Macro Aqua CO2 System Complete Kit w/ Regulator & 90g Cylinder & Diffuser

I'd probably give 3.5 stars if possible. This is the second kit I've tried. The first kit was the Fluval 88g kit. Compared to that kit, this seems superior. The regulator seems to be of a higher quality but time will tell. The gasket on the Fluval was very delicate and I noticed that after a few cartridge changes it began to wear away causing a loss of gas. I was only getting about 7-10 days out of 1 cartridge. Time will tell if this unit is more efficient. This kit seems superior but it has a few quirks.The kit didn't come with any kind of instructions. This wasn't really a problem for me, but if you've never used CO2 you may be a bit confused. That said, it's a bit simpler (and better IMHO) design than the Fluval. There is no separate bubble counter so one less connection that the Fluval. At first I didn't think there was a bubble counter until I installed the diffuser and realized it was integrated into it. Nice touch actually, because you don't have to worry about a bubble counter hanging off the back of your tank and less connections means less chance for failure. It's also a bit neater.The check valve that was supplied was plastic and it arrived broken. It was already inserted into the plastic tubing and because it broke it was difficult to pull out. I ended up cutting the end of the tubing off. Luckily, I had a brass check valve that I purchased for the Fluval kit so it was easy to substitute.The diffuser seems to be very efficient. At first, I was concerned with the small size but it does the job well. I've had to back off the amount of CO2 being supplied based on the readings on my drop checker.Being a single gauge regulator I was not expecting a high precision instrument, although it does seem a bit more robust than the Fluval regulator. That said, I've had trouble adjusting the flow of CO2, especially when trying to run the unit at a lower rate. You have to make small adjustments to the knob and be patient to see how the unit responds. Otherwise you'll either find no CO2 coming out or too much. It actually took me a couple of days to properly adjust it, then I marked the valve with a Sharpie at the maximum level. It still takes time to adjust but at least I have a benchmark. This regulator is better suited for a "set it and forget it" approach as adjusting it on a daily basis is just too tedious.So far, I'm happy with the kit but time will tell if it holds up. If this doesn't work for me, I'm either going to go back to a low tech tank or go whole hog and buy a decent kit with a refillable cylinder and 2 gauge regulator.

I have purchased several all in one CO2 kits for my Fluval Spec V.I have purchased the smaller Fluval with the hideous bell diffuser and the Ista 45g kit. This has been the best kit of them all, simply by regulator design, which is simple a simple valve without a separate needle valve but I have had very little issue dialing in the number of bubbles per second that I want, especialy since I want far less than 1 per second for my tank.The diffuser/bubble counter is small, leading to not really being too obtrusive in the tank. However, the check valve is a separate white cylinder. On the bright side, if you accidentally crank the CO2, the cable blows off at that cylinder versus in the tank. However, water can back up to the check valve making it harder to initially dial in. To be frank, I used the ista integrated diffuser/bubble counter and was very happy. If you do use it, I highly recommend the tank/regulator be kept above the diffuser.This is the AC02-02 model, which means it comes with the Black holder versus the silver hanging bracket. It comes with 1.2m of air tube. The box says it is a 15mm ceramic disk.

This was the first time I've ever used pressurized CO2 in a tank but found that complimented with the liquid carbon supplements the results were impressive. The tank I used this kit on is a 10g with a ac30 hob, 100 watt heater, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Cryptocoryne parva and Cryptocoryne lutea. Using this kit for 3 months have given me growth better than 1 year just using the liquid carbon. I gave it 4 stars because it is difficult to set the regulator for a desired flow in the lower range of 1 bubble every 3-4 seconds.

My advice is get a paintball canister, toss the co2 and use this regulator in the paintball canister. The canister cost $3 to fill at a sports store and last two months while the replacement cans that go to this unit cost $14 and last a few weeks.Note: will not work on a paintball canister without buying an adapter like the one shown.

works ok for the money

Pros and cons were accurately described by other reviewers. This kit is a good introduction to pressurized CO2 at a low cost, and the regulator fits standard 88/90g paintball canisters. I loved the increase in growth in my plants, lasts about 1 month in my 10 gallon @ 1bps (diffusing into a powerhead).

Mine didn't work. Found out there wasn't a needle that punctures the co2 canister. Contacted he seller but still haven't got this resolved. So one star rating unless things change which doesn't seem like it. Bummed out for sure. But what can ya do.