CO2 tutorials?

I'm looking at biting the bullet finally and setting up co2... can anyone recommend a good tutorial? also for those that have done it what is it running you to set up?

I bought new but I've got like $500 into tank, regulator and controller, the controller is nothing special , just a cap air 4. I'd recommend a controller that does ppm or it's guesswork as to how much to run.

after initial cost about 12 bux a week for one refill, I have a 8by5by7 foot room.

I would guess the benefit is much greater than $12/week... I was referring more to how much it cost to get set up.

it can be cheap or it can be very costly. all depends on the controller . if you're in a medical state look no further than craigslist. a tank is gonna run you a buck fidy, a regulator probably about the same, a controller anywhere from a buck fidy to 2000 depending on what you want. the controller isn't really needed but it turns off co2 when a certain temp is reached and turns on cooling devices or in most case an exhaust fan.

I just assume you want to run a tank and not a generator.

go for a minigen and a ppm 3 or 4. pays for itself the first harvest and less than $7 per month to run.

oh look........
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203012868/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=co2&storeId=10051#.ULE-9Gf-7rg

Not in a legal/medical state. Probably would have to be a tank since I couldn't have a generator installed. Money's tight right now... I want the best I can get for value -- definitely not paying $2k for a controller (without making a lot more than I am now).Would you guys recommend getting it from the local hydro store, other suppliers, or online? I know our hydro store is not really competitive with online pricing for sure. I only get basic stuff there - soil and nutes mostly... everything else is way more expensive than I can get online. on the other hand those guys are not gonna ask any questions about why i'm buying it -- i'm a regular at the store Also still hoping someone has a good tutorial recommendation on the principles of running a co2 system and how to set up... it's one area i've never really done much reading on since it wasn't something I was planning on doing soon... also keep in mind i do small grow/housing projects but not really the handyman type

the co2 tank you could probably find used, they're the same tanks like restaurants and stores use on their fountain drinks.I'd buy the other shit online, that regulator although I haven't heard of the brand is priced pretty reasonable from home depot but you can do better.
It's as simple as hooking the tank up, plugging in the controller, running the 1/4 inch tubing. you can even put the tank outside the room if space is a problem, all you gotta do then is run extension cord and tubing.

you grow with led though don't you? hell you may have to run a heater in the room to get up to the optimal temperature to run co2

ah and now I just see your other thread.

HPS + LED right now... i may ditch the HPS or repurpose it for veg only, but at that point i'm gonna double my LEDs, so heat will be higher. Either way, CO2 supplementation has benefits in an enclosed space even if heat isn't an issue.

yes but there is an optimal temperature to run co2. I went just the other way and ditched the LED in flower (odd I still have two panels hanging in there and plugged into the timer :/ ) so I guess I should say I'm ABOUT to ditch led in flower.
by looking at the room you can barely tell there's an led in there but its almost equal wattage between hps and led at the moment.

In order for it to be worth running co2 it has to be a minimum of 80..preferably between 90 & 95...otherwise your plants can't utilize the co2 and all your doing is wasting your money & co2.

I was thinking of using 2 5 gallon buckets to brew hard cider inside the grow room. Throw an airlock on top of the cover and natural co2

Plus the intake should be bringing in enough air from outside to grab the co2 that's naturally hanging and what comes from traffic and car exhaust.

Worth running co2 depends on what's going on with your plants. If you're in an enclosed space without proper air circulation, you may need co2 just to maintain basic levels your plants needed -- supplementation works at the higher temps yes but i'm more worried about needing co2 to maintain optimal levels in an enclosed space. My grow area has no windows or way to vent air - just one a/c vent blowing air in. i'm in a rental and can not alter the structure to put better airflow in... so I need to make sure the plants have the needed co2 when the door is shut and air is not blowing in via a/c. And getting to the point where it's supplementing will just be a bonus.

MaineWeed said:

In order for it to be worth running co2 it has to be a minimum of 80..preferably between 90 & 95...otherwise your plants can't utilize the co2 and all your doing is wasting your money & co2.

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90-95? you go ahead and do that.lol. my room never goes above 84 and i had a very measurable difference in yield with co2 added.

superstoner1 said:

90-95? you go ahead and do that.lol. my room never goes above 84 and i had a very measurable difference in yield with co2 added.

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I was watching subcool discuss co2 at school of dank and that's what made me decide to go ahead and bite the bullet (along with poor results in this new room since setting up there, which i'm guessing are probably due more to other issues than co2 but better safe than sorry). Anyway he asked a friend of his if he thought he needed co2 in his grow rooms. His friend promptly came over with a co2 ppm meter and they measured it at lights off with co2 ppm in the normal range, then watched as lights came on and it went down into the 200ppm range and below once the plants started photosynthesis. His message was basically unless you're moving fresh air throughout the room multiple times per hour, you most likely need co2 to maintain even normal levels.

that has nothing to do with quoting me about temps. i have no intake or exhaust in my room.