out a lot cheaper...

[scuba123cliff]

fish-r (rob)
you say dry furt is this your own brew or have you orded it from somewere.
cliff

[fish_r]

you say dry furt is this your own brew or have you orded it from somewere.
cliff

there was a group order done on the aquarium life site, hoping to get it this week or next week. it's from simple grow and is called "SG mix" going to use it along with dupla drops and apparently it will give me what i need...

but i may also be able to help out soon with my own mix as i started a new job today with an Agricultural chemical company, just need to be there for a while and find out whats in the mix...