I have been using 600 g disposable CO2 cylinders to provide CO2 gas to the Fireplace Aquarium and that has been pretty good.  One cylinder lasts two or three months and they are a reasonably unobtrusive size.  Recently though I have been going big.  Welder’s Warehouse has a two extra-large cylinders combo deal.  Each cylinder […]

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The pressure inside any liquid CO2 tank is around 860 psi so the gas coming out of the tank needs to be controlled by a regulator to get the pressure down sufficiently that the gas comes out at a usable flow rate.  MIG welding regulators reduce the pressure resulting in an adjustable flow rate in […]

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Powerhead distributes CO2 Today I shifted the location of the CO2 diffuser from the left wall of the tank to behind the moutain and underneath the powerhead.  The atomised CO2 gets sucked up directly into the flow and actively pushed around the tank.  Previously I had the diffuser on the opposite side of the tank […]

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Managing CO2 flow rate satisfactorily is particularly difficult for smaller aquariums; it’s very easy to have the CO2 come blasting out, but a nice steady well-controlled bubbling takes some work.  The usual combination of regulator and needle valve can work, and adding in a secondary flow restrictor between the two can be a big help. […]

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I use disposable CO2 tanks marketed for MIG (metal inert gas) welding that are filled with 600 g of liquid CO2. One of the challenges I’ve faced with injected CO2 gas in the Fireplace Aquarium is getting really precise control over the CO2 flow rate.  The problem is that I need the CO2 gas flow rate […]

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Injecting CO2 gas into an aquarium with a diffuser  supports plant growth A CO2 diffuser is a device you push CO2 gas through that breaks the gas into microfine bubbles so the CO2 can more easily dissolve into the water (forming carbonic acid).  I use a ceramic/acrylic/glass one from AquaRio and it does a nice […]

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