If you're after a complete CO2 package for your planted aquarium, this offering is worth checking out, says Nathan Hill.
Aqua Essentials claim that this is 'the best value set on the market' and I’m inclined to agree. It’s like someone has looked at all the other sets out there and bothered to write down what bits could be spruced up and what was missing.
As a CO2 package for a small tank goes this is complete. I’m looking at it and not thinking that any parts need to be replaced, or upgraded — except maybe the air line, but I could be wrong. I think I’m being picky.
So what’s in it? There’s the gas cylinder, obviously, and, at 95g content, it’s a shade bigger than a few rivals. The thread at the top looks universal, so if you can’t track down an official Easy Aqua bottle you can slip the kit on to something else. There’s even a smart stand for the canister — and not the kind of thing that has it hanging from the tank either.
There’s the regulator, which is both smart and has a valve with an indication as to which direction you turn it to do what. I like the way that the gas outlet, with threaded connector, points upwards as opposed to straight out of the back. That means it’s a lot tidier when it is sat next to my aquarium.
The real gems are the bubble counter and diffuser. The counter is what I’d expect to be used with a huge CO2 injection system, being both a bubble counter and a double non-return valve. To make me go really weak at the knees, it screws directly on to the regulator! There's no dangly and annoying bubble counter swinging about beside your tank here…
Finally there’s the diffuser, or, as I should call it, the atomiser. I gave a glowing review to one of these models ages ago. The bubbles it spits out are the tiniest kind of mist and only when the canister is really low do you need to tinker with the settings more than usual to get the most from the flow.
Verdict
Where was this ten months ago when I had to piece a kit like this together bit by bit? If after a complete package, this is pretty much unrivalled – especially at the price. Good show, Easy Aqua.
Price: £59.99 for the kit. Replacement disposable gas bottles are currently retailing £13.99 each.
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