Best CO2 system for about £100?

[Eridinus]

Title.

Hi guys, wanted to know if there are any decent CO2 systems that are relatively easy to just hook up to a tank and go. never used anything other than a tropica 60 system before so an all-in-one system would be preferred.

Cheers!

 

[Byron]

Knowing your previous thread I have posted in, I thought I would just ask, why you want a CO2 system? With fish this is not really recommended; there is now evidence that adding diffused CO2 does negatively impact fish. And in most tanks with fish it is really not needed as there is more natural CO2 from organic decomposition than many realize.

 

[Eridinus]

Knowing your previous thread I have posted in, I thought I would just ask, why you want a CO2 system? With fish this is not really recommended; there is now evidence that adding diffused CO2 does negatively impact fish. And in most tanks with fish it is really not needed as there is more natural CO2 from organic decomposition than many realize.

Well I intended to heavily plant my tank, and a lot of the plants I want require CO2 injection.

 

[Byron]

Well I intended to heavily plant my tank, and a lot of the plants I want require CO2 injection.

I always consider the fish first, as my tanks are first and foremost for fish and the plants are secondary for benefit of the fish and aesthetics. Just my way when it comes to keeping living creatures.

 

[Eridinus]

I agree that having unregulated CO2 input in a tank is dangerous as it heavily alters water chemistry, CO2 dissolution rates in water and all that. But the same thing can be said for Oxygen. Oxygen is toxic in its pure form.
I'd say that as long as you have limited CO2 input while also ensuring oxygen is added via air pumps you're not going to affect the health of the fish in any truly harmful way.

 

[Byron]

I agree that having unregulated CO2 input in a tank is dangerous as it heavily alters water chemistry, CO2 dissolution rates in water and all that. But the same thing can be said for Oxygen. Oxygen is toxic in its pure form.
I'd say that as long as you have limited CO2 input while also ensuring oxygen is added via air pumps you're not going to affect the health of the fish in any truly harmful way.

I'm not just arguing on this, but I know other members often read these threads and may be inclined to follow ideas so the issue(s) need to be clear. There was an article in Practical Fishkeeping in 2015 that looked into this issue. I'll cite a couple excerpts and provide the link to the article.

As plants photosynthesise, they draw carbonic acid out of the water, causing pH levels to increase. When plants respire (as they do at night) some of this carbonic acid is reintroduced back to the water, causing pH to plunge. This back and forth of acid/alkaline levels can easily prove fatal to many fish, and all too often does.​

The problem is, we may have become so focused on the plants that some of us are becoming blinkered to the needs of the fish that live alongside them. In fact, as an aside, I notice a troubling trend in modern aquarium keepers, where the measure of welfare seems to be steeped solely in terms of survival: if the fishes live, things are good, if the fishes die, things are bad. This is a broad observation, however, and not one specifically targeted at aquascapers. Across the board, it is an inappropriate position to take.​

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co...co2-injection-cause-disease?rq=carbon dioxide

 

[Eridinus]

I'm not just arguing on this, but I know other members often read these threads and may be inclined to follow ideas so the issue(s) need to be clear. There was an article in Practical Fishkeeping in 2015 that looked into this issue. I'll cite a couple excerpts and provide the link to the article.

As plants photosynthesise, they draw carbonic acid out of the water, causing pH levels to increase. When plants respire (as they do at night) some of this carbonic acid is reintroduced back to the water, causing pH to plunge. This back and forth of acid/alkaline levels can easily prove fatal to many fish, and all too often does.​

The problem is, we may have become so focused on the plants that some of us are becoming blinkered to the needs of the fish that live alongside them. In fact, as an aside, I notice a troubling trend in modern aquarium keepers, where the measure of welfare seems to be steeped solely in terms of survival: if the fishes live, things are good, if the fishes die, things are bad. This is a broad observation, however, and not one specifically targeted at aquascapers. Across the board, it is an inappropriate position to take.​

https/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/blog/articles/does-co2-injection-cause-disease?rq=carbon dioxide

I agree, people coming into the hobby aren’t going to know the consequences. Education is super important when living beings lives are the main focus.