# First CO2 System



## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)

Hi. I’m looking to upgrade my tank with a CO2 system. As it stands at the moment my tank isn’t on a cabinet where equipment can be hidden and there is no way on earth that my Good Lady will allow me to have a bright red 2 or 5 kg fire extinguisher on show!  Therefore my initial option would be a less conspicuous nano system, in particular I’m looking at the Tropica system.   I know that with these systems there is a risk of the CO2 all dumping into the tank towards the end of its life, and also there is no solenoid to put it on a timer. I therefore have 3 questions - 1.  Is the CO2 dump highly likely? 2. Is it pointless a running a system that is 24/7 with no timer for hours of darkness? & 3.  With me just having ‘easy’ plants, therefore a bubble rate of approx 3 bps, would the 95 gram bottle last me a month before replacement?  Many thanks in advance. Steve


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## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)

P.S. ref the ‘fire extinguisher’ part of my Post, if anyone just says ‘get rid of the Wife’ she’s already pre-empted that one 😂


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## dcurzon (18 Aug 2020)

get a nice posh chrome fire extinguisher . it'll give her something to polish too


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## HypeBuce (18 Aug 2020)

I have a spare system I can sell you? No full bottles but I've got the regulator, inline solenoid purchased off eBay, and the tropica diffuser. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2020)

Hi Steve, you don’t mention your tank size?
It is very difficult to predict how much gas you will use even if you know the tank size!
The main issue I see is even if the small system did work it will only be short term as you are going to want to upgrade before long so best to work on a way around using a 2kg cylinder .


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## Ghettofarmulous (18 Aug 2020)

Aye paint it or get a cylinder that fits in


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## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)




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## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)

foxfish said:


> The main issue I see is even if the small system did work it will only be short term as you are going to want to upgrade before long so best to work on a way around using a 2kg cylinder .
> [/QUOT





foxfish said:


> Hi Steve, you don’t mention your tank size?
> It is very difficult to predict how much gas you will use even if you know the tank size!
> The main issue I see is even if the small system did work it will only be short term as you are going to want to upgrade before long so best to work on a way around using a 2kg cylinder .


Sorry. The tank is 30 gallons. Due to a change around in the lounge at some stage it will morph into a different tank with the ability to have all the trimmings, but at the moment it’s not possible to have a decent sized cylinder. I might but just as well to leave it as it is for now and bide my time. The plants are healthy, fed often and the lighting adequate. It would be nice to get nice vibrant colours and get red plants that stay red.


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## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)

dcurzon said:


> get a nice posh chrome fire extinguisher . it'll give her something to polish too


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## SMW945 (18 Aug 2020)

HypeBuce said:


> I have a spare system I can sell you? No full bottles but I've got the regulator, inline solenoid purchased off eBay, and the tropica diffuser.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for the offer. I do have some items I can source if I want to go down this route. But it’s appreciated 👍


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## Ghettofarmulous (18 Aug 2020)

SMW945 said:


> Sorry. The tank is 30 gallons. Due to a change around in the lounge at some stage it will morph into a different tank with the ability to have all the trimmings, but at the moment it’s not possible to have a decent sized cylinder. I might but just as well to leave it as it is for now and bide my time. The plants are healthy, fed often and the lighting adequate. It would be nice to get nice vibrant colours and get red plants that stay red.



yeah dude leave it until you are ready. You have many years to perfect it. My tank sat empty for five months until I knew everything was in place


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## Luketendo (19 Aug 2020)

SMW945 said:


> View attachment 153195



Put it behind the cabinet?


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## Chrisjb330 (19 Aug 2020)

You could pipe it to another part of the room?

Or hack chop modify the inside of the stand its on.


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## Melll (19 Aug 2020)

@SMW945 

How about buying a nice small matching cabinet to stand next to that rather nice cabinet the tank is on and have the cylinder in there?


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## SMW945 (19 Aug 2020)

Melll said:


> @SMW945
> 
> How about buying a nice small matching cabinet to stand next to that rather nice cabinet the tank is on and have the cylinder in there?


I’m saving all these great ideas to put to Mrs W. 👍. That would easily work if I could find something that matched perfectly (for her that is, not me. I would be happy to have a 5 kg red fire extinguisher on full show)


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## Melll (19 Aug 2020)

Then your good lady will have somewhere to put the beautiful vase of flowers that you are also going to buy for her


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## dcurzon (19 Aug 2020)

Melll said:


> Then your good lady will have somewhere to put the beautiful vase of flowers that you are also going to buy for her


smoother than a newts belly


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## DionS (19 Aug 2020)

Hi Steve,

My tank is 8 gallons (nano cube) and i'm a beginner at co2 aswell. I looked into the tropica system just like you did, i found that there are two kind of tropica co2 systems, one is the tropica 95gr co2 bottle with regulator (for which you can buy as solenoid valve if i'm correct). The other is the tropica manual pressurised can of co2 which diffuses naturally. As i said, i looked into both and found them quite expensive which changing the co2 bottles almost every month and like you said the change to burst the last bit of leftovers in the bottle.

What i did find for myself is a 500gr (16 oz) refillable pressurised co2 tank and a regulator with built in solenoid valve and bubble checker from amazon for 50 euro's. In total that comes to about 120 euro's where i'm at. Add a diffuser to that for about 20 bucks and you'll be all set with a "small" co2 system which is refillable.  And 500ml will last you way longer than the 95 gr bottle

If you like, and it's allowed here, i can share the links with you for the items. I just have no idea they deliver them to where you are at.

Edit: I only now noticed you are not looking for a big cylinder, the 500 gr one fits inside my shoe if it has to


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## SMW945 (19 Aug 2020)

DionS said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> My tank is 8 gallons (nano cube) and i'm a beginner at co2 aswell. I looked into the tropica system just like you did, i found that there are two kind of tropica co2 systems, one is the tropica 95gr co2 bottle with regulator (for which you can buy as solenoid valve if i'm correct). The other is the tropica manual pressurised can of co2 which diffuses naturally. As i said, i looked into both and found them quite expensive which changing the co2 bottles almost every month and like you said the change to burst the last bit of leftovers in the bottle.
> 
> ...



Cheers for the info. Certainly worth looking in to. 👍


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## SMW945 (19 Aug 2020)

Chrisjb330 said:


> You could pipe it to another part of the room?
> 
> Or hack chop modify the inside of the stand its on.



You have the ability to think outside the box and I don’t. Good idea 👍. I could have a huge bright red fire extinguisher behind the tv cabinet with a length of clear CO2 proof tubing from it and she would never know. Cheers for that 👍. Solved 😃


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## Ghettofarmulous (19 Aug 2020)

I considered putting it in the wall behind my cabinet for safety reasons with a toddler running about but I opted to modify the cabinet instead and show it off. 

in Future i would consider making a hatch in the wall. Easily done


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## papa_c (20 Aug 2020)

You could already go down the disposable welding bottle route with full solenoid.


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## PARAGUAY (20 Aug 2020)

The D-D Freshwater 600g set as everything you need and for replacement bottles halfords or machine mart stock 600 mig welding gas bottles


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## SMW945 (20 Aug 2020)

Thank you for all the suggestions/advice. I’ve taken the plunge and ordered a number of new shiny things this morning. Next thing will be a lighting upgrade/enhancement. 👍


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## SMW945 (27 Aug 2020)

CO2 system all installed. Fire extinguisher behind the tv where my Wife can’t see it. So she’s really happy. Bought CO2Art Pro SE regulator which looks and feels like a really nice. The tubing, diffuser and dropper also CO2Art. Really good service from them. Just taking the next day or so to fine adjust level. 👍


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## Ghettofarmulous (27 Aug 2020)

I have the same Co2 art stuff


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