which is better??

[eltoon]

hello everyone, i am a noob and have just started my own planted tank. about the co2, is it better to use the home made kind or would it be better to buy it. wat are u guys using? i would like to find out. i hope u can help me out on this. thx!

[blur2x]

I have DIY sugar & yeast and pressurized CO2. The problem with a sugar + yeast CO2 system is it's hard to control the CO2 flow rate and you have to experiment with amount of sugar and amount of yeast and its quality. The system is affected by its surrounding temperature.

In term of commercial vs DIY, there is not much difference except that commercial CO2 tends to start (producing CO2) quicker and more stable (better control of flow) due to additional control substance (baking soda).

Commercial refills are damn expensive (Nutrafin refill sells around $7 at C328, while Dennerle sells around $20) compared to simple DIY. How many kg of sugar + yeast can you buy with $7 and how many weeks can this sugar last? It's probably can carry you 3x longer than commercial.

You can maintain a CO2 flow rate using multiple bottles of DIY CO2. I won't elaborate here. If you need explanation, pm me.

Read the following articles:
thekrib
Nguyen
Chuck's

There are other sites out there.

[blur2x]

BTW, if you use such system (commercial or DIY), forget about CO2 atomizers or ceramic diffusers. The system won't generate enough pressure to push the CO2 out. Use airstone or other DIY reactors. Here is http://w1.864.telia.com/~u86438141/articles/article_CO2reactor_1.htm"]an article[/url] for you to read

[aizaspurz]

For me, the reason I'm using 'home-made' CO2 in my 2.5ft tank currently is to see whether I can get this hobby going.

I'm VERY pleased with the outcome (see below [] ).....and soon, I'm taking the plunge to get the cylinder type. But then again, CO2 is just one of the things we NEED to have to start a healthy planted tank.

If your tank is small, wanna be economical, and you don't mind the hassle of preparing the DIY CO2 concoction regularly, try DIY first. Good luck!

[MikeKoh]

Your photography is the sharpest I have ever seen. If you can achieve this with DIY.... I believe you can do more with pressurised CO2.

[eltoon]

thanks alot for all you guys help and thx to blur2x for the websites. they have given me a better understanding of the subject.
btw, i just want to ask: what is the difference between a bubble counter and a co2 reactor? do they do the same job or is both needed. i have a friend who told me that all i need is the co2 generator and a bubble counter.i hope someone can help to clarify my doubts about this issue. thx again!