Co2 Confusion

[kisin]

Well not a great deal but here it goes.

I have just purchased a Juwel Rekord 800 (110 L approx ).

It comes with built in filter and lighting along with heater.

I have decided on my fish and have calculated using the 1" of fish per 1 Gallon of water.

I have a rough idea about the plants I want along with a planned sketch of what I hope the tank will look like once completed.

I have researched the whole fishless cycle thing and think I understand it pretty well but the only thing that's bothering me is trying to find a CO2 system that doesn't cost the earth but will also be adequate enough for my aquarium.

The said aquarium can be seen here >> http/www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/aquarium/small_tanks/171566

so any ideas on the whole CO2 dooda?

( there may be more questions but will wait to ask these )

And thanks for any replies

Jake

 

[JoshuaA]

You could try the Nutrafin Co2 system and use the home baked concoction of Sugar/Warm water/Yeast which will cut the costs down even more.

The System can cost as low as £13 new (eBay) and up to about £25 in store I think. One unit can do about 75litre so you can just put a second unit on and if you can grab it for the lower price you can do it pretty cheaply for two. I think it's a matter of space when it comes to multiple units.

Nutrafin Co2

I haven't got any experience using it, however reading about it, it is suppose to be good. I'm tempted to get a system and heavily plant the tank.

 

[OldMan47]

CO2 is not needed for any fish tank. It can be considered a necessity in a high tech planted tank. In that case, the DIY type yeast system sold by Nutrafin will work on a small tank like yours.
If you decide to go high tech planted, a better choice is a pressurized CO2 system. The stable CO2 conditions with very little hassle is worth the price difference to me. Another approach, you won't see it written about very often in most forums, is the NPT, natural planted tank, made popular by Diana Walstad. It uses a dirt or potting soil substrate covered with gravel to feed the roots of your plants and relies mostly on decaying fish food and fish waste to fertilize the plants. It does require fairly high light levels like a high tech tank. The end result can be total failure or can look like this jungle that I have in an experimental NPT in my home. It has 110 watts of light over a 40 gallon breeder and I never fertilize it or add CO2 to it.