# J&L CO2 set-ups: how fiddly are they for freshwater?



## Lutefisk (Jun 29, 2014)

I'm ready to turn up the tech on my planted tanks and try some more carbon-demanding plants. 

I'd like to make sure whatever regulator/valve setup I get is pretty steady--I am likely to miss days monitoring it, and I'd like for there to be very little drift in the rate of gas delivery over the course of, say, a week or two. I imagine the all-in-one kits at J&L are optimized for saltwater hobbyists' calcium reactors or whatever else the reefers use pressurized CO2 for, and I'm not sure if there's a different tolerance for variation in CO2 delivery rate in that application, or if reefers are more likely to rely on a pH controller to keep things steady. 

I hope to use a solenoid/timer and drop checker to get things dialed in and just let the system run for the most part, so my maintenance time is spent on plants and not equipment. 

Someday, I may upgrade to a nice dual-stage regulator, but I don't want to build from scratch this time around. If anyone who's used the J&L kits for planted tanks can weigh in on how much ongoing adjustment they require, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!


----------



## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Their units can also be used for freshwater applications. You may want to upgrade the needle valve for more precise CO2 distribution.

Best regards,

Stuart


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Lutefisk (Jun 29, 2014)

Thanks, Stuart!


----------

