Ready to Take the Plunge

[ConnerFish]

I have 'upgraded' to live easy to grow plants from fake plants. Now I think I am ready to take the plunge and make a planted tank with CO2. To say the least I'm a little nervous. I have a 55 gallon community tank that I would like to upgrade with CO2. My question is is it possible to go a DIY route to save money (college student and poor )? Also I'm kinda nervous about killing my fish with to much CO2 so they suffocate. Also I am clueless when it comes to ferts. Any basic advice or referrals to websites etc. would be extremely welcome. Thanks! :goldfish::frog:

 

[tanker]

IMO---DIY CO2 is OK for tanks 20gal or smaller. I know the initial cost is high, but you do not have to keep buying anything (except to refill CO2 tank) after. If you set CO2 for a bubble or so a second, your fish would be fine.

I like the pressurized because once you set it, you can forget it (assuming you buy a PH monitor--again $$).

I do not have a PH monitor, I have a drop checker with about 2-3 bubbles per second.

With a 55gal and "Moderate" light, you can st the bubbles per second to very low (one bubble per 2-3 seconds) and your CO2 will last a long time.

 

[FISHSHROD]

Even if you go DIY sugar /yeast, it costs alot to keep buying sugar and it's a pain in the wrass . Just splurge and get a regulator , 5 lb co2 cylinder , pro magnum cannister for co2 reactor ,bubble counter, check valve and a drop checker and you are good to go .

 

[FISHSHROD]

A LITTLE INSPIRATION ?

 

[dpenguinfish]

That IS inspiration. O.O

 

[jetajockey]

Best of luck. I'm with the above posts, DIY co2 is tedious and can actually cause algae issues because of the fluctuating co2 level. It's unsightly and doesn't work very well on larger tanks. You can get away with no co2 as long as your lighting is moderate. I don't enjoy trimming plants every few days so I just keep the lighting in check and don't run co2.

A good substrate goes a long way, as far as ferts go. Get a good substrate like ecocomplete, fluorite, oil dri, SMS, turface and use some root tabs to help enrich it a bit. You could also go the mineralized topsoil route which is basically using regular soil that has been weathered and screened to remove organics (so they don't break down in the tank), the end result is very nutrient rich and lasts for a very long time, so it's worth the hassle, although it's drawback is it needs to be capped with something since it's really muddy.

An alternative to Co2 is dosing excel, or glutaraldehyde. It's not too expensive if you go with metricide or cidex over the excel brand. Some people report that it melts some more delicate plants like vals but I've yet to have an issue, although I don't dose nearly as much as the instructions recommend.