Okay, so if you're interested in a review of the aquariumplants.com regulator, then feel free to read on. If not, then just look at some shiny pictures and videos below.
First Impression:
Aquariumplants.com took a couple days to ship my order out, but they were generally fast in relation to anywhere else I've purchased from online. They sent me a tracking code and UPS delivered it about a week after it shipped to where I'm located (central Florida). If you're located more in the middle of the country, shipping would be a bit faster for you. After this experience, I'd recommend them to anyone.
Unboxing
When I received the box, everything was incredibly packaged. I had to sort of dig around and look for what I got; packing peanuts went everywhere. In addition to a 5lb tank and the regulator, I also purchased an easy to use regulator wrench (stays on the bottle) and a permaseal (a seal between the bottle and the regulator that holds up much better than the cheap, plastic ones they give you). They were kind enough to go ahead and put the permaseal in the bottle for me.
Also included were a handy set of directions on how to operate the regulator. I would highly advise anyone (even those familiar with regulators) to read the included directions carefully. But we'll delve more into that later.
The CO2 Tank:
The tank is an American made (YES, AMERICAN MADE) tank. It's a high quality brushed aluminum and had a hydrostatic test on 11/09. Plus, it was actually one of the cheaper ones i've discovered on the web.
The Regulator:
Because of the black plastic box, I sort of expected this thing to have a lighter feel to it. Boy was I wrong. This thing weighs probably just as much, if not more, than other regulators. It has a solid feel to it, despite the fact that on the inside is a very sensitive electronic valve. The overall appearance is nice. I did not purchase the regulator with the LCD screen readout, however (another option you have). Quite honestly, I don't know why anyone would. The "analog" regulator has a nice bright red light that blinks that lets you know the rate at which CO2 is leaving the bottle. But, if you're up for throwing away good money or are super paranoid, then by all means go for the other one.
The two gauges are kind of cool. They have a nice chrome finish on them and the white background has "aquariumplants.com" printed on it. In fact, the regulator has "aquariumplants.com" stamped three times on it. Kind of silly, but it's good to know the company is proud of their product.
There's no bubble counter or needle valve. The airline hose port is on the bottom of the box to the left of the power cord hole. IMO, makes the product much less bulky and easy for even idiots (like myself sometimes) to setup.
As far as precision goes, this baby hasn't skipped a beat. The only thing I noticed is that I had put the regulator on the tank about an hour after I got it filled and so when it was in my room, the ambient temperature caused the high pressure in the tank to increase. In turn, this affected my working pressure on the regulator by reducing it by a bit. Just be prepared to adjust the regulator slightly as you wait for the tank to reach room temp. Once set, it's like a famous infomercial "set it, and forget it!" lol!
Since this is an electronic valve, I know I was concerned about the level of noise it would make. It's almost silent - major plus.
Like I had mentioned above, you have to make sure you really follow the directions. When you install the regulator, if you don't turn the working pressure knob all the way off, you will destroy the electronic valve. Like I said, it's sensitivity is the downside to the product.
Overall:
I tried to provide as comprehensive of a review here as I could. Before I purchased this product, it was very difficult to find any information on it. Hopefully, anyone who has been on the fence about it can now get a better idea of what they're getting into. Overall, I highly recommend. Here's some pictures and video of just the tank and regulator and my aquarium. Make sure you check out my other thread above for some of the initial pictures.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDlRAwqWIiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qawcYFkFQI
