# Fluval 20g Co2 Kit??



## soking (Sep 6, 2014)

Hi all! I'm new here, I finally took the plunge and joined after a few years of just reading through the forums. I just recently started a 10 gallon beta tank and had a few questions regarding the fluval 20g Co2 kit I purchased. It still hasn't arrived in the mail, but does anyone use the 20g sized kit? Ive been able to read through a few threads regarding the 88g one, but haven't found any about the smaller size. If you have/do use it, have you had any issues with the regulator crapping out on you? That and I've heard that you can actually use $1 16 gram co2 cartridges instead of buying fluvals ridiculously overpriced replacement, so if anybody's been using these I'd love to hear how its working for you. 

The only inhabitant in my tank right now is a male beta, therefor the filter is baffled and there really isn't much surface agitation at all. I don't think that this kit allows you to turn it off at night. Would 1 BPS be overkill for 24/7 use on a tank this size?

Thanks to anyone who can reply, and hello planted tank forum! Nice to finally meet you!


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## Rhenerie (Jul 8, 2014)

I actually do own two of these kits but I do not use them. They were part of a package deal I attained recently. However I will try and lend a hand.

As far as using the 16g cartridges I am not sure, however any bicycle shop should have them in stock individually. I would take the reg with you or your current cartridge and see of the threads are the same.

In regards to bubble rate, this kit does not come with a direct diffuser. The bells are more of a passive diffusion method. As far as I can tell there would be no way to count bubbles. Basically I see two options. Try to reach equilibrium where the Co2 is dissolving at the same rate you are injecting so the bells are never full or empty. Which i would imagine being a nightmare. Or in the beginning of each day crack the valve open and fill up the bells and see how long you have before all Co2 is dissolved, and come up with a schedule.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

I run this on my 5.5, you can use 16g cartridges for bike pumps, I'll post the brand when I get home.. only/major issue is inconsistencies, i have to adjust it daily to keep it around 1 bps. I run the line into a hagen mini, the diffuser made it even more difficult to achieve desired bubble count. I would have given the do - hickey it came with a try if wasn't so big. It should be hidable in a 10 though. .


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## soking (Sep 6, 2014)

Brooksie, I've been running it now for a few weeks and I've definitely noticed the inconsistencies, but they've been pretty manageable. I made my own bubble counter out of a small bottle I had laying around, and it definitely does the job. Hooked it up with a diy chopstick diffuser and- VOILA, this things been trucking like a much higher-end unit. As long as I twist the regulator closed at night, and open it up to 1 bps in the morning, I get a pretty constant rate. The issue is that I tried just letting it run at about one bubble per 3 seconds but after a few days it just stopped producing any gas. The setup isn't totally perfect, but it works pretty well and considering that the replacement cartridges cost a buck (1 dollar!), I'm very, very pleased. For a nano tank it's waaayyy easier than DIY and isn't too hard on the wallet either.


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## tandaina (Aug 17, 2013)

Yeah I had this kit and it just stopped working. The little "tank" lasted about a week even with turning it off and on again each day.  Would have loved for it to work but I found it really unreliable.


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