# The beginners budget friendly $100 Paintball CO2 system from Amazon



## Dhagans06 (Apr 29, 2018)

Ive been looking for a post like this for a long time thanks!


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

Just as a note, if you wait for the 20% off ebay coupons, you can pick up an Aquatek mini for like $56 a few times a year


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

That flow meter has "not for aquarium use" in the title. Caveat emptor.


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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

OVT said:


> That flow meter has "not for aquarium use" in the title. Caveat emptor.


Yeah, I thought so too, then i read all of the reviews on Amazon and literally most of the customers are using it for aquariums and non-aquaponic gardens.

The vendor also sells "for aquarium" solenoids, essentially the same thing.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

It is not a solenoid, it's a flow meter and we have eough members who have it and have problems with the flow being too high for a planted tank.


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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

OVT said:


> It is not a solenoid, it's a flow meter and we have eough members who have it and have problems with the flow being too high for a planted tank.


wait, i'm confused. are we talking about the same thing? because that is indeed a solenoid. 

"A solenoid valve is an electromechanically operated valve. The valve is controlled by an electric current through a solenoid"

that is literally what that thing does...


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## aubie98 (Apr 22, 2017)

dynomike said:


> wait, i'm confused. are we talking about the same thing? because that is indeed a solenoid.
> 
> "A solenoid valve is an electromechanically operated valve. The valve is controlled by an electric current through a solenoid"
> 
> that is literally what that thing does...



All the pictures in the amazon listing state that it's only for hydoponics use, and not aquariums. Many of the answered questions also deal with it's utility for aquariums and the consensus seems to be that it's not suited for that use. Not sure if they're referring to one component of the system or all components, but it doesn't seem to be designed for aquariums (that's not to say it can't be used in that setting, but OVT is right, caveat emptor indeed).


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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

aubie98 said:


> All the pictures in the amazon listing state that it's only for hydoponics use, and not aquariums. Many of the answered questions also deal with it's utility for aquariums and the consensus seems to be that it's not suited for that use. Not sure if they're referring to one component of the system or all components, but it doesn't seem to be designed for aquariums (that's not to say it can't be used in that setting, but OVT is right, caveat emptor indeed).


I agree, caveat emptor. 

I was responding to the "not a solenoid" comment.


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

I would guess that if a solenoid is suitable for hydroponic use, then it would be more than suitable for aquatics use. How many times do you reckon a solenoid turns off/on in a day when growing terrrestrial plants that take their CO2 from the atmosphere? 8-12 times a day perhaps?


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## MCFC (Feb 12, 2017)




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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

agreed.


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## vigilanterepoman (Mar 16, 2018)

I know I am late to the party but I use this for my aquarium and it works like a charm. I would definitely recommend it.


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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

vigilanterepoman said:


> I know I am late to the party but I use this for my aquarium and it works like a charm. I would definitely recommend it.


I'm interested in seeing your setup. When you have a chance, post a picture!


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I think it might be worth the time to go a bit beyond warning folks to watch out on this one. Time to throw in some solid reasons that involve what happens in the long run, not just a short time like six months. 
Step one is this reg is not good for our use. One big reason is what happens when the gas is getting low and you are about to learn about "end of tank dump". It comes around when the gas pressure in the tank goes low and that leaves many single stage regs letting the output pressure go high! Doesn't make sense does it? But check with lots of folks who have let it happen and they will verify that it can kill all your fish really quickly. How do you know when the tank is going low? 
Second is the way we use solenoids and the way it overheats many solenoids of this type. What kills our solenoids is not how often they operate but that that stay pulled way longer than many solenoids are designed to meet. That constant electrical current flow often overheats the solenoid and this type is famous for sticking after a year or so. So what we get is a reg that is suspect without two gauges, a flowmeter which does nothing for us and a solenoid that will fail sooner than expected. 
It can appear to work but there are lots better ways to get there.


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

Just getting into this hobby. My current tank is salt water. As in salt water, I would imagine cutting corners is not a great idea. Save your money and do it right. You have a responsibility to the creatures you place in captivity, imho. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Shazwazer (Jan 28, 2011)

Thank you for taking the time to gather and share this information. It was very helpful, especially with the pictures. Getting into Co2 can be overwhelming for some and this is really helpful.


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## dynomike (May 28, 2018)

Shazwazer said:


> Thank you for taking the time to gather and share this information. It was very helpful, especially with the pictures. Getting into Co2 can be overwhelming for some and this is really helpful.


Thanks for the comment!

I'll try to post more budget friendly stuff. Also, I've updated the original post to point out that CO2 tubing comes with the regulator.


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