What's the cost of getting pressure CO2 as cheaply as possible for 20 gallons?

[sippingtowel]

Hi everyone, I notice that having pressure CO2 can be one of the more expensive components to a planted aquarium, my question is how much did you pay and for what gallon of a tank? Any advice or price quotes for getting CO2 in a medium/high light tank?
Thanks~

[charlie]

Welcome to OVAS club`s forum, the forum is offered by the club members and it`s sponsors for any hobbyist to participate in.
In my opinion, there is good reason for it been one of the more expensive hardware in the planted tank hobby.
To have consistent dependable equipment, requires quality parts and as we all know quality don`t come cheap, this holds true with CO2 equipment,hence why aquarium equipment manufactures  tend to forgo quality to achieve affordable equipment for the mass market( Business)
In trying to find the cheapest availability on CO2 equipment  , usually comes at the cost of headaches, spending multiple times and eventual frustration followed by giving up.
Fortunately for hobbyist there are quality options that comes in the way of DIY, where you pick and choose what equipment you use, this can be done at competitive cost to similar commercial cost of hobby commercial units.
I would suggest you do your research regarding co2.
Alternatively , as a new comer to planted tank hobby , look into the lower tech option until you get your feet wet in this niche of the hobby.
Regards

[exv152]

A good co2 regulator can be put together for about $150-$300 if you source the parts yourself. A 10 lbs tank, which can last you 6-8 months on a 20g tank costs about $90-$120. Getting it filled costs $30, getting the tank hydro-tested every 5 years costs  $20 (prices from Davidson's fire extinguishers in Ottawa). Then there's the co2 diffuser, check valves, tubing etc, that can vary depending on your personal preference.

That said, you can recuperate a lot of this initial cost when you go to replace or sell your equipment. The resale market is very good online. But, the difference between a tank with co2 and non-co2 is staggering. Just my two cents.

[Gilbotron]

I'm just getting into pressurized CO2 and found that 2nd hand (from a reputable source) was the most cost effective way to get good quality gear, if you can find it.  I've taken enough thumps in the hobby trying to cut costs that I've finally learned not to cheap out anymore - it usually just leads to frustration and additional cost down the road!

Are you new to fishkeeping and planted tanks? If so, I concur with Charlie in exploring the low tech options first.  You would be amazed at the stunning displays you can create with the right choice of plants, a $5 bag of dirt and a little patience! 

[sippingtowel]

Thanks everyone for the advice, yes I am indeed new I sadly started with regular gravel + flourite black with what appears to be a high light carpet plant (pearlweed).

I'll probably stick to liquid CO2 for now.

[charlie]

Here is a good entry level set up you can use, it`s a basic single stage unit without a solenoid, you will need to inject co2 24/7 since without a solenoid , you will not have the ability to turn it off and on.
http://www.applesaddlery.com/66063Taprite-Dual-Guage-Regulator-Zinc/-1118607750800887312/Product
80.00
http://www.alliedelec.com/smc-corporation-as2201f-n01-07sa/70271663/
Can be had locally for around 15.00 +txs
a few brass connectors , no more than 15.00 and you are good to go with any size cga320 co2 bottle.
you can add a solenoid later down the road.
Just an example
If you need help PM me.

[Gilbotron]

No such thing as liquid CO2.  If you mean Excel or similar, its not a replacement for CO2 injection.  I used it for over a year - its very expensive in the long run and the net effect was minor (I've run comparisons with side-by-side tanks). 

It won't allow you to do more advanced plants, bright red plants or tight carpets that true CO2 will allow (I tried many times!), although it does allow you to run your lights slightly brighter or longer.  It will increase your growth rate a bit, and will help with some deficiencies and keep plants a little healthier (leaves won't decay and fall off as easy which in my case was good with my bigger fish that made my long stem plants leggy if plants weren't really healthy).  If I had to put a number to it I'd say it gives a 5-10% boost if dosing daily and it works great for algae.

Its a great product but don't think its a simple way to get high CO2 levels without injection.  I had much better results with dirt substrate, but I had the best results when I figured out the right plants to to use!  If you need some suggestions for good low tech/easy plants to start with PM me anytime.

[Kalinkacat]

Going with the question of a 20 gallon tank, how long would the co2 in a:

5 lb tank
10 lb tank
15 lb tank
20 lb tank

last?  I think it would depend also on light, diffusion, circulation etc. but is there a ballpark figure i.e.-one month etc.

Thanks.

[sippingtowel]

That depends on how much co2 you need regardless of aquarium size(to some extent). CO2 is released and measured by bubbles/second where depending on your plant needs you release CO2 accordingly. Then there is the whole other issue of involving inverts and fish and making sure you don't kill them overnight.

[sippingtowel]

@Kalinkacat That depends on how much co2 you need regardless of aquarium size(to some extent). CO2 is released and measured by bubbles/second where depending on your plant needs you release CO2 accordingly. Then there is the whole other issue of involving inverts and fish and making sure you don't kill them overnight.

Has anyone tried the DIY CO2 option involving citrus acid + baking soda? I'm kind of pocket loose after buying the other equipment and I'm not sure if pressured CO2 is worthwhile for a 20 gallon.

[lucius]

For a 20 gallon, I think you can use Excel.  If you buy a 1 gallon jug of Metricide and mix your own Excel, it should last you a long time and will be cheaper than buying actual Excel.

What type of plants are you keeping?

[sippingtowel]

Only pearl weed (Micranthemum Micranthemoides). I'm also starting to notice the bottom leaves turning a bit yellow.

About Metricide I'll not be going that route only because it's risky(for my health), heck even using Excel is risky but at least there is less fiddling around with it.

[Gilbotron]

I have a 12" high wall of pearl weed growing in a very low light, no CO2 tank and had the same issue.  I don't think lack of CO2 is causing the bottom to yellow/decay - its probably because its bushy up high that enough light can't penetrate to the lower leaves.  Backlighting/sidelighting the tank will keep it nice and healthy on the bottom.  You can use a basic $10 desk lamp with a standard daylight CFL bulb if your tank positioning is conducive to it or a small florescent fixture (for inside cabinets) if you need a tighter form factor. 
I backlit with a desk lamp and the pearl weed got so thick couldn't see the lamp behind the tank after a couple weeks.