CO2 Purchase Advice

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A&A

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 31, 2020
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Going in on Co2 for my 180 gallon planted tank. The tank does not have a sump. I do not have what I would consider very demanding plants at the moment. I have about 10 amazon swords ranging from babies to about 12" at the moment. A good amount of java moss on my driftwood. 6 anubias that are growing pretty fast and I will continue to propogate. 4 clusters of s. repens and a handful of cardinales. I need some help with materials and implementation. A short list of what i currently want to purchase below.

Aquatek premium Co2 regulator
Aquatek brass bubble counter
10 pound Co2 cylinder
proper air line
check valve? need input
drop checker? need input

I would like to begin with a standard diffuser and maybe step it up from there if that is not sufficient. I have no experience with a reactor and would need some help setting that up if it proves necessary.
 
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Started looking at the NilcoG rex grigg reactor. Was thinking of hooking it up to an FX5. When i want to stop dosing Co2 at night, do i just close the valve on the Co2 cylinder?
 
What are you using as filtration?
 
robmcd said:
What are you using as filtration?
Click to expand...
I have two FX5's I only use the foam on the bottom tier in each and have everything else packed with bio media so the flow is pretty high. Medium to fine filter floss on the top level. Definitely not the super fine one.
 
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Amazon.com : FZONE Aquarium CO2 Regulator Mini Dual Gauge Display DC Solenoid with Bubble Counter and Check Valve for US Standard CGA320 CO2 Cylinder : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : FZONE Aquarium CO2 Regulator Mini Dual Gauge Display DC Solenoid with Bubble Counter and Check Valve for US Standard CGA320 CO2 Cylinder : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com

I use one of these regulators. It already has a bubble counter and a solenoid. It is plugged into a timer and shuts off and on automatically.

Drop checkers are important as they basically tell you where your C02 levels are at in your tank by just glancing at it.

 
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A&A said:
I have two FX5's I only use the foam on the bottom tier in each and have everything else packed with bio media so the flow is pretty high. Medium to fine filter floss on the top level. Definitely not the super fine one.
Click to expand...
Try an in tank diffuser set up under the outflow of one of your filters. This will better distribute the fine bubbles throughout the tank. If this proves to be inadequate, then go with the Griggs inline reactor.
 
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robmcd said:

Amazon.com : FZONE Aquarium CO2 Regulator Mini Dual Gauge Display DC Solenoid with Bubble Counter and Check Valve for US Standard CGA320 CO2 Cylinder : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : FZONE Aquarium CO2 Regulator Mini Dual Gauge Display DC Solenoid with Bubble Counter and Check Valve for US Standard CGA320 CO2 Cylinder : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com

I use one of these regulators. It already has a bubble counter and a solenoid. It is plugged into a timer and shuts off and on automatically.

Drop checkers are important as they basically tell you where your C02 levels are at in your tank by just glancing at it.

Click to expand...
Thank you. You have had good luck with the fzone regulators?
 
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robmcd said:
Try an in tank diffuser set up under the outflow of one of your filters. This will better distribute the fine bubbles throughout the tank. If this proves to be inadequate, then go with the Griggs inline reactor.
Click to expand...
OK. So it is OK to place the diffuser near the top of the aquarium under the output and just point the output nozzles away from the water surface?
 
A&A said:
Thank you. You have had good luck with the fzone regulators?
Click to expand...
Yes. It has been going since last June with zero issues. I have it on a 5lb tank at 1 bubble per second and haven't had to refill the tank yet. Granted the aquarium is only a 35 gal cube. I have a 2X4' 120 gal high tech planted in the works though.
 
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A&A said:
OK. So it is OK to place the diffuser near the top of the aquarium under the output and just point the output nozzles away from the water surface?
Click to expand...
My diffuser is pretty deep in the dank, directly in the flow of the output current.
 
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