Co2 What Is The Best Set Up?

[I Love my fishies]

I have just started a 200L Planted tank and I need to get a co2 set up pronto I want best value for money I don't want to spend a fortune but I want something that works what do you suggest?

 

[Themuleous]

Check out this thread

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=212550

Its about the cheapest way of doing pressurised CO2, which you'll need for a 200lt tank.

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

A question I have for you however I have just started a 200L planted tank and I use flourish excel …. So do you think I should stop using it?

I took this quote from Musho`s thread. How you approach CO2 is dependent on light levels, tank size and, of course, bank balance.

Light level: the major factor, and whilst most planted tanks benefit from CO2, once you start to approach 2WPG it becomes a necessity. Light is the most significant driver of plant growth, which in turn drives up nutrient uptake. Carbon via the form of CO2 then becomes a limiting nutrient if you are not supplying enough for your plants, hence the need to add CO2. If plant growth is limited, algae will take hold.

Tank size: the key to adding CO2 is to have sufficient levels that are stable. DIY CO2 works well for smaller tanks, but as Sam has said, for your size of tank pressurised CO2 will be the best way to go.

Bank balance: dependent upon your light levels, you could carry on using Excel provided they are low enough. If you need to go pressurised, Sam has put together just about the cheapest option around. I notice that you live in Oz, but I would have thought you could source most things from eBay over there.

An alternative to using fire extinguisher CO2 is to contact a local welding shop or supplier of CO2 to the food/pub industry for an even cheaper source.

If you take a look at the pinned EI article at the top of this forum, it will give you a good idea of plant requirements. You do not have to go down this road, but you can modify what you dose according to how fast your lighting is driving your tank.

So, finally I have got around to asking what level of lighting does your tank have?

Dave.

 

[I Love my fishies]

A question I have for you however I have just started a 200L planted tank and I use flourish excel …. So do you think I should stop using it?

I took this quote from Musho`s thread. How you approach CO2 is dependent on light levels, tank size and, of course, bank balance.

Light level: the major factor, and whilst most planted tanks benefit from CO2, once you start to approach 2WPG it becomes a necessity. Light is the most significant driver of plant growth, which in turn drives up nutrient uptake. Carbon via the form of CO2 then becomes a limiting nutrient if you are not supplying enough for your plants, hence the need to add CO2. If plant growth is limited, algae will take hold.

Tank size: the key to adding CO2 is to have sufficient levels that are stable. DIY CO2 works well for smaller tanks, but as Sam has said, for your size of tank pressurised CO2 will be the best way to go.

Bank balance: dependent upon your light levels, you could carry on using Excel provided they are low enough. If you need to go pressurised, Sam has put together just about the cheapest option around. I notice that you live in Oz, but I would have thought you could source most things from eBay over there.

An alternative to using fire extinguisher CO2 is to contact a local welding shop or supplier of CO2 to the food/pub industry for an even cheaper source.

If you take a look at the pinned EI article at the top of this forum, it will give you a good idea of plant requirements. You do not have to go down this road, but you can modify what you dose according to how fast your lighting is driving your tank.

So, finally I have got around to asking what level of lighting does your tank have?

Dave.

Thanks Dave ATM I only have one plant bulb going into LFS tommorrow to get a double housing and prob end up with 110W or there abouts if my memory serves me correct (I cant quite remember the exact wattage of the lights I decided on).

The above DIY CO2 would prob not be a good option for me I WOULD PROB BLOW MY SELF UP I am great at building things and I even can work on my car ... so I am not one of those girls who is a hopeless handy man/woman/person I even have a pink tool box and pink tools anyway back to the subject but give me something that has the potential to explode and it prob will .... ie. Renee should stay away from Fire works, gas bottles etc.