What do you need for pressurised CO2 set up

[charlie]

Well i decided to start this thread  here so as not to derail in the Classified, as the title says, you will need the following equipment to do pressurized co2 in a planted tank.
(1) A bottle/ cannister of co2 gas, most commonly used are the steel fire extinguishers bottle , there also nice aluminium cannisters as well but of course those come with a hefty price tag.
In Ottawa you can get the steel extinguishers in 5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb & even larger from 2 sources that i know of in this area Davidson fire extinguishers - 144 Percy St. Ottawa,Tele. (613)235-1629 or (613)235-1133
& Pyromateck (fire extinguisher...) in Gatineau at 819-568-2096.These guys also fill the bottles when you need to have them refilled, they also sometimes have the aluminum cannisters used for sale.

(2)Next you need a regulator to regulate the pressure from the bottle down to a workable pressure of about 10-30 psi, the regulator should have a electrical solenoid switch( not absolutely necessary but highly recommended)this will give you the ability to turn the gas of at night/lights off & back on in the day/lights on, the advantage of this is only to conserve gas as plants do not require co2 in the dark.
you will need a needle valve  ( this either attaches to the regulator or the solenoid if you have a solenoid) to further regulate/control the gas flow down to extreme low flow ( bubbles per second/minute)
( 3) A bubble counter, so you can measure the flow of gas, most typically done by counting how many bubbles per second/minute
(4)Tubing to transport the gas from the regulator to the aquarium, you will also need some check valves that is co2 resistant, as in regards to the type of tubing, they are co2 resistant tubing available, but regular air line tubing will work , the downside to this is that it will require changing periodically ( maybe1-2 a year) but is pretty inexpensive, take note that it is said that silicone tubing is not recommended because it is very permable with CO2.
(5)After you get the CO2 gas to the aquarium, you will need some way of dissolving it in the tank water, there are many ways to do this including reactors both passive & powered, diffusers, some have used their filters  but thats not the way i would reccomend.

Availability of co2 regulators for the aquarium hobby, they may be found at some local & on line aquarium shops mainly by the brand name Milwaukee & Azoo, these include regulator , solenoid,needle valve, bubble counter. There are some better quality ones available on line for about the same or slightly more expensive than you would pay locally, i have my personal favourites but thats just my opinion from experience with a couple of them ( if you are interested contact me ), below is some links to the better quality ones that are available
http://www.sumoregulator.com/
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/index.htm
http://www.aquariumplants.com/CO2_Accessories_s/50.htm

some links to reactors, these are only for reference, you can shop around for other similar types & prices
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18056/si1316569/cl0/aquamedicaqualineco2reactor
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18056/si1316521/cl0/aquamedicco2reactor1000
http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/DIY-CO2-Reactor/2/
This one is cheap & effective
http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm
A good link for more detailed info
http://www.rexgrigg.com/co2.htm
http://www.rexgrigg.com/regset.html
Hopefully i covered it all.Good luck
P.S.  CO2 is only part of the puzzle , it is all relevant to lights first & foremost & nutrients, so please research the relevance of light carbon & nutrients
http://www..com/index.HTML
http://www.throb.com/Plants/balance-randall.HTML

[BigDaddy]

Good reference charlie

Some personal experiences of my own

Reactors:

I have made my own DIY inline reactor, as well as a powerhead\gravel vac reactor.  I have also used (and continue to use) the AquaMedic 500 reactor.  There are pros and cons to each.

Inline

While the inline reactor doesn't take up tank space (more room for more plants), over time gas will build up in the chamber and it can get noisy.  As well, since it is plumbed into your main filtration, it can affect overall flow rates.  Also, unless you use clear pvc (read $$$) you can't visually monitor the efficiency of the reactor.  Obviously, this system is not an option if aren't using a canister filter or plan on adding a closed loop pump

So for the inline reactor here are my personal pros and cons

Pros - easy and cheap to build, doesn't take up tank space, single reactor can feed any tank size
Cons - flow rates affected, can be noisy, no visual cues

Powerhead\gravel vac

Probably the reactor most DIY'ers try first.  A Maxijet output fits perfectly in the top of most gravel vacs with a nearly perfect seal.  Some people run them with some kind of sponge media at the bottom.  Others just run a longer tube.  You can use a glass diffuser to introduce the CO2 to the chamber or just run a rigid airline tube.  Tom Barr introduced a design that "burps" out trapped gas to keep the reactor's efficiency up over the entire photoperiod.  This was my first reactor and if I wasn't using the AM500, I would probably revert back to this reactor.  The only real downsides to this reactor is the tank space it uses up and the fact that in larger or brighter tanks, you either have to use a much longer tube to deal with the extra CO2, or place more than one unit in the tank.  Without very good flow through the tank, it is very possible to get higher CO2 concentrations on the 'side' of the tank the reactor sits on.

Pros – easy and cheap to build, visual inspection, good efficiency with some modifications
Cons – takes up tank space, can't handle large CO2 injection well

AquaMedic 500

This unit is actually a triple design.  It incorporates a reaction chamber like the inline or gravel vac units, but also has a spiral track that acts as a diffuser similar to the Hagen ladder.  Finally CO2 trapped at the top of the unit can diffuse in a similar manner to a simple bell diffuser design.

CO2 is shot down a vertical chamber at the center of the unit.  CO2 is broken down in the highest flow of the unit and the remaining micro bubbles are pushed up through the spiral outer housing where the balance of the CO2 is passively diffused (well not really as some flow from the pump is redirected up the spiral from a backplate at the bottom of the unit.  If any CO2 remains.. it collects at the top of the unit where it will occasionally self purge as required to maintain efficiency.

Depending on if you have the model which includes a powerhead or not, flow rates can be finicky.  Too high a flow and you will blow all the CO2 out of the chamber and it will simply collect in the bell (or out the end of the unit).  Overall this unit does best with as low flow as required (I run mine at 40 GPH) so finding a powerhead that runs that low and\or setting the included pump to the desired flow can take some practice.  Otherwise, the only other downside is that as a commercial unit, some people may feel $50 is a little steep compared to cheaper DIY solutions

Pros – excellent dissolve rates, professional look
Cons – takes up tank space, have to play with flow rates, cost

[Vizerdrix]

in reference to sources, I know that Praxair also carries CO2 cylinders.  You can rent them on a yearly basis for a flat fee.  Don't know how much they are though, but I can check as we use them at work for welding.

[barefoot_golfer]

Great information, was able to adjust my regulator (regulator from aquariumplants/MIA instructions).

I've enclosed a picture of my setup and note filter supply line into bottom of in-line heater out into top of reactor out into tank.
Question, is my reactor setup in reverse, should the CO2 input be at the top?

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Ron 

[attachment deleted by admin]

[alexv]

Great information, was able to adjust my regulator (regulator from aquariumplants/MIA instructions).

I've enclosed a picture of my setup and note filter supply line into bottom of in-line heater out into top of reactor out into tank.
Question, is my reactor setup in reverse, should the CO2 input be at the top?

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Ron 

Ron, you definitely have your reactor hooked up upside-down... The CO2 inlet should be on the top, then the tube brings the gas to the bottom of the chamber. The water flow should be from the top down, so that it keeps the CO2 bubbles suspended (they try to go up against the water flow).

P.S. I bought my CO2 equipment from http://www.co2-canisters.com/ (except the CO2 cyllinders themselves, which I got from Davidson's Fire Extingiushers). The rest (regulators, CO2 tubing, PH monitors, CO2 reactors) come from that web site...

[charlie]

I agree with alexv, you want the co2 bubble going against the flow or the flow going against the co2 bubble. some other observations from your picture, it would appear that your working pressure is set really high looks like somewhere in the 40-50 psi range , thats a lot of pressire on the needle valve, you really only need it @ 10-20 psi, another thing the plastic clamp on the hoses coming out of the cannister ( i`m not sure here) should`nt that be clamped where the hoses slide over the filter output?, all my pro2 have it clamped there , might be worthwhile checking that out.
Regards

[martin_jones]

I have found that the prices for the CO2 tanks varies quite substantially; online at aquariumplants.com, they are roughtly $85 empty (plus all the shipping costs).

Davidson sell them for $115 and Pyromateck over in Gatineau sell them for $75 filled.

[Jason]

I went to the site alexv suggested and it seems like a pretty good deal.

they have the following that look interesting. What do you guys think would be best?

Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter 
for $78.00 + shipping $22.00 = $100 + $75 for 10lbs filled tank from Pyromatek

-Ma957 CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter.The milwaukee instruments ma957 Dual guage regulator displays output pressure and bottle pressure. Standard American CO2 bottle connection cga 320


or

JBJ co2 Regulator, Dual gauges Solid Copper construction
CO2 Output line, silicone line connection, Needle Valve and Superior quality German Solenoid, Light Indicator for on-off cycles,
NOW INCLUDES BUBBLE COUNTER & CHECK VALVE
AC Power wire for $81.99 + $22.00 shipping + $75 for 10lbs filled tank

[charlie]

I went to the site alexv suggested and it seems like a pretty good deal.

they have the following that look interesting. What do you guys think would be best?

Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter 
for $78.00 + shipping $22.00 = $100 + $75 for 10lbs filled tank from Pyromatek

-Ma957 CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter.The milwaukee instruments ma957 Dual guage regulator displays output pressure and bottle pressure. Standard American CO2 bottle connection cga 320


or

JBJ co2 Regulator, Dual gauges Solid Copper construction
CO2 Output line, silicone line connection, Needle Valve and Superior quality German Solenoid, Light Indicator for on-off cycles,
NOW INCLUDES BUBBLE COUNTER & CHECK VALVE
AC Power wire for $81.99 + $22.00 shipping + $75 for 10lbs filled tank

check here for some views
http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=29829.0

[dan2x38]

I went to the site alexv suggested and it seems like a pretty good deal.

they have the following that look interesting. What do you guys think would be best?

Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter 
for $78.00 + shipping $22.00 = $100 + $75 for 10lbs filled tank from Pyromatek

-Ma957 CO2 Regulator with needle valve, solenoid valve, and bubble counter.The milwaukee instruments ma957 Dual guage regulator displays output pressure and bottle pressure. Standard American CO2 bottle connection cga 320

or

JBJ co2 Regulator, Dual gauges Solid Copper construction
CO2 Output line, silicone line connection, Needle Valve and Superior quality German Solenoid, Light Indicator for on-off cycles,
NOW INCLUDES BUBBLE COUNTER & CHECK VALVE
AC Power wire for $81.99 + $22.00 shipping + $75 for 10lbs filled tank

Those are aweful low prices. I think there is more to it then that? That is US? Often there are additional prices for Interntional shipping plus brokage fees - becareful. The Milwakukee regulator is an entry level unit.

[martin_jones]

They are US prices, so we may get hit with taxes on the way in. However, they ship via USPS so I don't think there will be any brokerage.

Also, shared between a number on a possible group order, it could bring the cost down.

Martin

[dan2x38]

They are US prices, so we may get hit with taxes on the way in. However, they ship via USPS so I don't think there will be any brokerage.

Also, shared between a number on a possible group order, it could bring the cost down.

Martin

Go on the USPS website and make sure. I got hit with brokage fees once it almost cost the same as what I ordered!  Better to be safe then sorry. There be extra charges for over wieght too.

[Jeff1192]

I've never had brokerage fees from USPS. UPS and FedEx will kill you with brokerage fees...they're often almost 50% of the value of the item.

Jeff

[BigDaddy]

USPS doesn't charge brokerage fees. I think you are thinking UPS (stupidly high brokerage fees)

[barefoot_golfer]

Thanks all for your feedback on my CO2 setup.
Equipment direction has changed since than.

Charlie, the pressure setting in the picture is setup @ 8 psi (regulator not for welding).

Thanks again,

Cheers,
Ron

[alexv]

Actually USPS sometimes does charge brokerage fees but their fees are a fixed $5.00 Unline UPS which is around $40-$60.