# CO2 Question



## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

Hey guys,

So, I recently started a 5 gal nano with carpet of HC. everything is going well.

but I realized that my co2 runs out pretty fast.

I currently run the fluval co2 88g kit.
- 5 seconds per bubble

and I see growth, but man.. those things cost 25 bucks per tank. and it only lasts me a month - month and a half.

was wondering what I need to get for a bigger co2 setup.

so the question is :

1. what do I need (regulator, tank etc etc)
2. would any co2 tank work, that i find on craigslist?
3. could someone explain to me which part connects to which part? because the fluval kit is quite simple, just plug and play. does that go for the big co2 systems as well?

and would i need to buy this : FS: Co2 EQUIPMENT BRAND NEW ?

Thanks guys


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## William Wilson (Apr 7, 2012)

You could probably just replace your disposable tank and regulator with a bigger unit and reuse the plumbing and diffusor. If you want a full system, BCorchidguy has a great little rig for sale:

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/freshwater-plants-classifieds-26/fs-red-sea-co2-system-32009/

I like the 45mm Intense Bazooka CO2 diffuser that Canadian Aquatics carry:

CANADIAN AQUATICS

And, unless you start getting into pH regulator controls and such, it'll plug together the same way as your current system.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

I just set up a nano tank. I already had the Fluval Co2 88 kit. The thing leaked so it only lasted 3 days. I feel your pain on the $25. I was hoping to get around 1 month use. Oh well. I gave up on it for now.

As for a pressurized system you will need:

1. Co2 tank. I bought mine at AW fireguard. I found it to be a lot cheaper than any other stores. It doesnt have a shiny finish but was half the price and filled . $60 10lb bottle. 5lb would be cheaper.

2. Regulator, Solonoid, Bubble Counter, needle valve all in one. J&L sells a Milwakee one. Ive bought a few of them. Never had a problem with it. $108. Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with Needle Valve & Solenoid

3. Diffuser. Is your choice. There are a few different types. People seem to like the Bazooka type. Canadian aquatics sells them for under $20

4. Digital timer to control the solonoid. Rona $25

5. Check Valve. They are cheap. They stop water from travelling up the lines into your regulator and all over your floor. $3

These are the best prices I could find. I prefer to buy things locally rather than on Ebay. Easier to retrn if theres a problem. Im not sure what size Co2 tank you want. A 10lb Co2 bottle is still pretty big. A 5lb bottle is probably what you will want.

A pressurized Co2 system is almost the same as the fluval 88g. One difference is most people install a solonoid Valve so you can turn the Co2 off at night with a timer. Plants dont need Co2 at night so turning it off helps save co2 amongst other things. The one for sale on craigslist will work but the milwakee combo gives you both those things with it. I will post a couple pictures of what the co2 tank will look like once it is put together. The clear tube coming off the top of the bubble counter goes to your diffuser. Pretty basic. Easy to setup.















Hope this helps. The red bottle has 3 bubble counters hooked to it. For your setup their will only be 1. Just like the second pic. The one for sale on Bcaquaria will work. It doesnt have a soloniod valve so its moreor less the same as the fluval setup just a little bigger.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

yes the milwakee is what I am using now. You can also buy something more "high end" and spend more money. There are other brands out there that cost much more but for myself, this is good enough.
The Co2 tank suggested above seems to last forever. I have a 10lb and I used to run the tank day and night. It is still running strong, has been for quite a few months now.
I heard some people tried to use paintball Co2 tank and I have seen some adapters for sale on ebay. Not sure if they would work with fluval. If they do, then you can save a lot fo money as the paintball canisters are much cheaper.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

jbyoung got all the basics of the system down, but there are some nuances which you may consider, depending on the value of the livestock you have in the tank.

Regulator - if you go with a dual stage rig, there is zero chance of end of tank dump, but they are pricey. If you go with a single stage rig like the Milwaukee, make sure you refill once the pressure drops significantly (normal filled tank pressure is about 800 psi. Once it drops to 400 or less it's all gas in there and EOTD is a reality) to prevent EOTD.

Needle valve - the cheap clippard valves work (I got several to spare if you want one), but the pricier valves hold their settings better. I use the Fabco NV-55 valves which are rock steady, but then once again, if may not matter to you.

Timer - any timer will work, even the $4 mechanical ones. I like digital ones with backup batteries so that when I have to change things around or I have a power outage I don't have to adjust the time or settings.

I have a 10 lb setup with a dual stage reg on my ADA cube and a 20 lb setup with a single stage rig on my 125 gallon. You're welcome to come and look at it to see what you need and figure out how much you want to spend. Just give me a holler.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

The reason I didnt get 5 or 10 lbs in the begining was because I always wanted the CLEAN look, everything to me is about neat and tidyness. I dont like things showing anywhere JUST the tank and stand thats it.

and for a 5 gallon tank to have a 5 or 10 pound co2, where do you guys hide it? 

I was thinking if theres anyplace that sells these 88g tubes for cheaper?
I ll even buy it bulk if i have to..

another thought I had was that :

I m moving to a new place and theres a indoor garage thats just connected to the house. so I MIGHT consider changing that whole room to a FISH ROOM! LOL

therefore the 10 pound co2 may be in consideration as I will set up a couple more and all the tanks could share a 10 pounder.

what you guys think? or would that be too much tubing going all over the place to get the neat and tidy look?

Thanks BCA !


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

and to add on, I actually had those co2 and regulator that jbyoung posted. 
It was for my sw calcium reactor

stupid me sold it for 180 bucks with everything LOL now i m looking to spend double to get it back =(


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BaoBeiZhu said:


> therefore the 10 pound co2 may be in consideration as I will set up a couple more and all the tanks could share a 10 pounder.
> 
> what you guys think? or would that be too much tubing going all over the place to get the neat and tidy look?


You can run the tubing through the wall if you get the proper CO2 rated tubing to minimize losses. I currently run a 2 outlet manifold with 2 needle valves to inject at 2 points in my 125 gallon (6 footer). But if you were to run multiple tanks I'd get a 20, not a 10. It's a lot cheaper to fill a 20 than 2 x 10 lbs. And you won't have to go as often as a single 10. Run a manifold, get the proper tubing (about $.10 a foot in bulk) and a needle valve per outlet and you're good to go. Everything can be neat and hidden then.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> You can run the tubing through the wall if you get the proper CO2 rated tubing to minimize losses. I currently run a 2 outlet manifold with 2 needle valves to inject at 2 points in my 125 gallon (6 footer). But if you were to run multiple tanks I'd get a 20, not a 10. It's a lot cheaper to fill a 20 than 2 x 10 lbs. And you won't have to go as often as a single 10. Run a manifold, get the proper tubing (about $.10 a foot in bulk) and a needle valve per outlet and you're good to go. Everything can be neat and hidden then.


how long does a 10 or 20 last?
as i ll most likely only be running it on 3 tanks and each tank will be no bigger than 25 gallon.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BaoBeiZhu said:


> how long does a 10 or 20 last?
> as i ll most likely only be running it on 3 tanks and each tank will be no bigger than 25 gallon.


That's difficult to answer as it all depends on your plant mass, lighting and plant uptake. As an example, my low light (all LED) 125 gallon with a 20 lb tank growing only Java Fern and Anubias, lasts a year almost. But I do have occasional BBA as I keep the CO2 on the low side because of the high O2 requirements of the plecos. So if say you're running 50 gallons total, with low to med. lighting and moderate plant mass, a 10 lb could last 3 - 6 months, but if you're using high light, it might last 1 - 2 months and if you have a leak, then all bets are off. A 10 lb fill (as you wait) at Royal City Fire Supply was about $24 all in IIRC, and a 20 lb was about $28 or $30.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> That's difficult to answer as it all depends on your plant mass, lighting and plant uptake. As an example, my low light (all LED) 125 gallon with a 20 lb tank growing only Java Fern and Anubias, lasts a year almost. But I do have occasional BBA as I keep the CO2 on the low side because of the high O2 requirements of the plecos. So if say you're running 50 gallons total, with low to med. lighting and moderate plant mass, a 10 lb could last 3 - 6 months, but if you're using high light, it might last 1 - 2 months and if you have a leak, then all bets are off. A 10 lb fill (as you wait) at Royal City Fire Supply was about $24 all in IIRC, and a 20 lb was about $28 or $30.


I thought Co2 will all the be same as its "bubble per minute"?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

BaoBeiZhu said:


> I thought Co2 will all the be same as its "bubble per minute"?


I think you and I are talking about 2 different things. For example, if you had a 200 gallon sw tank with 400 lbs of coral, and a 50 gallon tank with 10 lbs of coral, would you inject the same amount of CO2 into your calcium reactor but x a factor of 4 for tank size?

The amount of CO2 injected depends on your photoperiod and plant mass and plant uptake. I couldn't tell you my bubble rate as I've never used bubble counters. I just dial up the CO2 as needed when I see the fish are ok and the plants need more. Plus I have light the tanks differently, in intensity and duration. So my ADA cube using 3x the CO2 that my 125 gallon uses per unit volume.

Does that make more sense now?


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

ah, i get it now, thanks for clearing that up for me.

I guess I should look into getting a 10 pounder or 20 then.
whered you purchase yours?

Oh, and is there any possible way I could retrofit my fluval to fit on a 10 pounder? or is that not possible ?


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

If i do this : Paintball Co2 Injection DIY Setup with Tons of Photos

am I still able to use the bubble counter or any parts on the fluval 88g on that paintball co2?


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## vdub (Apr 22, 2010)

BaoBeiZhu said:


> ah, i get it now, thanks for clearing that up for me.
> 
> I guess I should look into getting a 10 pounder or 20 then.
> whered you purchase yours?
> ...


No, the 88g kit was not designed to be used with a full 5 or 10 lb tank. The pressure from those larger tanks would destroy the fluval 88s.



BaoBeiZhu said:


> If i do this : Paintball Co2 Injection DIY Setup with Tons of Photos
> 
> am I still able to use the bubble counter or any parts on the fluval 88g on that paintball co2?


You could use the bubble counter but if you were to try to use the 88g kit, you'd need to retrofit it to work with a paintball tank (find some fittings).


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

Got it, and do you guys know where I could purchase the co2 adapter and gauges etc? 
I looked up the paintball stores online and they dont have any.


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## vdub (Apr 22, 2010)

BaoBeiZhu said:


> Got it, and do you guys know where I could purchase the co2 *adapter *and *gauges *etc?
> I looked up the paintball stores online and they dont have any.


Exactly what are you looking for? If you could list it rather than just type a bunch of generic words (adapter, gauges ect) it would make it easier to narrow things down.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

Paintball Co2 Injection DIY Setup with Tons of Photos

*this *- Paintball Co2 ASA On/Off Valve 2 Threads (Gauge, Needle Valve inputs) $10 - $60 depending on brand. *Having a difficult time finding this one, called the paintball shops and walmart. only way to get it seems to be ebay. (takes 21 days to get it shipped from china)*

- Paintball Co2 Gauge - $5 - $10 depending on brand. *this as well.*


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

I also found this : Fluval 88g CO2 Modification - GTA Aquaria Forum - Aquarium Fish & Plants serving the Greater Toronto Area.

a way to retrofit the fluval, but there has been no result on how well it worked and if it leaks at all.
because there has been a history of these things leaking, as fluval designed it to specifically fit their cartridge only


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