# dissolving Co2 tabs, are they worth it?



## monty67 (Sep 22, 2010)

So i've never done Co2 but have always had plants, i was just looking and saw on some sights these tabs you throw in the water and they slowly dissolve and put co2 into the water, didn't look to be very precise but if they work i'd like to try time just to see for myself what kind of difference a little co2 would make with almost no money involved. Are they worth the 7 or 8 bucks people are getting for them?


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## monty67 (Sep 22, 2010)

Ok, let me revise that, i was looking at refills for this would still like to know if it's worth the small investment or if these things are just like throwing money away. I've got a 30 gallon i would want to try it on.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+6318&pcatid=6318


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## ridethespiral (Aug 5, 2010)

Using seachem Flourish Excel will be way more cost effective, and actually work in the long run


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## monty67 (Sep 22, 2010)

I've used the seachem flourish tabs recently and i was trying to use up the TetraPlant Flora Pride but when i looked online at the Seachem Flourish liquid i was floored by how much more is in it, this FloraPride listsonly Soluble Potash and Iron under the Guaranteed Analysis. The Seachem notes a dozen elements or more. Might have to pick some of that up when i run this bottle of FloraPride dry.


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## monty67 (Sep 22, 2010)

sorry was just looking at the flourish and not the excel but i'm reading up on it now, thanks


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## ridethespiral (Aug 5, 2010)

No problem, the dose for a 30g is low enough that a 250mL bottle @~10 bucks will last almost 90 days


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

In a word, no.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I would avoid those CO2 tablets. There is no way you can control the amount of CO2 that is going into your aquarium, and they are a very expensive alternative to either DIY CO2 and/or pressurized CO2.


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## Cryptocoryne (Sep 3, 2010)

To sum it all up.... Co2 tabs are garbage, don't waste your money. If you really want to introduce Co2 into your 30g, just make a simple DIY setup for $10. Heres a link of the setup I made, hope it helps. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/116913-diy-co2-system.html


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I used to use 2 3L soda bottles for my DIY setup and plumbed it into the intake of my Rena XP1. It worked great until I tired of the inconsistency and messy refills of the bottles. 

I remember when I first started keeping aquatic plants I bought this setup that had a rectangular plastic container that went into the tank and you attached it tongue wall of the aquarium with suction cups. Then there was another smaller container that stayed outside the tank that had a tube running to the container inside the tank. You would put the co2 tabs (pretty much alka seltzer w/o acetomenaphen) in the outside one and then close it and it would fill the inside container with co2. You would then wait for the co2 to dissolve in the water, it was pretty much like a bell jar. Looking back at it, it was quite a joke. My my the rungs I have learned through out trial and error in this hobby!


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## barbarossa4122 (Jan 16, 2010)

monty67 said:


> sorry was just looking at the flourish and not the excel but i'm reading up on it now, thanks


Do a search here for Metricide 14. Much cheaper than Excel and does the same thing.


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## Kensho (Oct 24, 2012)

I does 10ml per gallon of excel and have found it helps a little, plants are still unhealthy. Using root tabs and pfretz. Drop checker show insufficient co2


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## norbot (Jan 5, 2013)

In my modest experience, go find a home brew store and get champagne or wine yeast. 

Put a check valve from petco for $2 on each 2L bottle (important) 

Use like 4 or more 2L bottles

Shove an airstone into a powerhead

Your Co2 will rock

note:

You can also cut the impellar making it a pseudo needle wheel


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Kensho, I hope that you posted incorrectly. Excel should be dosed at 1 ml per gallon, not 10ml per gallon. It can damage plants if dosed incorrectly. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishExcel.html It isn't CO2 and doesn't drop the pH of the water.


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