Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #121

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #121
From: Lester.Pasarell at UTMB_EDU (Lester Pasarell)
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 1996 08:07:51 -0500 (CDT)
Cc: tmarch at primenet_com (Todd March)
Date-warning: Date header was inserted by BEACH.UTMB.EDU

>rom: tmarch at primenet_com (Todd March)
>Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 21:16:38 -0700
>Subject: Tetra CO2 System...?

>I'm wondering if anyone can give me some sound advice from hands on
>experience with Tetra's complete CO2 system to help me decide whether to
>buy or not...

>Including how long their CO2 canister (6oz.?) lasts in the real world (for
>my heavily planted 29g they say 6-9 months)... And how well the "bell"
>injector works and how long the system actually lasts between
>injections--from what I could read in the kit, I will need to manuely
>inject the CO2 twice daily...?

The small 6 oz will probably last less then 3 months. I use a 5 pnd tank and
I fill up
the bells twice a day...the 5 pnd will last around 6 months for my 3 tanks.
I use a ratio
of  one tetra bell per 10 gallons of water....
and yes it is all manual labor!!!

...and you will need to empty the top bell at least weekly because it will
be filled up with
undisolved  gases from your Co2 tank


>Yes, I'm aware that I could go out and get everything for a more
>professional setup (canister, regulator, valves) for about the same
>money--providing I rustle through the phone book and then run all over
>finding things from home-brewing dealers and valve dealers ("Y'all want
>WHAT, mister?!"), and I'm not real thrilled about this mixing of sugar and
>yeast every two weeks ("How much will it bubble this time?!?") that I'm
>currenly doing...


I find the Tetra system as a good  and cheap alternative since I only have
one co2 tank
for 3 planted aquariums.....
If I had more money (dont we all wish (-:) I would  put a Dupla diffuser
with a dedicated
co2 tank in my largest aquarium (75 gallon)  along with my tetra bells to
increase the Co2
concentration in the tank.....but anyway with the tetra system I can hardly
see my fish
in my 75 because of the plants....and I have very large Bala sharks .... 


>The thought of buying one box from my dealer and BINGO I'm in business is
>very appealing for my current hectic schedule!

It will be a lot of work....the box will only have two bells...so depending
on how
big your aquarium is...you may need to buy more bells...so at least 3 bells
for your 29 gallon

>Thanks...

>Todd March

>Sweltering in near three digit heat in the City of the Angels

Good luck


lester