CO2 ART DIY KIT - Day Four

Hi Guys,

So Im into day four now and Im seeing some changes already. First of all its important to know that I've now established a routine which consists of the lights and CO2 being switched on at 7.30am and running until 2pm. I switch the tank into "siesta" mode from 2pm until 5pm which involves all CO2 supply and lights being turned off again. Both the CO2 and lights are switched back on again and run until 10pm when I then reduce the CO2 to a minimum and lighting consists of a very low powered blue LED light.

I find this routine works very well with this kit. My experience so far with the sugar/yeast mix is that when running for a long time, the pressure can lower as the CO2 is used up. Switching of for a while not only allows the CO2 to build back up again, but this method can also help to control algae.

Now prior to setting up the CO2 Kit, I was having what I thought was success by using the Tropica plant substrate. I was happy with the growth on my Red Tiger lotus plant, my carpet was starting growing and my madagascar lace plant was showing nice long leaves.

Well, within four days, My Red tiger lotus has shot out 3 more stems to heading to the surface and the leaves are fuller and darker looking. The plant itself has widened by about 3 inches in overall space. My carpet has started to look greener than ever before. My biggest improvement so far has come with the lace plant. Whilst i was seeing long leaves prior to the start of this project, I am now seeing leaves which are almost 3 inches wide!

With regards to the kit, It is very well built. I find it sturdy and easy to handle. I currently place the full unit behind the aquarium cabinet. Each time I want to check it over, I am able to lift the full unit out with one hand and give the bottles a slight shake to increase the CO2 production with ease.

I think this kit is perfect for an aquarium of my size (75l) its a great entry level kit which really doesn't require any prior knowledge of CO2 systems to get started. I did have to dig about a little for various salt/yeast recipes to determine which one was best for me but all this is available in abundance on line. For the purpose of this project, I went with 2 cups of sugar and 1 teaspoon of dried active yeast (bakers yeast)

CO2 Art have created a brilliant solution to a common problem when building your own systems and this is the moulded bottle crew tops. these fitted perfectly with my 2 litre bottles and are totally airtight.

I would recommend this kit for anyone who has a smaller planted aquarium and on a budget. at the current sale price of £39.64 (original price £59.63)

I will continue to update you on the progress of this tank and will be sharing some photos very soon.

Bye for now

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