Newbie To Co2 And Need Some Advice Please

[Nosnibor]

Hello all,

I have just recently bought the Hydro Green 2 NRG Exclusive CO2 system, I set it up last night only to find that the canister is empty this afternoon. I'm just hoping that it was a faulty canister and it wasn't full when it was sent to me, I'm calling the place I bought it from tomorrow to get them to send me another.

Anyway, I found it hard when counting the bubbles coming out of the Airo Diffuser as it produced a large bubble that broke into many, so I didn't know whether to count it as one or many

My setup is in my signature and I have a heavy(ish) plantlife. I'm not too sure exactly what information to supply in order to get help so please let me know and I will tell you.

I have a pH tester kit but not KH or GH, can you please advice on which one to get. Also can you tell me what I should be looking out for and please explain the KH settings or give me a link to someone who has written up about it, I'd appreciate it a lot

Thanks very much

Martin
PS not too sure if a thread like this has been posted recently as the search engine on this doesn't seem to be working for me

 

[pedal]

I maybe not much help as im still in my infant years in regards to planeted tanks, but i brought the same system couple of weeks back, the stuff they provide suks, i know as ive been keeping tabs on co2 levels, so i dumped them 3/4 days ago, now using 3/4 tea spoon of crush hovis dried active yeast 99p from sainsburys add the sugar and water as it says on the manual, my co2 count is just below perfect so im well pleased.

 

[Nosnibor]

I maybe not much help as im still in my infant years in regards to planeted tanks, but i brought the same system couple of weeks back, the stuff they provide suks, i know as ive been keeping tabs on co2 levels, so i dumped them 3/4 days ago, now using 3/4 tea spoon of crush hovis dried active yeast 99p from sainsburys add the sugar and water as it says on the manual, my co2 count is just below perfect so im well pleased.

Thanks pedal but I'm not too sure it might be the same system as mine is a gas cylinder, it's the 74gr size. If it is then I wasn;t aware that you could use another method, if it isn't good then I'll be well pee'd off as I was going to buy the cheaper version but bought this one (£80) instead

Martin

 

[SuperColey1]

My advice would be and don't be upset.

Sell it on ebay quick and get the price you paid or as close to.

and buy this instead (real set up)

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Anlage-Komplett-...oQQcmdZViewItem

Real setup without the silly change every week little cannisters and the hydor units are renounded for their problems with the setting up of how much CO2 you actually want.

Andy

 

[Nosnibor]

My advice would be and don't be upset.

Sell it on ebay quick and get the price you paid or as close to.

and buy this instead (real set up)

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Anlage-Komplett-...oQQcmdZViewItem

Real setup without the silly change every week little cannisters and the hydor units are renounded for their problems with the setting up of how much CO2 you actually want.

Andy

Hiya Andy,

Wow looks like serious stuff. Have you got a link that's in English? It looks a little too serious for me to be honest. It states on this unit that I will be able to get over two months of CO2 at my rate for my tank.
When I decided to go the CO2 route, I only wanted some thing to just drop my pH by 1 and get the 'easy' plantlife I have in there looking a little nicer. I wasn't going to heavily plant the tank.

Is there anyone else on here that has the Hydor Green NRG CO2 Exclusive System? I did some reading up on it and it looked very good

Martin

 

[SuperColey1]

In English

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Complete-System-...oQQcmdZViewItem

The problems I have read about with the Hydor setup not only relate to the frustration and cost of replacing the tiny little cannisters, but also the regulator being hard to adjust and keep at a static amount (i.e. you set it at 1BPS and wake up the next day to find it has loosened to give 4BPS). Also reports of parts breaking quite easily.

Also the diffusor isn't the prettiest or most efficient.

I looked at the Hydor kits when I first decided I was going to go pressurised. Even put a few bids on ebay on them but after doing some research on here decided to go with a real setup.

I use the following setup myself

Welding cannisters
http/www.thewelderswarehouse.com/acatalo..._Capacity_.html

Welding regulator (2nd item down)
http/www.welduk.com/Results1.asp?Category=37

Solenoid valve from Aquarianversand
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Nachtabschaltung...oQQcmdZViewItem

Needle Valve from Aquarianversand
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Feinnadelventil-...oQQcmdZViewItem

CO2 hose from Aquarianversand
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Schlauch-2-0-m-0...oQQcmdZViewItem

Gamba XII glass bubble counter and NRV from Aquatic Magic
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gamba-XII-Co2-bubble...1QQcmdZViewItem

Rhinox 2000 glass / ceramic diffusor from Aquatic Magic
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rhinox-2000-Japanese...1QQcmdZViewItem

I also use this drop checker for seeing if my levels are OK
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Co2-Drop-Checker...VQQcmdZViewItem

And this is it all in setup and in action, forgive the poor photos

The cannister, regulator, needle valve, hose and solenoid valve (sat on top of its timer)

The bubble counter and NRV with some of the diffusor in view

The diffusor at work (white lines are actually bubbles. lol)

The drop checker showing a nice pleasant green

And just showing of the camera now really. The Lily Pipe outflow, you can see the vortex in the water's surface just in front of it.

Andy

 

[Rob.S]

Andy......... Is your bubble counter fitted outside the tank?

 

[SuperColey1]

Yes that pic shows the NRV at the outside bottom (with the red valve), the bubble counter outside top and the diffusor inside.

Bubble counters are usually outside the tank.

Andy

 

[Nosnibor]

In English

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Complete-System-...oQQcmdZViewItem

The problems I have read about with the Hydor setup not only relate to the frustration and cost of replacing the tiny little cannisters, but also the regulator being hard to adjust and keep at a static amount (i.e. you set it at 1BPS and wake up the next day to find it has loosened to give 4BPS). Also reports of parts breaking quite easily.

Also the diffusor isn't the prettiest or most efficient.

I looked at the Hydor kits when I first decided I was going to go pressurised. Even put a few bids on ebay on them but after doing some research on here decided to go with a real setup.

I use the following setup myself

Andy

Andy this is all fantastic, I'm going to check all this out now.

The company I bought the Hydor from is sending me a free canister. I will give it another go and if I get have no joy with it I will look into getting the same kind of equipment as you. What size is your aquarium and I take it that you have many plants in there?

By the looks of yours, I see that it would be easy to count the bpm, with the Hydor you get like one huge bubble that breaks up

Cheers

Martin

 

[SuperColey1]

My tank is a Fluval Duo Deep 800 (125Ltr)

I have a few plants in there:

Vallisineria Spiralis 'Leopard'
Hygrophylia Polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Hygrophylia 'Thai' Stricta
Hygropyhlia Polysperma ' Unknown Sp'
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Nymphea Rubra 'Tiger Lotus'
Bacopa Caroliania
Bacopa Monnieri
Riccia Fluitans
Anubias Barteri v Nana
Anubias Barteri 'Petite'
Alternanthera Reineckii 'Rosafolia'
Rotala Rotundifolia ' Rosa'
Ludwigia Repens
Phillipine Java Fern
Mini Pellia
Christmas Moss
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
+thread, staghorn and black beard algae which is slowly dying off now my CO2 is consistent again (make sure you don't run out of cylinders....or money at the wrong time. lol)

I also have on order some Glosso and some Spatterdock.

I used to have loads more plants along the way of deciding what I liked and didn't like. Its the best way to go really. Use your first years to decide what grows well, what you like, what fits a space best, what gives the effect you want etc.

I got my new camera today (not a cheapo 2mp vivicam like before. lol)so I'll swap the pics above for better quality ones later.

Good luck matey

Andy

 

[Nosnibor]

I also have on order some Glosso and some Spatterdock.

I used to have loads more plants along the way of deciding what I liked and didn't like. Its the best way to go really. Use your first years to decide what grows well, what you like, what fits a space best, what gives the effect you want etc.

I got my new camera today (not a cheapo 2mp vivicam like before. lol)so I'll swap the pics above for better quality ones later.

Good luck matey

Andy

Andy, you really are a star, this is amazing. I have never had such great response from a posting So much appreciated.

Funny enough I've just been going through ebay and all the links you sent - I am SOOOOO kicking myself. I can;t believe I paid £80 for the Hydor and the one you advised on ebay is the same price

I've also looked at the individual items you listed. I take it the bubble counter you bought separately is better than the one that comes with the kit? I noticed that Aquatic Magic only recommend it to tanks upto 40 US gallons. I have 48, do you think that would be okay?

So am I right in saying that all I need to do is get the kit from Germany with the Drop checker from Hong Kong and that's me set?

By the way, how long would the canister last, I love the fact that you can set a timer for it to go off at night - wow!

So, are you just crazy about plants then or do you have fish in there too?

Cheers as usual

Martin
PS Will be great to see the photos, and anymore you fancy taking of your setup with your new camera (which one did you get by the way?).

 

[SuperColey1]

The kit from Germany is a ready to go kit and all you need is the drop checker.

I bought the diffusor, bubble counter and NRV when I was using Nutrafins, and I would've used them if I had bought the complete setup too, as they're glass, look good and from what I read on reviews are good at what they do.

I don't know what Mike @ AM is doing with his adverts these days. He's changed the Rhinox 2k advert to say not suitable for yeast setups, when it used to say it was suitable (and I had it working like a dream on 2 Nutrafins)

With the Gamba bubble counter it will work for any size tank within reason, just be a little harder to judge if you had a really large tank as you would be trying to count 10 bubbles per second. lol

Fishwise I had a CO2 problem a few months ago where the dodgy cheapo needle valve I had before broke and gassed my fish by releasing the whole cannister into the tank. This was why I purchased the Aquarianversand needle valve and solenoid and have not had any such problems since. touch wood.

I replaced the lot last month with 8 Otos, 19 Cardinals and bought 4 more pitbull plecs (I had 4 before the gassing)
I have lost 2 cardinals and 3 Otos since. I had mesh sheets at the back for a moss wall which I tried to cut cost on and sparsely fill it. Needless to say the 3 Otos got their heads caught in the mesh and died, as did 1 cardinal. The other cardinal died for unknown reason the day after I put them all in the tank. The mesh has been removed now awaiting £50 of Christmas Moss to arrive from Malaysia, which should this time fill the mesh (and block the holes)

The camera I got is the Casio EX-Z1050 10.1mp, which replaces my Vivitar Vivicam 2.0mp. Had it one day and it seems to me to be absolutely awesome.

Some pics of my fish (from the Vivitar)

The cardinals over Riccia (June)

2 of the new pitbulls paired up (June)

The previous group of pitbulls (February)

The tank in daylight (March)

The nerve centre that controls the lights, heat, filtering etc (March)

I could paste photos all day but they're all in the journal in my signature. Might be worth a read to hear my tales of woe. lol

EDIT: UPDATED THE PHOTOS OF EQUIP IN POST ABOVE WITH NEW CAMERA PICS.

Andy

 

[Nosnibor]

That's GREAT Andy,

I have just placed an order for it Very happy now. How long does this company take to deliver?

I noticed that there isn't a diffuser, is that the case and would I have to buy one? I'll get that Rhinox you have if there isn't one, I just thought it was complete.

Another question, what about the PWCs. Do you not knock out the CO2 levels everytime you do a water change? I mean I know you would do but does it take long to get it back to the correct CO2 level again?

And snails.... aagghhh, I bet you hate them gits! I have some in the tank at the moment and I'm just waiting until my Flubenol 15 wormer medication to arrive so I can treat the tank and kill them all sodding tourists...

Thanks Andy.

Martin

 

[Rob.S]

Yes that pic shows the NRV at the outside bottom (with the red valve), the bubble counter outside top and the diffusor inside.

Bubble counters are usually outside the tank.

Andy

Thanks for clearing that one up.

My counter & nrv arrived today (the same as yours). I'm a bit surprised at the nrv - doesn't look as if it will be that effective - obviously it is, otherwise you wouldn't be using it.

 

[Nosnibor]

My counter & nrv arrived today (the same as yours). I'm a bit surprised at the nrv - doesn't look as if it will be that effective - obviously it is, otherwise you wouldn't be using it.

Rob,

Which CO2 system do you have? I'm waiting for mine to come through from Germany, a little worried about how much CO2 to pump in to begin with as I want to do it very gradually.

Have you got yours already established or is this the first time with the CO2 system?

Got to get my head around working out the correct KH/GH etc as I haven't aclue about them

Martin