I'm debating on going the CO2 route. If I do I really need to get the best low budget set up if possible. Any thoughts? Here's my situation... I've been trying to avoid CO2 (due to money) but am so fed up with fighting algae that I'm wondering if I need to either stop trying to grow plants or fork out the dough for CO2. 20g high BDBS Beamswork DA FSPEC (3 hours on in morning, 3 hours on in evening) Green Cabomba, Amazon Sword, Java Fern/Moss, Water Wisteria, Water Sprite, Frogbit, Anubias 25% PWC per week
For really low budget, I would suggest DIY CO2. There are lots of guides for those on youtube and most of the materials required can be easily found in your household. I would advice you to stay away from the disposable cartridge CO2 set, as they will not be cost effective in the long run. In case you have money to spare, buy a quality regulator with solenoid. Another thing to consider when injecting CO2 would be the proper balance of nutrients and light. In my opinion, most of your plants are lowlight (except for the cabomba) and wouldn't really require CO2 injection; though they will still benefit from it.
I didn't want to fork out hundreds on a CO2 system either but I really wanted to set one up. I opted for a lower budget option which seems to be working out great so far. I've had it set up for about 2 weeks. It was recommended by a betta guru I follow on Instagram/Youtube. The one thing I hadn't thought of when I set mine up was the need to really ramp up fertilizers. I got myself a higher quality one than what I was using previously, Thrive+ Things to get: Aquatek Mini CO2 regulator with built in solenoid ($80) Timer for CO2 ($10) CO2 tubing ($8) CO2 diffuser ($22) Drop checker ($10) CO2 Paintball canister 24oz ($23)
Don't go DIY setup. You can get an even better setup for cheaper. I got this tank https://beveragelements.com/beverag...HVNFHAfF6Y3VNwrBZtSQpMNC1v7E44X8aAuNtEALw_wcB 7 lbs, will last you forever, and then I got a used quality solenoid/regulator off of ebay for $40. Works perfect. Its been 3 months now at over 4 bps per second and pressure hasn't gone down at all in the tank. Check craigslist and ebay for used regulators/solenoids. Post on your local fish club page. Then just get some CO2 tubing off of eBay - $4-5, pollen glass diffuser - max of $10, should be able to find one for $5. Drop checker, KH test kit, and bromothymol blue - $15.
