Co2 help
- Thread starter Bizzaro
- Start date
I assume you are using reaction co2. You can place the reactor chamber above, below, or even with the water level. More importantly you need to make sure you have multiple bottles to keep a consistent amount of co2.
I always used bottles in multiples of 2 (2, 4, 6...) Place a check valve after each bottle, so you can take it off the system without losing pressure in the tubing.
I ran mine in sets of 2, so that I could alternate replacing one set on a weekly basis, allowing each set to work for 2 weeks.
This gives you no lapse in time without CO2 - a main cause of certain types of algae (brush and hair algae come to mind)
Lukewarm water - not cold, but not quite warm. It refers to the temperature of water, rather than a "type" (assuming 'type' is the right word there)
I ran mine in sets of 2, so that I could alternate replacing one set on a weekly basis, allowing each set to work for 2 weeks.
This gives you no lapse in time without CO2 - a main cause of certain types of algae (brush and hair algae come to mind)
Lukewarm water - not cold, but not quite warm. It refers to the temperature of water, rather than a "type" (assuming 'type' is the right word there)
I would think the Reaction would be cheaper... but has some flaws... The cost of yeast is about 2-4 dollars, sugars are about 4-8.... water is free... But u have to wait for the start. The tank will coast u the price of the tank... And will give instant co2 and will only coast you about 10-20 to refill. Plus u have to buy valves and read or what ever they are called.. Im still looking into a small set up for 60g.
ThePBM;1157814; said:
Aside from initial equipment? There's no debate that compressed CO2 is cheaper than yeast / sugar. A refill for my 20lb CO2 tank cost me $13. It will last me roughly 18 months on my 120gal tank. There's no way that you'll pull that price on yeast/sugar - well, maybe for a couple months.
The problem comes in equipment price. My regulator with bubble counter and solenoid was $85. My CO2 cylinder was $110. CO2-proof tubing typically runs $0.70/foot (and no, I'm not talking about the blue 'silicon' tubing. This is the real stuff.)
Pressurized CO2:
Cheaper in the longer run
Consistent CO2 levels
No time wasted between bottle refills, or time to prepare the bottles
Higher initial cost
If you're gonna get into CO2 setups, check out:
http://bestaquariumregulator.com/co2.html
He has some pretty good stuff, and pretty decent prices.
Brass check valves are also a must - as plastic won't stand up to CO2 for more than a couple months.