# Fluval Mini Pressurized CO2 Kit in a Spec iii



## HokieFish (Feb 5, 2012)

I am setting up a Spec III that will eventually make it's way to my office cube. For those people that own the Fluval Mini Pressurized CO2 Kit, how big is the diffuser? will it "hide" in the powerhead/pump section in back of the tank? 
Thanks!


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## 0xDEADBEEF (Aug 22, 2014)

I have both the 88g Fluval kit and 20g Fluval kit.
The diffuser from 20g kit is huge. It went straight to trash and I am using UpAqua diffuser with both kits http://www.up-aqua.com/00-dm-page/00up_new-diffuser.jpg
88g comes with separate bubble counter and small ceramic diffuser which is more seemly.


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

I will know in a few days because I ordered the 20g.


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## HokieFish (Feb 5, 2012)

I know it is ugly, but will it fit? I figured the pump whole would hide it nicely.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

It's the size of a coke can. Massive...


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## HokieFish (Feb 5, 2012)

Okay, that is sounding too big, but I do have a glass diffuser I could use instead if the stock diffuser does not work. On the lower settings (since there is only a little over 2 gallons in the tank), how long will the small cartridges last?


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

HokieFish said:


> Okay, that is sounding too big, but I do have a glass diffuser I could use instead if the stock diffuser does not work. On the lower settings (since there is only a little over 2 gallons in the tank), how long will the small cartridges last?


I have been looking for CO2 solutions for my Spec so I will tell you what I think. 

The 20g comes with a bell diffuser that you manually fill each day then it slowly escapes. That is why it is so big. The 88g comes with a standard diffuser than runs all day. The problem is the small regulators are hard to adjust to have a low flow rate. 

I have a 20lb CO2 tank and almost bought an aquarium regulator and used that but am trying this first. Without a needle valve I think it would be too much of a pain for me. The bell diffuser will be OK because you don't need to adjust, just crack it open to fill the bell then shut it off.


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## 0xDEADBEEF (Aug 22, 2014)

HokieFish said:


> Okay, that is sounding too big, but I do have a glass diffuser I could use instead if the stock diffuser does not work. On the lower settings (since there is only a little over 2 gallons in the tank), how long will the small cartridges last?


I don't know how long it will last because I have it only 3 days, but I only dose it a little bit in the morning every day and I don't think the valve allows for any fine adjustment.


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

0xDEADBEEF said:


> I don't know how long it will last because I have it only 3 days, but I only dose it a little bit in the morning every day and I don't think the valve allows for any fine adjustment.


You are using both kits on two different tanks. I can't believe you trashed that diffuser. If it works I plan to use it with my 20lb bottle to prevent gassing my shrimp. I am thinking it is very inefficient.


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## 0xDEADBEEF (Aug 22, 2014)

MoreyFan said:


> You are using both kits on two different tanks. I can't believe you trashed that diffuser. If it works I plan to use it with my 20lb bottle to prevent gassing my shrimp. I am thinking it is very inefficient.


No point in keeping it. I find it ugly and it was way to big for either my Fluval Edge 6G or my Mr Aqua Joy 3G. I have too much crap in my garage to keep things I will never use around.

I am still working out my use of CO2. I have just too little experience. It seems that my diffuser in Edge 6G got clogged or something yesterday.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Aquatek Mini reg on a paintball bottle, with a cheap glass nano diffuser. Done. Cheaper than the disposable tanks in short order, since a $4 paintball fill will last a year at these low levels.


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

0xDEADBEEF said:


> No point in keeping it. I find it ugly and it was way to big for either my Fluval Edge 6G or my Mr Aqua Joy 3G. I have too much crap in my garage to keep things I will never use around.
> 
> I am still working out my use of CO2. I have just too little experience. It seems that my diffuser in Edge 6G got clogged or something yesterday.


It fits in the pump/filter section of the Spec III which is all I care about.


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## HokieFish (Feb 5, 2012)

MoreyFan said:


> It fits in the pump/filter section of the Spec III which is all I care about.


Are you saying that the diffuser from the 20 g kit does fit in the pump section with the filter? If so that is awesome news. 
I should have given more background on my application. With my job there aren't a lot of people with aquariums in their cubes. I have seen them, but I can't even find info on if it is permitted and if so what size and other restrictions there might be. For that reason I went with the spec 3 because it is compact and pretty close to an all in one unit. I know the plants will do better with some co2, but a paintball setup is too bulky. I want it all to be discrete. It may not be the most cost effective route, but the mini co2 cartridge system will be better than a yeast reactor or not using any co2 at all. Thanks for your feedback. I will post more info and pics soon.


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

HokieFish said:


> Are you saying that the diffuser from the 20 g kit does fit in the pump section with the filter?


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

HokieFish said:


> Are you saying that the diffuser from the 20 g kit does fit in the pump section with the filter? If so that is awesome news.
> I should have given more background on my application. With my job there aren't a lot of people with aquariums in their cubes. I have seen them, but I can't even find info on if it is permitted and if so what size and other restrictions there might be. For that reason I went with the spec 3 because it is compact and pretty close to an all in one unit. I know the plants will do better with some co2, but a paintball setup is too bulky. I want it all to be discrete. It may not be the most cost effective route, but the mini co2 cartridge system will be better than a yeast reactor or not using any co2 at all. Thanks for your feedback. I will post more info and pics soon.


The Specs make great office tanks. A paintball setup could easily be discretely tucked up under the desk, with the diffuser in the tank and just a co2 hose running up from under, along with the power cords.

Here's my Spec 2:


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

kman said:


> The Specs make great office tanks. A paintball setup could easily be discretely tucked up under the desk, with the diffuser in the tank and just a co2 hose running up from under, along with the power cords.


Depending on how long these 20g carts last I might go that way but the trouble is the regulator taking up another outlet (three total) and space under the desk. If these things even last a week one dollar a pop that is very cheap. From what I have read they last longer. It isn't getting CO2 on weekends and I will have to crack it open everyday but so far this is a 20 dollar experiment that looks promising.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

MoreyFan said:


> Depending on how long these 20g carts last I might go that way but the trouble is the regulator taking up another outlet (three total) and space under the desk. If these things even last a week one dollar a pop that is very cheap. From what I have read they last longer. It isn't getting CO2 on weekends and I will have to crack it open everyday but so far this is a 20 dollar experiment that looks promising.


Power strips are your friend and let you plug in as much as you could possible need for a little tank. (And I highly recommend it anyway, so you trip the circuit on the power strip with a rogue drop of water, and you don't take out the whole circuit in your office). And add a cheap $5 mechanical timer from Home Depot, and you can have everything on automatic: Lights and co2. I'm not running co2 on mine at work, but my lights are on timers so they're on for an appropriate amount of time even on weekends.


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## MoreyFan (Jul 3, 2014)

kman said:


> Power strips are your friend and let you plug in as much as you could possible need for a little tank. (And I highly recommend it anyway, so you trip the circuit on the power strip with a rogue drop of water, and you don't take out the whole circuit in your office). And add a cheap $5 mechanical timer from Home Depot, and you can have everything on automatic: Lights and co2. I'm not running co2 on mine at work, but my lights are on timers so they're on for an appropriate amount of time even on weekends.


You have a GFCI power strip? That's cool. I just got this thing so I would not recommend it for anyone yet. One benefit I know for sure is there no chance for "end of bottle" syndrome or a bad solenoid gassing my shrimp or your beautiful superman colored betta.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

MoreyFan said:


> You have a GFCI power strip? That's cool. I just got this thing so I would not recommend it for anyone yet. One benefit I know for sure is there no chance for "end of bottle" syndrome or a bad solenoid gassing my shrimp or your beautiful superman colored betta.


Every power strip I've ever seen has on ob-board circuit breaker that will trip before the building power circuit does. No need for expensive GFCI, even a cheap one will do fine.

End of bottle dumps are rare with paintball. It's not as high pressure, or as complicated, as the big tank setups. And considering you'll only be refilling tanks once a year or less, it's not difficult to refill well in advance of any problem levels.

Not a big deal if what you have works well for you, just something to consider.


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