# GLA Regulator vs. CO2 Art



## RadMax8 (Jun 15, 2015)

I am cutting my teeth on an Aquatek dual stage regulator, and I am finding that I want to upgrade due to slight issues with the metering valve (way way too touchy) and some fluctuating output pressures. I use GLA products (PPS Pro, bubble counter, diffuser) and so they were an obvious choice, but I have also learned about CO2 Art. The GLA units look very nice, however unless you are willing to pay $500, you get a single stage regulator. CO2 Art has a unit which is dual stage and has a precise metering valve for a fraction of that cost.

I guess what I'm looking to find out is what kind of quality is CO2 Art? I know you get what you pay for, but there is also a consideration for value. What are some of the differences between a $100 regulator and a $500 unit? What drives people to make their own regulators?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and answer my questions!


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## Ruxl (Dec 14, 2013)

There has been a decent amount of talk about CO2 Art recently -- you should be able to see a handful of threads on them in this section of the forum.

I built my own regulator/post body to 1) save $ 2) better understand CO2 delivery and 3) because I enjoy DIY.

I think you will find the higher the quality the less rate of defect you have, and in many cases the greater control you will gain. Ultimately its up to the individual to determine how much the increased quality is worth the increased price, and in many (most) cases the price increases much faster than the increase in quality.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

CO2art's dual stage regulators bridge the gap between the gla regulators and the Milwaukee and aquatek. In my opinion, they're the best bang for the buck at the moment. They're regular needle is the same as the other cheapies out there but the smc they offer is much better.

This is why we build our own sometimes:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=859401


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

I have a dieing Aqua Tec that I am replacing this evening with a Grow 1 from GLA. I will be posting my experience with it. I was not aware that Aqua Tec made 2 stage regulators.....do you mean two gauges ????


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

onefang said:


> GLA makes a really nice regulator. But you are definitely going to pay for it. Also worth noting on the new GLA regs, is that the solenoid/needle valve body is proprietary and you can't just replace the solenoid or NV with something off the shelf. They are both integrated into an aluminum block manifold that is joined together with two hex bolts and an o-ring.
> I have no first hand experience with the CO2art, but I'd take oldpunk's opinion to the bank, as he's built many regs and knows what's up.


I think that is one of GLA's main selling point, the fact that you won't need to replace any of the components. If it's NPT ports they're using (highly likely) then it's actually easier to replace their nv/solenoid than other regulators set.

My asian brand door-stop Co2 system doesn't use NPT. It's not common in their market and they don't expect people to replace each parts. All they need to change is the CGA fitting to match NA's cylinders.

Just food for thought, I'm purely a custom Co2 fan but from what I can tell, GLA's regulator follows the "high purity" bar stock type of regulators. Harder to make, better material. A lot of their regulator features are found in common HP regulators. 

Search High Purity vs General Purpose.


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

I think you should buy GLA regulator , because they have 2-3 years of warranty. If you have any issue ,then you can easy to shipping it back to them. For Co2 Art , it is more difficult to shipping back to them, and their company is not in USA.


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

Here is my new GLA Grow 1 regulator !Just installed it tonight ! So far I am very pleased ! Much better made than my old Aqua Tec !

Bump:


jimmytruong87 said:


> I think you should buy GLA regulator , because they have 2-3 years of warranty. If you have any issue ,then you can easy to shipping it back to them. For Co2 Art , it is more difficult to shipping back to them, and their company is not in USA.


The fact that GLA is made in the USA was one of the reasons I bought mine !


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## Planted_Edge (Apr 29, 2015)

Well I knew nothing about CO2 just a couple months ago, here I am today with a system I put together myself with the help of this forum as well as the Barr report.
I wanted swagelok fittings, everything stainless steel except the reg, 400$ including the tank and the 60$ swagelok check valve that's not pictured .
You can build one for much cheaper, not to mention it's gonna last a lifetime.


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

Planted_Edge said:


> Well I knew nothing about CO2 just a couple months ago, here I am today with a system I put together myself with the help of this forum as well as the Barr report.
> I wanted swagelok fittings, everything stainless steel except the reg, 400$ including the tank and the 60$ swagelok check valve that's not pictured .
> You can build one for much cheaper, not to mention it's gonna last a lifetime.


 That's very nice ,however I don't really have the time or the desire to build my own at this point. I'm sure there are many other people out there that feel the same way. It's very nice to have company like GLA around that offers nice units ready made, backed by a warranty.


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

I just got my co2art dual stage setup last night. I have it on my 85g with a cerges reactor and a 15lb tank.

I love how small it is. The finish looks great and was extremely well packaged. I got it in only 6 days and I picked the cheapest shipping option (5-15days).

This is my first co2 system and I have no problems setting it up. I still need to dial it in over the next few days but it holds a solid working pressure and the needle valve (SMC) is awesome. You can get a really low working pressure too. For the price I don't think there is a better unit you can buy.


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

philipraposo1982 said:


> I just got my co2art dual stage setup last night. I have it on my 85g with a cerges reactor and a 15lb tank.
> 
> I love how small it is. The finish looks great and was extremely well packaged. I got it in only 6 days and I picked the cheapest shipping option (5-15days).
> 
> This is my first co2 system and I have no problems setting it up. I still need to dial it in over the next few days but it holds a solid working pressure and the needle valve (SMC) is awesome. You can get a really low working pressure too. For the price I don't think there is a better unit you can buy.


Can you adjust your working pressure ? If so what pressure do you leave yours on ? I have mine set at 35....but may try a lower pressure. I am using a Cerges reactor as well.


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

alaskajeff said:


> Here is my new GLA Grow 1 regulator !Just installed it tonight ! So far I am very pleased ! Much better made than my old Aqua Tec !
> 
> Bump:
> 
> The fact that GLA is made in the USA was one of the reasons I bought mine !


I will say that you paid what you get. Aqua tek is cheaper than other company, it works few months, and their costumer service is very bad.


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

jimmytruong87 said:


> I will say that you paid what you get. Aqua tek is cheaper than other company, it works few months, and their costumer service is very bad.


I ran my Aqua Tec for 2 years; I figure I got my moneys worth. It still functions aside from the Solenoid giving out. The biggest downside to it was the needle valve.


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

alaskajeff said:


> Can you adjust your working pressure ? If so what pressure do you leave yours on ? I have mine set at 35....but may try a lower pressure. I am using a Cerges reactor as well.


I have it around 18-19psi on my working side. But I literally just set it up, so I am not sure how long that will remain. I am slowly raising my co2 to ensure safety for my pets.


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

GLA regulators are over priced. You can get a nice dual stage built by someone on the forums here for the same price. The warranty is nice, but you're paying for it.


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> GLA regulators are over priced. You can get a nice dual stage built by someone on the forums here for the same price. The warranty is nice, but you're paying for it.


 The problem I have with that is I have no idea what I am really getting if I buy from someone on the forum. From what I can tell most people who build regulators are buying used regulator bodies then fitting them with new fittings, needle valves etc. Also many of the ones I see that I might want are selling for prices that are equal to or more than what I paid for a brand new one from Green leaf. Frankly I could care less about about a dual stage reg. I have had planted tanks for years now and the whole end of tank dump is waaaay over rated; if that's your main reason for buying a dual stage you're wasting your money.

I get that some people like to build nice fancy regulators as almost a hobby in itself and that's great but at this point I am not interested in doing that. A regulator for a planted tank is simply a tool for me;for instance a solid stainless steal unit....yes thats pretty cool .....but I would set it up inside my cabinet and close the door....you don't even see it ! If you are into that fine ! Good for you ! Have fun with it !


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## Planted_Edge (Apr 29, 2015)

^take it easy 
My brand spankin' new 2 stage reg cost 80$
Where do you find a brand new single stage for less?

Building your own makes more sense than buying online especially when you have all the info on what and where to buy right here on this forum.


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## Donald Corbett (Apr 1, 2015)

I'm by no means an expert on regulators but here's my experience so far with the two I have. 

My Milwaukee single stage regulator running on a PH controller has been flawless since day one and functioned without issue. 

My CO2 Art dual stage regulator also running on a PH controller came with a banged up gauge from shipping and had a leak. Killed a 10lb tank within a month. I contacted CO2 Art who promptly offered to send me a gauge. I had no interest in taking apart a regulator so they agreed to send me a new regulator to replace the damaged one which I am still waiting for. 

In my experience neither does anything any better then the other given the way I'm putting them to use. Controller turns them on and back off end of process. 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

Planted_Edge said:


> ^take it easy
> My brand spankin' new 2 stage reg cost 80$
> Where do you find a brand new single stage for less?
> 
> Building your own makes more sense than buying online especially when you have all the info on what and where to buy right here on this forum.


As I have said before ! I am not interested in building a regulator ! There are plenty of people who feel the same way otherwise places like Green Leaf would not be in business ! I have better things to do with my free time than scrounging together parts for a regulator! It may make more sense to you but it doesn't for me.....to each his own !


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

alaskajeff said:


> The problem I have with that is I have no idea what I am really getting if I buy from someone on the forum. From what I can tell most people who build regulators are buying used regulator bodies then fitting them with new fittings, needle valves etc. Also many of the ones I see that I might want are selling for prices that are equal to or more than what I paid for a brand new one from Green leaf. Frankly I could care less about about a dual stage reg. I have had planted tanks for years now and the whole end of tank dump is waaaay over rated; if that's your main reason for buying a dual stage you're wasting your money.
> 
> I get that some people like to build nice fancy regulators as almost a hobby in itself and that's great but at this point I am not interested in doing that. A regulator for a planted tank is simply a tool for me;for instance a solid stainless steal unit....yes thats pretty cool .....but I would set it up inside my cabinet and close the door....you don't even see it ! If you are into that fine ! Good for you ! Have fun with it !


I disagree that you "don't know what you'll be getting" if you buy from someone on the sales forum. People like AlanLe have a lot of experience building regulators. Yes, GLA is probably the "most" secure, given the warranty and their status as a commercial builder. But the parts also won't be as good quality, either. 

I agree with you that EOTD shouldn't be a problem with a good SS, but it can be with Milwaukee/Aquatek and other ~$100 regulators. And SS parts are over rated. Slightly better quality and looks nicer, but a lot more expensive.


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

I don't usually do this, & understand the comparison is about the 2 named units, but here goes .
Ijust saw 2 -2 stage units built by a fellow hobbyist here @ a price of 280.00, folks in my opinion these units will in every which way will as- smack the 2 named units discussed here & don`t even mention customer service - Alan is one of a kind.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=8033826#post8033826
There , I had to say it :hihi:


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

charlie 1 said:


> I don't usually do this, & understand the comparison is about the 2 named units, but here goes .
> Ijust saw 2 -2 stage units built by a fellow hobbyist here @ a price of 280.00, folks in my opinion these units will in every which way will as- smack the 2 named units discussed here & don`t even mention customer service - Alan is one of a kind.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=8033826#post8033826
> There , I had to say it :hihi:


 That's lovely; unfortunately Alan doesn't always regulators for sale. I am sure his units are awesome ! I have seen some in past post that I would have loved to own.

There, had to say it :hihi:


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

alaskajeff said:


> That's lovely; unfortunately Alan doesn't always regulators for sale. I am sure his units are awesome ! I have seen some in past post that I would have loved to own.
> 
> There, had to say it :hihi:


Have to say this:hihi:
Even GLA don`t always have units in stock , even months at a time


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

charlie 1 said:


> Have to say this:hihi:
> Even GLA don`t always have units in stock , even months at a time


 Got mine in a week ....:hihi:


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

alaskajeff said:


> Got mine in a week ....:hihi:


Check with the folks who have been waiting for months for a model to be restock:hihi:

Bump:


charlie 1 said:


> Check with the folks who have been waiting for months for a model to be restock:hihi:



http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=809130&highlight=gla+regulator+stock
And that is their bread & Butter , so Alan is allowed the odd time, since his bread & butter is not regulators :hihi::hihi:


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## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

charlie 1 said:


> Check with the folks who have been waiting for months for a model to be restock:hihi:
> 
> Bump:
> 
> ...


Ya know dude ....whatever.....I have the regulator I wanted and it is working fine for me. The service I have received so far was great as well; I emailed them before I ordered and they told me they would have it built in 3-5 days and in the mail...I had it in a week ! What are you trying to prove ? Luckily we have more than one source for regulators.


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

alaskajeff said:


> Ya know dude ....whatever.....I have the regulator I wanted and it is working fine for me. The service I have received so far was great as well; I emailed them before I ordered and they told me they would have it built in 3-5 days and in the mail...I had it in a week ! What are you trying to prove ? Luckily we have more than one source for regulators.


Not trying to prove anything☺
Just offering my unsolicited opinion & having fun doing so with you &#55357;&#56835;


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## trujillp090868 (May 12, 2013)

In response to the original question ... For someone like me that doesn't know how to or has the time and patience to build a regulator, and wants something of quality that is going to last me a long time and even after a few years I can sell it at a decent price and wants service if something breaks, etc.. I will say GLA is the way to go. I am on my third system and obviously I am very happy with the product. When I needed service an email to Orlando was more than enough to get a quick answer. So based on my criteria GLA is the way to go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tanktech (Aug 6, 2020)

wow, replied to the wrong thread.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

I just got a CO2Art regulator, there are a couple threads out there started by me on them. I think it's a good regulator except the needle valve. It could be that I got a bad one. But it is not consistent at all, and can be too fast or too slow when you turn it on - it somehow drifts from its settings very easily. I ended up getting a Milwaukee pH controller for peace of mind and so now I don't worry about the needle valve being exact, the controller will cut off CO2 if the pH drops too far.

CO2Art customer service was spoken of very highly in the past. That has not been the experience I've gotten. It's been a rather bizarre experience and they have not really gotten back. I received an email from them a week or so ago that where they asked for shipping info and said there might be something wrong with the needle valve I got and they would send another, but I have not heard from them since. There is something strange going on like maybe the company is in some kind of transition.


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## jake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

Which milwaukee (model) controller ? Also as to co2art perhaps they are having issues due to well the panademic....



ahem said:


> I just got a CO2Art regulator, there are a couple threads out there started by me on them. I think it's a good regulator except the needle valve. It could be that I got a bad one. But it is not consistent at all, and can be too fast or too slow when you turn it on - it somehow drifts from its settings very easily. I ended up getting a Milwaukee pH controller for peace of mind and so now I don't worry about the needle valve being exact, the controller will cut off CO2 if the pH drops too far.
> 
> CO2Art customer service was spoken of very highly in the past. That has not been the experience I've gotten. It's been a rather bizarre experience and they have not really gotten back. I received an email from them a week or so ago that where they asked for shipping info and said there might be something wrong with the needle valve I got and they would send another, but I have not heard from them since. There is something strange going on like maybe the company is in some kind of transition.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

jake21 said:


> Which milwaukee (model) controller ? Also as to co2art perhaps they are having issues due to well the panademic....


Yes, I suppose we should be mindful about that. This is the Milwaukee pH Controller I purchased.

It's been in the tank a few weeks now and probably due for routine calibration but I think it's going to be dead on. I have been checking it daily against the API drops and this pretty good Apera pH pen I got and they all report the same pH (or round about with the API drop test).


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## JohnCO2Art (Jun 22, 2019)

*A little more info on our policies*



jimmytruong87 said:


> I think you should buy GLA regulator , because they have 2-3 years of warranty. If you have any issue ,then you can easy to shipping it back to them. For Co2 Art , it is more difficult to shipping back to them, and their company is not in USA.



Hey, Just reading through this thread and thought I better clarify a few things for you guys. We actually offer a minimum of 5 years warranty for our PRO SE Dual Stage Regulator and 10 years for our PRO ELITE Dual Stage regulator. If any issues arrise, our support team which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, do everything they can to resolve via our chat or email or social media. If that doesnt resolve it and we need to do a physical repair, we have a team based in the USA that accepts returns to avoid long distance shipping for repairs.


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