Is this a good paintball setup?

laurenrocksth

laurenrocksth

AC Members
Jun 24, 2008
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1) I have never used that set-up. But it looks OK.
2) I do not use a check valve. Without a drop checker--How would you know if your are getting enough CO2?? Without a bubble counter, how are you going to adjust the amount of CO2 into your tank??
3) With a Drop Checker.
 
1. Never used it but I frequent that forum a lot and have even bought things from that seller and I have never heard anything bad about the guy or his setup and was always happy with our transactions.
2. check valve is needed if your using an inline reactor, dont know if you need it if your using a difuser since I've never used one but I doubt it. OH! the setup doesnt turn off, so no you dont need a check valve or drop checker and yes you need a bubble counter but some diffusers act as a bubble counter also.
3. Drop checker, Ive used it but decided not to. In my high tech setups I always max out co2 without killing my fish. So I wait and see when my fish start gasping for air then turn down the co2 a bit. Done. No testing, no chemicals no extra **** to do or buy.

-BUT since you are using a paintball tank ( I have a 10 lb tank) you may want to be more conservative with your co2 than me, so dont rule out a drop checker.



laurenrocksth said:
I'm thinking about going pressurized for my 20g and found this setup on another forum:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/128487-fs-new-paintball-co2-setup-complete.html

Questions:
1. Is it a good setup/deal?
2. Are a check valve, drop checker, and bubble counter necessary?
3. How do you determine how many bps you need for your tank?

Clearly, I have no idea about CO2 setups :)
Click to expand...
 
Well, he doesn't have the option w the diffuser anymore, so I could buy one that also has a drop checker. I'm still pretty cueless as to what a diffuser is. I once tried DIY CO2 ran into my canister with literally no results. Is a diffuser something that allows the CO2 to go directly into the tank? Can anyone recommend a diffuser/drop checker combo?
 
A diffuser is basically just a membrane where co2 is forced through at lets say 30 psi pressure, this causes the co2 to form tiny bubbles which float upwards and dissolve. If you have a pump running in the tank, put the diffuser under the pump.
 
I ordered the set w/o the diffuser. I found another guy who sells a diffuser/drop checker combo for $20. Is that a good deal? Are there other options available that would be cheaper? Do I still need a bubble counter?
 
I would get a drop checker because it does help you to get in the correct ballpark. There are many ways to diffuse co2. My personal favorite is the inline up atomizer (this is because you don't have to add any extra equipment into your tank but requires a canister filter) however another great options is just put a air stone under the intake of a powerhead and that works great. This method is called the co2 mist method and is very effective and the plants can absorb the co2 much better with they are in bubble form than when they are completely mixed with water. The downside is that you have to have a powerhead in your tank and it's not the most attractive option but it works well. Another modification you can make to your powerhead to produce even smaller bubbles is the needle wheel mod. This works by cutting the perpeller in your powerhead up into 3rds so you have even more blades to chop up the bubbles further.
 
OK. I actually only have a HOB filter on this tank. A penguin 200, so routing the CO2 line into the filter would gas off the CO2 before it even got into the tank, right? So, short of switching out my filter for a canister, or putting a powerhead into the tank (both of which I don't really want to do) a diffuser is my only other option, right?
 
If you want cheap, an airstone is a cheap diffuser. Not as efficient, but OK for the price. Get the one with the smalles pores, for the smallest bubbles.
 
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