Aquarium DIY CO2 Generator System Kit, G200

Ok, this CO2 Generator System kit is intended for a citric acid setup. Guess what? It works for yeast too. One caveat with yeast vs. citric acid... If you let the pressure build up on yeast, the mixture's CO2 content will increase and the pH will drop. You can potentially shut down the fermentation through pH drop and CO2 toxicity, although the yeast will likely just go dormant vs. dying. What this means is that shutting off the white on/off valve to build up pressure is unlikely to produce enough pressure that your gauge will show anything at all. Even with this, you can build up enough pressure inside the generator bottle that you can use the regulator. I use a Paffrath bell to regulate the amount of CO2 in surface contact with my aquarium's water. This is probably a better idea than using a CO2 fine-mist diffuser for yeast, since you have less control over production volume and it's better to waste a little bit of CO2 than to overdose your tank. What I like: - Tight seals on both bottle caps and hose fittings. - I like the high-quality appearance. - No messing with silicone and adaptor fittings, this thing just goes together. - Use whatever size bottles make sense as long as they fit standard-sized caps. I use a 2 liter for the yeast generator and a 1 liter for the bubble counter. - No durability issues so far with any hose or fitting failures. - I can position the whole assembly behind my micro-tank without worrying about appearance.

I tried making my own setup and it wouldn’t hold pressure so I picked this up. I wish I knew about this product in the beginning because it works so awesome! I use it with yeast and sugar and get great results

So this device works as planned and all the valves and connections are worth the cost. With that being said they say to use 1 bottle of an acidic mixture and 1 bottle of a base. The acid drips into the base causing co2 to be released. The problem, even with the needle valve turned way down it still goes through a bottle of acid daily. A bag of citric acid will make 2 bottles and is $15, you do the math. Tried cheaper alternatives for acid like just using vinager and the reaction wasn't enough to build pressure and didn't last long at all. As an alternative if you ferment some sugar water with yeast in bottle 1, allow it to bubble into water in bottle 2 (1 way air valve) and it builds around the same pressure and will last for weeks on pennies worth of materials. As the yeast eats the sugars turning them to alcohol, the byproduct is co2. I like to let the alcohol then sit out and sour to vinager and use it for cleaning, no waste.

The kit works great only bad thing is the valve that comes with the system, if you let your pressures get above 1.5~ adjusting bubble rate becomes a real challenge. I have come home to dangerously high co2 levels 2 times because of the valve although I shouldn't have left the system generating co2 while I was gone so you could attribute that to user error. Great bang for your buck and my plants are thriving thanks to this kit.

This kit requires nearly daily maintenance. Initially, I expected to refill the baking soda and citric acid only every other week. However, regular water replacement is also necessary. The water is transferred from one bottle to another via a slow but steady siphon process. With a 1L bottle (4 qt) filled halfway, one bottle empties after a day while the other fills up. Exercise caution when replacing the water. The bottles are highly pressurized, and there is no release valve. To safely open the bottles, you need to remove the diffuser and release the CO2 before unscrewing the caps. I once made the mistake of loosening the cap slightly to release the pressure, which caused the cap to pop off and water to splash out. The water, after reacting, becomes sticky like syrup, resulting in a considerable mess. Although the chemical product is low in acidity and food-safe, it still makes me anxious each time. Additionally, since the two bottles are attached, the entire setup is physically unstable. If the bottles fall, liquid can enter the gas outlet pipe, flow directly to the diffuser, and potentially reach the pressure gauge as well. This risk is particularly high when changing the water or refilling the reactants. The kit includes a magnet to stop the reaction by moving the pipe away from the reactants. However, this needs to be done twice a day, which can be inconvenient. Overall, the solution is not sustainable in the long term.

This is an update to my previous review. I recieved this product with a defect (drop of glue on the diffuser) and the seller contacted me promptly to send me a replacement. I receieved a replacement without having to go through the hassle of having to return the previous product. The replacement is great and I am happy with my purchase and the customer service I received from the representative I worked with.

This CO2 generator kit may seem like an affordable option for those who are new to the aquarium hobby, but it ultimately falls short in both convenience and effectiveness. Firstly, the kit requires citric acid, baking soda, and water to work, but the citric acid is not included in the package. While baking soda and water are easy to obtain, sourcing citric acid can be a challenge for many, and it would have been helpful if the manufacturer had included a small packet of it. Secondly, even after sourcing the citric acid, getting the kit to work was a challenge. The instructions were not very clear, and it took several attempts to get the generator to produce any CO2. Many other Amazon reviewers have also noted similar issues with getting the kit to function properly. Finally, even when the kit was working, it did not produce enough CO2 to have a significant impact on plant growth in the aquarium. For those serious about growing aquatic plants, investing in a proper CO2 system would be a much more effective and worthwhile option. Overall, I would not recommend this CO2 generator kit from Clscea. The hassle of sourcing citric acid and the difficulty of getting the kit to work, combined with its limited effectiveness, make it not worth the expense or effort.

Great alternative to the diy yeast system. Has kept great pressure for 3 weeks so far. The valve is a little aggravating to get the flow adjusted. May look into adding a solenoid.