Recommend a pressurized CO2 system

personally i think DIY works fine. its by far the cheapest and its results are great. with the addition of a DIY bubble counter you have alot of control over how much co2 is added. getting a tank is easier as you have the ability to shut it off and its a little easier to regulate, but for the money nothing beats the DIY method. Good Luck!!

I use the red sea paintball system, and it works great. I'm actually going to be getting a second one for my 10 gallon. It cost $100, plus a $25 tank which needs filling every 4-6 months (estimated). Its easily concealed, and can be layed on it's side, unlike standard CO2 bottles.

I use the Milwaukee all in one also I have a rex set up as a backup. He does good work


The Milwaukee all in one is on sale here http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html?lmd=38997.593299
just order a check valve from rex at the bottom link I put. You need a check valve for safety. It is only like 10 bucks.


or you can pay a little more for his whole setup here
http://www.rexgrigg.com/./sale.html for his brass CO2 unit just get a tank from a bere.soda supplier 20 bucks every six months

Regulator - Azoo regulator approximately $80 shipped drsfostersmiths.com
5-10 lb CO2 Cylinder - Found locally at your welding, or fire extinquisher shops - $60-80, or search online at ebay or beveragefactory.com
Diffuser/Reactor - Glass diffusers from ebay, or aquabid.com - $20 shipped.

Total $160 for a pressurized system.

-John N.

Yes that's another viable way to inject, dissolve and disperse your CO2. The Maxijet will take the CO2 gas break it up. You can even use a glass diffuser, or even the sweetwater stone AS10 (aquaticeco.com) underneath a powerhead or filter intake to maximize the efficiency.

This method allows the bubbles to dissolve partially before getting sucked up by the intakes. Once consumed by the intake they get redistributed around the tank for another chance to dissolve.

There are many ways to get the CO2 in your tank. Reactors, inline reactors, powerheads, glass diffusers, etc. Glass diffusers or sticking the line into the powerhead or filter intakes are one of the simplest methods.

-John N.

drgold said:

Instead of a diffuser/reactor, could I hook the airline into a maxijet powerhead and diffuse the CO2 that way?

Click to expand...

You could but you sure lose a lot! I would get a reactor or diffuser.

If you want a glass diffuser there is one called the Rhino 1000 that mimics the ADA kind but for a lot less. I heard some good things about it.
If you are looking to diffuse into a 75-90 gal i would highly recommend going the reactor method. They are super easy to make. here is a link on how to make one.


http://www.rexgrigg.com/./diy-reactor.htm

if you plumb it directly into your line, you will not have that extra appendage in your tank. Aesthetically I prefer it.

fresh_newby said:

You could but you sure lose a lot! I would get a reactor or diffuser.

If you want a glass diffuser there is one called the Rhino 1000 that mimics the ADA kind but for a lot less. I heard some good things about it.
If you are looking to diffuse into a 75-90 gal i would highly recommend going the reactor method. They are super easy to make. here is a link on how to make one.


http://www.rexgrigg.com/./diy-reactor.htm

if you plumb it directly into your line, you will not have that extra appendage in your tank. Aesthetically I prefer it.

Click to expand...

fresh_newby, how do you have the AquaMedic 1000 reactor installed? is it on the inflow tube? i bought a modded version that will fit directly into my canister tube (basically cut it in half and plug in the reactor), but that would significantly reduce the flow rate of the canister i think.

just curious how you have it setup, thanks.