# Looking at getting a DICI Co2 Regulator with Solenoid



## Rookiiwoo (Jul 13, 2014)

Hello,
I was told these are good c02 regulators and I found them way cheaper online. However, colors aside, I'm not sure which one I should be getting and with which thread as there are a few sizes.
I'm looking to use a 5-10lb tank. As well, what will I need to additionally purchase for this to be a fully functioning kit?

DICI Aquarium Solenoid Valve Dual Gauge CO2 Regulator Vertical Bubble Counter on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

DICI Aquarium CO2 Regulator Solenoid Magnetic Valve Single Gauge Bubble Counter on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

DICI Mini CO2 Two stage prssure regulators and bubble counter aquarium double gauge speed control valve + Free shipping on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Rookiiwoo, If there’s one co2 product that I can say I’ve had the worst experience with, it would be the DICI regulator I bought about 3½ years ago. Don’t be lured by the cheap price tag. These things are a ticking time bomb. In the end I wrote it off as a lesson learned and I was down about $100, and to make things worse, the store that sold this to me in Scarborough did not want to give me my money back. The problem I had, and a few others have also had since, is that when the solenoid goes off the working pressure begins to climb from about 30psi to a dangerous 110psi. That’s not good. These things were designed and manufacturered to a very low quality standard. Check out this thread in the link. If you do a search you'll find a fair bit of info on this site about those regulators.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/9-equipment/196573-dici-regulator-solenoid-leak.html


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## Rookiiwoo (Jul 13, 2014)

Hmm I was in a store yesterday and they told me they we're actually better quality than most others such as Aquatek but cheaper. They were selling them for $150.
Is the Mini GLA paintball regulator with solenoid good? Can I put a 5/10lb tank on those? I don't understand the difference between a paintball set up and regular 5/10lb. Is it the thread?


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## Fiala06 (Mar 17, 2013)

I have 3 of the aquateks with paintball tanks. Work great! Not one issue and 2 are over a year old. 

They are on 2x 45s and a 20 gallon. They are small and easy to work with and I'm totally fine going once a year to get them filled vs getting a bigger tank and only doing it every few years.

Regulator: Amazon.com : AQUATEK CO2 Regulator Mini : Paintball Regulator : Pet Supplies
Tank: Amazon.com : Empire Paintball 24oz CO2 Tank : Sports & Outdoors


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Rookiiwoo said:


> Hmm I was in a store yesterday and they told me they we're actually better quality than most others such as Aquatek but cheaper. They were selling them for $150.
> Is the Mini GLA paintball regulator with solenoid good? Can I put a 5/10lb tank on those? I don't understand the difference between a paintball set up and regular 5/10lb. Is it the thread?


Always beware the guy who gives advise about the product he is selling! There is a real big chance that ethics fall when money is involved.


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## kenshinH (Jun 1, 2013)

Aquatek maybe cheap but works as it should 😊 had mine for 5years, never replace anything, I was so impress I bought another one. And it's just the basic regulator $79 shipped (eBay) I'm not a seller I'm just happy with mine ✌


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Rookiiwoo said:


> Hmm I was in a store yesterday and they told me they we're actually better quality than most others such as Aquatek but cheaper. They were selling them for $150.
> Is the Mini GLA paintball regulator with solenoid good? Can I put a 5/10lb tank on those? I don't understand the difference between a paintball set up and regular 5/10lb. Is it the thread?


Anything is better than a DICI reg in my book. Which is probably why you can find them online for like $80. If I was looking to buy a new co2 setup off the shelf, I’d consider the mini dual stage co2art regulator.


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

You pays what you get for. 

What would it cost you if the unit failed and killed all your fish?

I went through this process of deciding on a CO2 system recently. I looked at Aquatek, CO2Art, and a variety of others—including putting together a system myself. Here are some of the conclusions I came to:

A paintball regulator costs almost as much as a standard regulator that uses 5 or 10 lb. tanks. You can get an inexpensive adaptor to use paintball tanks on a standard regulator. There is talk about paintball folks changing from CO2 to HPA (high pressure air). So, the long-term viability a paintball only regulator is in doubt. Get a standard regulator and an adaptor. Then you can easily upgrade to a 5 or 10 lb. tank when you get tired of constantly changing bottles. 

If you read the Amazon reviews for Aquatek you will find a number of fish-kill stories. Their standard regulator gets five stars from only 49% of the reviews. That is pretty low for Amazon reviews. One star is given by 16%. That is huge. 

I also came across a few fish-kill stories for CO2Art regulators, but not as many. They claim they have gotten the QA problems under control. 

I found no negative reviews for Green Leaf Aquarium (GLA) regulators. Some of the Aquatek reviews mentioned they should have purchased GLA to begin with. 

GLA regulators are expensive. However, weigh that against the value of your fish, the amount of hassle dealing with a problematic system, and the stress of knowing your system might suddenly fail. 

I ordered a GLA PRO-2 system with 10 lb. tank last week. It is designed to run two aquariums so I can use it on my 30g and my 10g.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

+1 to the responses you have received. If my reg blew it and I lost hundreds of dollars worth of livestock it would be a huge failure


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## Rookiiwoo (Jul 13, 2014)

No, the guy at the store doesn't care about selling me product. He has given solid advice and warned me against wasting my money on certain things. However, he said DICI are on par with GLA but a lot of people on forums blame them because of human error. They aren't using teflon tape on the threads which technically, everyone should do no matter system. That's the only instance where c02 is leaking. This store isn't like a pet's mart of big al's. They're tanks are on par with Takeshi Amano tanks. They definitely know what they're talking about. I've never spoken to anyone who's explained thoroughly about the cycle, the possible issues with my ammonia spike, technical questions, etc. I was seriously impressed and now I'll only go there. Had my water fully tested today by them (as I only have an API ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph master kit). Turns out my water is just fine and I went home with three pygmy rasporas today as a final test to see how they fair. 

I posted these c02 questions before I visited again today to ask about c02. However, aside from DICI I've found a site called 'C02 super market' from the UK. Seem to have good reviews and prices. Has anyone bought a regulator from them?
https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

The lack of teflon tape isn't going to cause a regulator to fail and dump too much CO2 into your tank. 

If you believe that a $50 DICI system is equivalent to a $500 GLA system, I have a bridge to sell you.


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Rookiiwoo said:


> No, *the guy at the store* doesn't *care about selling me product*. He has given solid advice and warned me against wasting my money on certain things. However, he said *DICI are on par with GLA* but a lot of people on forums blame them because of human error. They aren't using *teflon tape on the threads which technically, everyone should do no matter system*.



All creditability is lost on the GLA part, we'll skip that argument for now. --

I'm sure everyone will agree that their main focus is selling you products, which also includes giving you advice. I like how you thoroughly list all the great things about them as a store, taking the time to detail each point. Sound like a sales pitch, but anyways-

We're talking about the DICI regulator they sell right? 


There a few standards for fittings and not all of them use tape to seal. NPT vs BSPP vs JIS, etc so it's common to find some system without tape. It all depends on the manufacture, I know that the DICI system I have, uses washers for the solenoid. 

Here the main point, you can google and search for a few horror stories about their regulators instead of going on the advice of the person selling you the regulator. 

PS - Does the OP's response sound a bit "fishy" to anyone? People usually don't put up much resistance when asking for help for a product they haven't brought yet.


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

FlyingHellFish said:


> PS - Does the OP's response sound a bit "fishy" to anyone? People usually don't put up much resistance when asking for help for a product they haven't brought yet.


Having spent a lot of time on other forums that involve highly technical equipment, it is not uncommon for a poster to be stubborn about what they want to do. They come to a forum for vindication. When faced with info that they should do something else some give reasons why they shouldn't and some get angry and go off in a huff. 

So, no, the OP doesn't sound _fishy_—planted, perhaps...


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

I know what store you're referring to, and although they have some nice tanks they're not exactly savvy with regards to co2 equipment. Jason is more of an artist than a technical person. When it comes to any advice you'll find better advice from those who are diehard hobbyists who are not selling you a product off their shelf, but who live, sleep & breath the hobby. There's also a really good planted tank group in your area who get together and talk plants, you should check them out.


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## Rookiiwoo (Jul 13, 2014)

I have not been 'sold' on the DICI. More so informed about how there is a lot of misinformation on forums of basically people talking like they're experts on everything because they did something once and perhaps did it wrong- and failed. Therefore spreading false information and people just keep spreading it off of hearsay. Of course a store is wanting to sell their products. I had asked what they carry and while they did say it was on par they we're not saying, "This is the best product on the market. Just buy this". That was not the case at all. I'm not sure why you would call it 'resistance' for my inquiries. More so I'm comparing what I'm being informed on from a few sources to see the general consensus. I don't want to rush out and spend $300-500 on a regulator that is not a generally agreed upon reliable product. When I see healthy tanks in store and I'm given advice on various aspects, I'm more inclined to believe what they're saying as there's proof in front of me. As apposed to not knowing what everyone's experience is on any given forum and that's all I'm being cautious about. 

That being said, IF it was true the DICI regulators were comparable to GLA, yet were much cheaper, of course I would go the cheaper route. Kinda like a brand name game where the price is jacked up for that sake.

P.S As far as the planted tank group I have been invited to it from another forum member but haven't gotten around to checking it out. Actually, I may be mistaken. I think it was just a general aquarium meetup every month or so with people talking about a different related topic. It would definitely be awesome to attend


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

There is lots of opportunity for user error with CO2 systems. However, if you read enough reviews you can get to where you can make a pretty good guess as to what was user error and what was equipment failure. Often you can find comments that tell one how avoid specific problems. 

For example, it has long been a practice among welders to open the valve of a new tank for a few seconds before connecting it to the regulator. This blows out any dirt or dust that may be in the connection area. If this isn't done, there is a possibility of debris getting into the regulator and causing problems. I'm not sure how may aquarists know about this.

Another issue can be allowing a tank to completely drain can result in an end-of-tank-dump. When the tank pressure gets below the working pressure, an inexpensive regulator is likely to dump the entire rest of tank contents into the aquarium. More expensive systems are designed to prevent this. So, is this user error, or the fault of the regulator. If the user had been carefully monitoring the tank, the problem might have been avoided. Do you want a system that has to be watched that closely? If you screw up, it could kill all your fish. 

Forums are a mixed bag. You do have to learn how to assess a person's bias and understanding. That said, I've found that—on a number of technical topics—forums often have much better information than store owners and clerks. Look for a consensus about something on a forum and you can be pretty confident that there is something to it. Find a variety of opinions and you have to look at both sides and see what makes sense to you.

When something on Amazon gets only about 50% good reviews you should start being concerned. You can expect your purchase to be a gamble. You might get a good one, or you might get problems. There aren't enough reviews on Amazon to judge the DICI units, but I did look at the photo of the regulator a reviewer said leaked. I don't see any connections where the user should have been using teflon tape, unless the unit comes as a pile of parts you have to assemble.


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Rookiiwoo said:


> I have not been 'sold' on the DICI. More so informed about how there is a lot of misinformation on forums of basically people talking like they're experts on everything because they did something once and perhaps did it wrong- and failed. Therefore spreading false information and people just keep spreading it off of hearsay. Of course a store is wanting to sell their products. I had asked what they carry and while they did say it was on par they we're not saying, "This is the best product on the market. Just buy this". That was not the case at all. I'm not sure why you would call it 'resistance' for my inquiries. More so I'm comparing what I'm being informed on from a few sources to see the general consensus. I don't want to rush out and spend $300-500 on a regulator that is not a generally agreed upon reliable product. When I see healthy tanks in store and I'm given advice on various aspects, I'm more inclined to believe what they're saying as there's proof in front of me. As apposed to not knowing what everyone's experience is on any given forum and that's all I'm being cautious about.
> 
> That being said, IF it was true the DICI regulators were comparable to GLA, yet were much cheaper, of course I would go the cheaper route. Kinda like a brand name game where the price is jacked up for that sake.
> 
> P.S As far as the planted tank group I have been invited to it from another forum member but haven't gotten around to checking it out. Actually, I may be mistaken. I think it was just a general aquarium meetup every month or so with people talking about a different related topic. It would definitely be awesome to attend


Okay, now that really doesn't sound like a typical response. Sure you're not affiliated with them? Anyways, if you want a low cost solution with decent reviews, Aquatek or Milwaukee. I don't know why you're insisting on a product you don't even own. 

Bad reviews by different people, can't really say it's all user error.


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## Rookiiwoo (Jul 13, 2014)

FlyingHellFish said:


> Okay, now that really doesn't sound like a typical response. Sure you're not affiliated with them? Anyways, if you want a low cost solution with decent reviews, Aquatek or Milwaukee. I don't know why you're insisting on a product you don't even own.
> 
> Bad reviews by different people, can't really say it's all user error.


I don't understand why you're saying I'm insisting on a product when I haven't? The DICI was a product I could pick up in store conveniently. I never said I was some DICI fanboy. I had only noted they may be on par quality wise with higher end GLA, etc but without the cost, which can be simply associated with a brand name.

At least the user Argus isn't trying to make this a negative thread for nothing and seems to understand where I'm coming from. I'm greatly more appreciative of logical responses given such as the one from Argus. So thank you 

From what I've been reading around it does seem a lot of people are recommending GLA.

However, has anyone used these regulators before? 
https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/

Otherwise, am I safe to assume this GLA regulator is a sound option for my Mr.Aqua 12G long? 
GLA Gro CO2 Regulator | Green Leaf Aquariums

Thanks for the help


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Rookiiwoo said:


> I don't understand why you're saying I'm insisting on a product when I haven't? The DICI was a product I could pick up in store conveniently. I never said I was some DICI fanboy. I had only noted they may be on par quality wise with higher end GLA, etc but without the cost, which can be simply associated with a brand name.


Because you noted that  Because in time, you'll realize later on that that "note" borders on the ludicrous. 



Rookiiwoo said:


> However, has anyone used these regulators before?
> https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/


I, too, am curious about this question. Physically, they look like the regulators that CO2 Art sells, and priced similarly it seems. For that matter, how come not more people are pushing the CO2 Art stuff? It's dual stage at a little more than milwaukee/aquatek prices, isn't it?


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Rookiiwoo said:


> I don't understand why you're saying I'm insisting on a product when I haven't? The DICI was a product I could pick up in store conveniently. I never said I was some DICI fanboy. I had only noted *they may be on par quality wise with higher end GLA*, etc but without the cost, which can be simply associated with a brand name.
> 
> From what I've been reading around it does seem a lot of people are recommending GLA.
> 
> ...


Why do I have a feeling you're still going to end up buying a DICI and all of sudden it's the greatest product ever! 

Want to compare? Then compare the performance, material, warranty, customer service of the product. These are questions a potential buyer will ask. 

You sure did write a lot about other unrelated things. Like devoting an entire paragraph on the store and "user error". 

When more than one person experience the same problem, it's no longer "user error", it's "product error".


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## wlevine09 (Apr 7, 2014)

FWIW this is another topic currently on the "active topics" http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/9-equipment/196573-dici-regulator-solenoid-leak.html

I must say myself that I have the aquatek premium model (which is technically not for aquariums but meh) and am very happy with it. I also used a CGA 320 adapter to make it compatible with paintball tanks before finding the deal I did on my 5# tank


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Rookiiwoo said:


> However, has anyone used these regulators before?
> https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/


I've never seen that company before. Their stuff do look similar to the co2art folks'. I wonder if they're any good. Their needle valves look to be made of metal vs plastic of co2art's.

Are co2art and GLA the two main big players of premium regulators for aquascapers?


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Well, in the days of old, there were the ancients who practiced the lost art of regulator building. The beauties they built... they were like custom cars. Easily equal or beyond the best GLA has to offer. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...system-double-stage-regulator-01-29-12-a.html


I think there's some practitioners still -- but I'm not sure if they're for hire. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/9-equipment/599010-alans-co2-system-builds.html


but ahh.. enough reminiscing. I guess you're right. For full fledged support, what you listed are probably about it.


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## co2art (May 28, 2014)

bereninga said:


> I've never seen that company before. Their stuff do look similar to the co2art folks'. I wonder if they're any good. Their needle valves look to be made of metal vs plastic of co2art's.
> 
> Are co2art and GLA the two main big players of premium regulators for aquascapers?


Grumble*

It's because we got copied. There are some differences. I cannot post what I'd like to post because my hands are tied on the some subjects but I can mention that co2art comes with me on board. You likely won't get nearly the amount of knowledge or someone who can answer your questions at 9pm on a Sunday with some of the other guys.

Can we get a 'doesn't like' button?


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## DanPlanted (Jun 15, 2015)

You still see custom build regulators on the for sale forum from time to time, I have a aquatek basic and so far I'm liking it.


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

Here is all what I have to say as an owner of a higher end C02 regulator and a cheaper regulator (Aquatek Mini).

When you purchase a high quality C02 regulator you are:

1. Paying for the quality solenoid valve which can fail on you and kill your fish. This is a very common problem with cheaper C02 regulator setups. Sometimes it works for a couple of days then fails. 
2. Paying for a quality needle valve which should let you fine tune your C02 injection. Big deal for smaller tank. Not so much for bigger tanks. 
3. Paying for assurance that the components are well assembled. Basically you want to avoid wasting your time trying to find out if your regulator is leaking C02. I mean what is the point of having an aquarium when you are putting all your effort trying to fix your equipment right??

C02 is very critical in a high light or planted tank setup. If you want less issues when you are setting up your tank then invest in a good regulator. If you want to risk it then go ahead but you won't be able to trouble shoot your nutrients in your tank if you can't trouble shoot your C02 properly.

The setup for a tank has to be in this order. Lights first then address C02 then address the nutrients. If your C02 is wonky then no matter how well you address the nutrient levels then it will not work because your C02 is not in order. Also keep in mind that fluctuating C02 levels is a big trigger for algae like BBA. So you want to factor that in because at any point your equipment fails then you are giving yourself another problem to troubleshoot. 

Bottom line is if you can save up for a nice 2nd hand or used quality C02 setup then save up. If you want to go cheaper then just be ready if something does not work.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

If the store owner told you not using teflon tape is the reason regulators fail...I would run for the hills!!


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Rookiiwoo said:


> P.S As far as the planted tank group I have been invited to it from another forum member but haven't gotten around to checking it out. Actually, I may be mistaken. I think it was just a general aquarium meetup every month or so with people talking about a different related topic. It would definitely be awesome to attend


Hi Rookiiwoo, You were invited to a group called “the plantaholics”. That’s where you’ll meet planted tank folks only, and I highly recommend you come out to one of our meetings. They’re informal, and usually hosted at someone’s house with a really nice tank (or fishroom of tanks) as a back drop. The folks are really friendly, and there’s a small number of older guys that have some really good technical knowledge of regulators etc. I know three guys (myself included) from that group that build our own dual stage regulators from parts we buy online. The rest are all mostly plant fanatics. I guarantee you’ll get a lot out of just one meeting. Don't be shy.


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

I use an Azoo reg, pretty cheap but i havent heard any horror stories about them.


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

Hello Rookiiwoo, this is my take on your desire of getting a CO 2 set up, it is always better to spend once Than going cheap & spend 2 or 3 times.That said you done need to break the bank to get something decent.
I would suggest doing some research on the pros & Cons of a single stage regulator & a dual/2 stage regulator, you can then make a educated choice on the type of regulator you want.
There are some options on either type by far the best of both worlds ( cost & quality) is the build your own , of course this requires some knowledge,as mentioned there are a few folks in your city that can steer you into this direction or build it for you.
The commercial route is filled with all price ranges & quality, again seek the advice of those in your area from someone who has experience with regulators.
Regards


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## alberth (Feb 13, 2015)

Just speculating but Dici, CO2Art , CO2Supermarket regulators probably all came from the same suppliers in China. The gauges and reg body they're using are very similar to each other. This regulator manufacturer in Alibaba even used a picture with CO2Art's logo on it Aquarium co2 regulator with two gauge, View adjustable gas regulator, NOURSUN Product Details from Ningbo Noursun Industrial Co., Ltd. on Alibaba.com :laugh2:

If they can sell regulators this cheap, you know they have to skimp somewhere (R&D, Materials, Testing etc..) But given a choice, I would go with CO2Art just for their reputation of giving excellent customer service. If you have money to burn though, I would look elsewhere.


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## mootay (Feb 16, 2015)

I hate to throw anyone under the bus here so I'll just say I see a number of vehicles on the road that are certain makes/models that are routinely raked over the coals by consumer reports and the like.. but people buy them anyway. It's possible that some people are mechanically inclined and will make such a vehicle last despite quality control issues and manufacturer defects. It's also possible that some folks just get lucky and skip the consumer feedback, buy the infamously bad car and have zero problems of note. Are they bad people, are they hucksters? not necessarily, and hell, you might get that *one* DICI that isn't a lemon and works fabulous for you. These things happen.

However, it stands to reason given all the bad reviews of DICI regulators and shared experiences that you should use probability as a guide here to point you toward a different brand (such as GLA). Unless of course you like taking risks in the name of value. Perhaps you're a co2 plumbing expert. Maybe you can turn excrement into gold. It's your life.


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

alberth said:


> Just speculating but Dici, CO2Art , CO2Supermarket regulators probably all came from the same suppliers in China. The gauges and reg body they're using are very similar to each other. This regulator manufacturer in Alibaba even used a picture with CO2Art's logo on it Aquarium co2 regulator with two gauge, View adjustable gas regulator, NOURSUN Product Details from Ningbo Noursun Industrial Co., Ltd. on Alibaba.com :laugh2:


There are optic companies in China that will build to the quality and cost the customer requests (and pays for). So, from one company you could get lenses that are of excellent quality, or worse than the bottom of a Coke bottle. It could be the same for regulators. They use the same castings for the high quality and the poor. It would be machining tolerances, internal materials, and QA that are different. So, they could look the same, but be very different. I don't know this to the case, but it is a possibility. Can't always judge a regulator by its cover. 
:grin2:



> If they can sell regulators this cheap, you know they have to skimp somewhere (R&D, Materials, Testing etc..)


...slave labor.



> But given a choice, I would go with CO2Art just for their reputation of giving excellent customer service. If you have money to burn though, I would look elsewhere.


If they do buy from this Chinese company it is possible that they carefully check each unit before accepting it. Other companies might just pass them on to the customer.


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## CritterJ (Jun 16, 2014)

Hm.. I think a few things need to be said here. 

I am Jason from Critter Jungle. I have used all said co2 regulators and can gladly give you technical advice on loads of aquarium equipment. Yes, I am an artist, but I have also been pulling apart aquarium equipment for 15 years, and have been an active hobiest throughout that time. In fact, bringing in dici regulaters was preceded by my ordering every similarily priced (on a retail store's shealf) regulater world wide, and comparing them over the course of a year. Having my own dici at home, meant that its study actually began 5 years ago. 

No, dici is not on the same level as the high end regulators recomended above. They are better when salt corosion is present, or when you have a huge pro setup to deal with. However, I do believe that dici kicks the crap out of milwake, and many other similarily priced regulators. I have had 2 aquatic life regs, 2 milwake's and 1 aquatec die on me, in the last year. My 3 one year old dici's, and my 5 year old dici, are still running perfectly well. 

In my experience, a new hobiest is not going to pay more than $200 for a regulator. An affordable one might not be as acurate as a pro one, but something is better than nothing. Eletist mentalities do not help these people what so ever. They want a legitimate chance at a planted tank, on a buget. This can not be done well without co2. In that price range, my best experiences are with dici both product quality, and defect/warantee wise. I understand that other people may have had things go differently. Im not here to argue that. 

I have talked to litterally hundreds of people about this. Everyone has their own opinion and experience. We all need to accept that there is not one right way to do ANYTHING aquarium related. What works for me may not work for you, but that does not change the validity of my advice. 

As for the guy who said something like:
"dont trust info from the guy selling the product"... 

I couldnt care less about how much money I make in sales. I doubt there is one single pet store worker out there who makes any commision. I am an ex Architectural Tech. who quit his job in order to make a meaningful difference in an industry I am passionate about. The best part: you can actually come in and meet me, and see the tanks I am activly building. I teach by example. You may have different methods, but I can guarantee that there is a 100gal planted cube with a dici reg on it sitting in the middle of my fishroom, just begging for you to come in and prouve it's no good...


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

CritterJ said:


> Having my own dici at home, meant that its study actually began *5 years ago*.
> 
> No, dici is not on the same level as the high end regulators recomended above.. However, I do believe that dici kicks the crap out of milwake, and many other similarily priced regulators. My 3 one year old dici's, and my 5 year old dici, are still running perfectly well.
> 
> ...


5 years? : I don't even think the regulator was being sold that long ago. 
You couldn't care less? : There one indisputable fact, there a group of people who do "care" about DICI's regulator and they care whole _lot more_ now that there are other better options out there.

You love the hobby right? Let start calling out shabby workmanship and not settle for the "it's good enough" mentality. The more you guys defend this horrible regulator, the more people flock to other brands. 

Look, there the Aquatek regulator with better reviews and larger number number of people owning one. There GLA with their Dual Stage system (kudos to them) and they also have lower priced systems.


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## niko (Mar 8, 2006)

Geez. All kinds of opinions about what not. Yes, get the cheapest regulator from Amazon or whatever and you are going to get crap. Yes, you are going to get the most expensive whatever and your tank will turn into something very special.

The reality is that a $40 regulator from a beer brewing store works very well for many years. 

No, they do not have solenoids. But let's count the people that actually turn off their CO2 at night. Not very many. The reason to want a solenoid is actually safety - if the power goes off and there is no circulation in the tank something must shut off the CO2 or there will be problems if you are not using a pump to break up the CO2 bubbles. If you have a diffuser the CO2 will continue running even if the power is off and there is no circulation in the tank. After a few hours that means death to all animals.

And honestly, who here is really worried about the death of their fish? The same people that paid $5 for a fish? You are going to buy a $200-300 regulator to save the fish you really don't value too much? 

Ok, enough said, back to discussing brands and how money gets you the best in this life :x


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## charlie 1 (Oct 22, 2006)

niko said:


> Geez. All kinds of opinions about what not. Yes, get the cheapest regulator from Amazon or whatever and you are going to get crap. Yes, you are going to get the most expensive whatever and your tank will turn into something very special.
> 
> The reality is that a $40 regulator from a beer brewing store works very well for many years.
> 
> ...


:grin2:::smile2::laugh2:.
Actually i care about those 5.00 fish more so when it 100+ 5.00 fish..
One thing that has always struck me, very few of the equipment & know everything gurus, never show us their beautiful tanks with the exception of Alan Le & FlyingHellFish and maybe a few others >:wink2:


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