Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marc on January 29, 2012 at 8:53pm

http://goo.gl/Uafj8 heres an all in one regulator/needle valve and solenoid for a good price. i turn my co2 off at lights out then back on 1hr b4 lights on using a magnetic solenoid attached to a timer. a ph controller isnt really needed but if youve got the money to buy one, go for it. i get my cylinders refilled at a local gas supply centre, any fire extinguisher/brewing/welding gas supplier will do it, here in uk it costs me £12 for a refill on my 4.5kg bottle

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Permalink Reply by 2apes2gp667wr on January 29, 2012 at 9:08pm

You're going to be surprised how little that $200 gets you.  A 20# tank will run you around at least $100 online plus shipping plus filling once you get it.  Ends up $150 to $175.  Buy one from a local welding shop or Airgas and you'll pay about the same or more depending on new or used.

That leaves you $25 for everything else.

An entry level regulator is a Red Sea, UP or Aquatek.  You can start there.

The needle valve is the most important part of the system.  You need the precision and they can go from anywhere starting at $30 for a Fabco NV all the way up to over $100 for higher quality (more precise tuning, stainless steel opposed to brass etc.)

You don't need a PH controller unless you have the cash.  I run mine 24/7, but adding a solenoid is a nice option.

My 5# cost $22 to fill at a local welding shop so say $50 for 20#.  My advice would be to check forums that have people selling that stuff and craigslist/Ebay.  Good luck.

P.S. my system is all cheap stuff because I have a family to raise, but it works well enough for me. lol

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Permalink Reply by Vince on January 30, 2012 at 9:30pm

Well 1st, a 20lb tank is overkill! I have a 5lb for my 90g and I get about 2 months out of it, if not a little more. I would def. Get a regulator with a solenoid!, you want to be able to put it on a timer, so it goes off when the lights go out! I personally don't have ph monitor, and really don't see the need for it. I guess if you have extra money laying around go for it. Get a good reactor or diffuser, and should be all set! Good luck, and I'm sure you will enjoy the results with c02!

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Permalink Reply by Andy on January 31, 2012 at 2:30am

Thank you very much for your replies, I am going to get a 10 lb and a milkwalkue reg

 

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Instruments-Solenoid-Regulator-Coun...

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Permalink Reply by Tony G - AquaStudent on January 31, 2012 at 10:42am

You don't absolutely need a solenoid but it will make t he process a lot easier and a lot safer. A solenoid basically allows you to more easily control how much c02 is being let out and when. You can set it to come on 30 mins before your lights and shut off 30 minutes before yours lights do.

On my pressurized system I only have a needle valve and it's very easy to gas your fish by turning it on too high. It doesn't react instantly so you have to wait a few minutes and i'm usually off to classes by then.

Depending on how advanced you want to get you can go with a PH controller but I think a solenoid is more valuable.

You absolutely need to turn it off at night. Pressurized systems are a lot more powerful than DIY and can easily gas your fish.

I have my tanks filled at Dick's Sporting Goods but you can also fill it at paintball shops, sometimes walmart has them, hardware stores may have them. Youre best bet is to call around.

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Permalink Reply by 2apes2gp667wr on January 31, 2012 at 2:07pm

I disagree.  You absolutely don't need to turn the co2 off at night.  Unless you are looking to save gas.  I and many others run it 24/7.  The pH swing caused by co2 will not affect fish at all.  The only danger you might have is if by some reason you have a total loss of O2.  But if you are loading the tank with co2 then the plants are putting out plenty of o2.  I don't run an airstone at all and all my fish are happy and healthy.

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Permalink Reply by Tony G - AquaStudent on January 31, 2012 at 4:19pm

I think it's much safer to disarm the c02 at night because pressurized is a lot more powerful than DIY. If something goes wrong and you don't notice it'll kill all the inhabitants very quickly. I feel it's better to be safe than possibly fishless

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Permalink Reply by Marc on January 31, 2012 at 4:49pm

my solenoid didnt shut off one night, faulty timer and in that one night i lost all my shrimps and the fish were almost dead on the substrate, only an immediate water change saved the fish. this is a tank that with the solenoid working keeps the drop checker in the lime green zone at all times. in my new fishless tank it doesnt matter about the level of co2 but if i had fauna in the tank my first purchase would be a solenoid...not that im saying it doesnt work for some people but i like the peace of mind a solenoid gives me, also means i only have the co2 running for 7hrs a day rather than 24.

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Permalink Reply by 2apes2gp667wr on January 31, 2012 at 9:43pm

I thought ph decreases due to addition of co2 were not harmful. That it was the ph shift from TDS affecting KH that could be harmful. A very high ppm of co2 can cause oxygen depletion so if you have problems with too much then by all means go with a solenoid. In the case of the ph controller I think its for another level of achieving a 30 ppm. Set the ph for the kh of your tank to achieve optimal co2 levels.
I think you'd have to have to be really be cranking co2 in low kh water to cause a ph drop so severe to harm fish. Bez sorry to hear about that shrimp massacre. I'm not saying solenoids aren't useful, just that it's not a must need like the OP asked.

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Permalink Reply by Andy on February 3, 2012 at 8:59pm

Why is it important not to let the C02 run completly out, I would refill it within a day of depletion. I am using a solenoid with a reg, and 10 lb (size is what I wanted)  Thanks Guys

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Permalink Reply by Marc on February 3, 2012 at 9:04pm

you can get a problem called "end of tank dump" when the pressure in the tank drops below a certain level it will dump the remaining co2 out. some regulators dont suffer with this problem

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy I on February 4, 2012 at 11:45pm

Here's what I have to say: the "here" you used in the title should actually be a "hear". "Hear" refers to listening to what other people have to say, while "here" indicates a directional definition, as in "here it is", or "over here". Please take the time to use proper grammar in at least the titles of any forums you post, and this goes for anyone. It makes our site look messy if we have misspelled titles all over the place. Thank you for your time, and I hope you take my request into serious consideration.

-The Grammar Shark

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