Does the type of Co2 really mater?

EDIT: I mean brand not type. For example Fluval co2 vs bike shop co2.

I have just recently started using Co2 in my planted aquarium again, and when I went to buy the 20 gallon Fluval Co2 cartridges that are meant to be used with my Fluval Co2 system, I was shocked. How in the world could Fluval be selling 3 small 20 gallon Co2 canisters for (Canadian Dollars)$19.99 ?!

I ended up buying this outrageously priced product from Petsmart because I was not sure if any other kind of Co2 is safe. I looked at Mountain Equipment Co-op (a Canadian store) and I could get 20 Co2 canisters for just over the cost of the Fluval ones. I checked and people with my same Co2 system model say that these kind of Co2 canisters will work with my system. The canisters are 16 grams and threaded.

One thing I noticed was in the instructions of my Co2 system it clearly states that you should only use Fluval Co2. Do you think there is actually a reason behind this, or is Fluval just trying to scam/rip us off? As far as I know Co2 is Co2 no mater who you buy it from. The Co2 I found at Mountain Equipment Co-op says that it "Contains pure CO2 with no oils or contaminants."

So. What's your option on the insanely priced Co2 in the aquarium hobby? Is this Fluval Co2 any better than the Co2 from Mountain Equipment Co-op, or is it all the same?

 

It's not a scam. Scam are stuff you purchase and did not recieve. You can use other co2 canisters but they designed it not to fit. There is no such thing as other types of co2 since co2 literally is carbon dioxide

 

It's not a scam. Scam are stuff you purchase and did not recieve. You can use other co2 canisters but they designed it not to fit. There is no such thing as other types of co2 since co2 literally is carbon dioxide

I would consider a scam a cheap product that is extremely over priced. And yes, they probably did design them not to fit, but as I explained before I found one that does fit. Also as I mentioned above that co2 is co2. There is only one kind. I never said there where two kinds of co2, I meant two brands. Fluval, and Mountain Equipment co-op. I was simply wondering if there could possibly be any additives in the non Fluval brand, that makes it unsafe to use, or any additives to the Fluval brand to enhance the Co2.

 

I'm not sure that its a scam but I do think its bull. To me it seems like a way to cheat people out of a little bit of extra money like telling people they have to replace filter carriages every2 weeks.

I personally never buy expensive aquarium brand products if I can buy a generic product that does the same thing for half the price.

 

People refill 20oz to 10 lb bottles with sporting good store CO2 all the time. I really doubt there is any difference.

 

Yeah. That's what I was thinking too. I guess I will go with the bike Co2 when I run out.

 

You will be fine. Only difference is sometimes compressed gasses will also have an oil of some sort. This is bad for tires, paintball, and most other applications so I'm sure your source co2 is clean. It could be fluvals way of covering themselves in case someone used a bad bottle. They can only guarantee their own co2 in that case.

 

Co2 does not contain oil, there is different grades of co2 starting from industrial 99.5% co2 to food grade 99.9% co2. I wouldn't worry about what co2 you use.

 

There is no difference between CO2 and CO2, HOWEVER, there can be a difference in purity. I do not know if fluvals is more pure, but you see they make these compounds and have to create chemical reactions to purify them. The more pure a compound is, the more time and reactions that are required and thus are more costly. The fillers would be other gasses.

Also I disagree on that purity rating, that is too high, and I would guess that cheap ones are far less pure.... ones obtained from cheap vendors overseas. I do want to say that I doubt it is below 90% though because the chance of high carbon monoxide is possible. But I think that not all of it sold is within that range.

This is not an industrial or food grade this is a fish tank grade, heh

Also, I use natural ways and less complicated ways to increase CO2, I use continuum prolifera. Not quite as effective but does it for me.

No co2, just use prolifera and bacterial clean F. 90W of led. 30 inches deep. 75G.


My algae eaters have been torturing that poor middle plant

 

What is Continuum Prolifera and how do you use it?

 

The difference between Fluval co2 and paint ball, beer, and welding supply is that Deiter Hagen likes to make lots of money, and has a great marketing team. I fill my co2 at a welding supply store.

 

I'm starting to think that, but only if you see a purity rating.

 

The differences in grades are all within 1%. All start from 99% or very close and goes to medical grade at 99.999% with a very big price difference between them. The less than 1% difference doesn't justify the cost in a planted tank where the other bit isn't harmful by any means as it's just other atmospheric gas that isn't refined out

 

Yea. Well this assumes that you can see a purity certification. I mean I could be selling it, but trust me it would not be CO2. LOL. I don't have access to it

 

Yea. Well this assumes that you can see a purity certification. I mean I could be selling it, but trust me it would not be CO2. LOL. I don't have access to it

The places that sell CO2 have it sourced from a distributor. The distributor gets it from the source or is the source in some cases (the place of refinement).

The CO2 we receive is based on the refinement level from the source. The same applies to O2, N2, and other atmospheric gasses we use across the different fields.