Help on pressurized c02

Eden10

Eden10

New Member
I am very new to this hobby so bear with me.
I have a fluval edge tank with ada soil in it and dwarf hairgrass that i planted yesterday it looks great :)!!
I was going to buy the fluval 88g co2 but read some reviews of people having issues and it being costly in the end so i started researching on the paintball co2 canisters.
I dont have hundreds of dollars to spend. Im urgently in need of some advice, its all very confusing and im not sure what to do.
 
Last edited:
Hello fellow Aussie!

If you have just started out, pressurised CO2 is probably not a great idea. This is because it takes plenty of research and experience to master. I know of the Fluval system you are referring to, and I agree that it's probably more hassle than it's worth. This is because it is high maintenance and expensive in the long run. I've seen a few people buy them and sell them within a few months, because they got sick of changing the canisters all the time. Using paintball canisters helps with the overall cost, but this still leaves you with a system that is high-maintenance.

While you are starting out it might be best to use Glutareldehyde as an alternative source of carbon for your plants. It's not as effective as pressurised CO2, but is more manageable for the beginner. The most popular brand on the market is Seachem Excel. Excel can accellerate plant growth by 2-4 times if used correctly, and in conjunction with adequate light, temperature and fertilisation. Pressurised CO2 can boost plant growth 10-20 times which is great, but it means that your plants will consume nutrients very fast, and things can very quickly fall out of balance. This equals an algae nightmare. To use pressurised CO2, you will need a near perfect balance between light, temperature and nutrients, as well as adequate water flow and so on. It takes time, effort, research and experience to achieve this balance. Problems happen very fast when things are out of whack with pressurised CO2, whereas Excel will give you some breathing space to deal with problems as they arise.

Dwarf hairgrass is a difficult plant to grow for the beginner, and I'm sorry to say that it may not survive.. I haven't seen great results with hairgrass unless combined with pressurised CO2. Check out this list of low light plants for some more suitable options.

Check out this thread on using ADA soils effectively. This will give some tips on using the substrate you've chosen.
 
Easylife EasyCarbo and TNC Carbon are other examples of Glut products available.. Seachem Excel isn't the only one..
 
Eden

Can you fill in your Location in Aust please

I am very new to this hobby so bear with me.
Click to expand...

The "Should I or Should not" answer is above.

First why do you want Co2?

Learn and get as much experience as you can in plants first then have a rethink about Co2, You can have fantastic low tech tanks with out all the Hi Tech extras.

Keith:):)
 
Hi Eden, Welcome to ASW :D Great advice Better to start of Low Tech:) And do lots of research about your new hobby more fun and less stress (y)
 
Hi there!

Low tech is a good advice, but CO2 makes things easier. It don't have to be pressurized CO2, what about with DIY CO2?! Have a look -> Link
DIY CO2 suffices for the most small low tech tanks. It's cheap and uncomplicated. Plants grow faster, healthier and more splendid with CO2, so try to use it.
 
Hey Eden,

I agree with the other guys here that you should look at a low tech set up if you are on a budget... but if you are intent on looking in to paintball canisters, maybe also look at soda stream canisters. I dont know how accessible paintball canisters are as I have never tried to look for them, but I use soda stream bottles and it works well. You can get them from any Kmart, Big W, or even Myer or the Good Guys

Cheers

Simon
 
So i accidentally broke my fluval aquarium light and my hairgrass has had no light for bout 4 days now it still looks nice and green and alive though.
Im looking into buying this light for it.
https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/fluro_lighting.php
As with the co2 i tried diy co2 and it was a nightmare it took me forever to get the seals right and was just a massive hassle..
I saw this c02 system which looks great and a little less hassle than the paintball canisters, but if you guys think i should try alternative things because i am a beginner i might get this later down the road.
http://www.aquascapedesign.com.au/products.php?product=CO2PRO-S2-0.82L-Compact-Injection-Package
Thanks guys for all your help. :)
 
I just installed the CO2 Pro Compact Injection Kit. It was easy to install, comes with instructions and should be pretty straight forward for the beginner. I'd heard good things from others using this kit so felt confident that I was making the right choice. I also find that the needle-valve is good for finer adjustments. In terms of reliability and life expectancy I can't comment. I will send you a PM on where to buy this at the best price :)

Re: Light. Unfortunately the link you provided doesn't go straight to one light in particular, so it's hard to tell what you're after...
 
That light should be fine, except that blue bulb that it comes with won't be much good to you.

Re: CO2 Pro, I've heard great things about their kits. They're not cheap though.

Cheers

Simon

Sent from my TouchPad using Tapatalk
 
I have a paintball co2 system and it's working fine for me.i live in the us though I'm guessing these supplies are much more accessible to me. I can just run to the store and get my 20oz Pb tank filled for under 4 bucks. If you have all these basic Pb supplies available to you I would try it out. Just know that if you're spending more than a 100 dollars on this type of setup you're better off getting a good regulator with solenoid and a big tank. I set up my system for under 50 bucks and it's good enough for me.
Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top