FZONE Aquarium CO2 Regulator Mini Series V3.0 Dual Stage with DC Solenoid and Bubble Counter Check Valve Compatible Paintball Tank CGA320 CO2 Cylinde

I don’t know how this has only 4.2 stars, it’s an excellent regulator that is so versatile and can be used on CGA320, paintball tanks, and all disposable 5/8 UNF CO2 cartridges. With an adapter you could also use it on 3/8 UNF disposables or even TR 21-4 (soda stream). My use has strictly been on paintball and cga320 as I feel disposables are a waste and way too expensive when I pay $20 for 10lbs of co2. This was my very first co2 regulator back in 2019 and it’s given me zero issues. The needle valve may not be as fine as more expensive needle valves, but it is perfectly serviceable. Easy enough to dial in where you want and more importantly it holds steady. I’ve even used this with a cheap wyia 3 way needle valve running a uns 60u, 60p, 45p no problems. You do need to use an extension to clear the regulator and the valve on a cga320. If you really don’t like the needle valve (although I assure you it’s perfectly fine) you can buy an inline needle valve for $20 and run it inline your co2 tubing. I have since buying this purchased a high end regulator from co2 art and the fzone pro dual stage regulator with expandable manifolds. You can run up to 6 separate tanks on the pro by adding more manifolds although I’ve only run 4. Also this regulator and the pro model are the exact same as the uns versions that costs much more money. They are the same, made in the same exact factory. The pro does have a better needle valve, but this one’s good as mentioned. I actually picked this regulator up a second time a few months ago as it went on sale and i enjoy my first one which still works perfect 7 years later. There is one small (potential) issue with this regulator and that’s the fact that the cable could be damaged the way it connects and rests. I never had an issue and i imagine a replacement cable would be as easy as emailing fzone as they are really an excellent company. I just took some heat sharing tubing and put two layers of heat shrink which provides strain relief. 7 years still good. Multiple house moves and all. This is one of the best regulators especially for the price and considering the wide versatility. Trust someone who’s got 5 regulators and even a citric acid/baking soda co2 generator I bought out of sheer curiosity.

Has been running problem free since October 2024. Well built, feels solid, easy to use, consistent worry-free operation.

This costs quite a bit more than other CO2 aquarium regulators, but I think it's worth it. It's a dual stage-regulator, which means you can fully open the valve on the gas cylinder -- thus the gas cylinder's valve doesn't control the working pressure, which is good, because it's not designed to -- this is the whole point of having a regulator! Instead, you use the larger dial on the FZONE regulator to control the working pressure. I set mine to 25 PSI, as recommended in the instruction manual. The pressure gauge shows you exactly the working pressure. Note this doesn't show you if the gas in the cylinder is getting low -- you'd need a different model with two pressure gauges on it. After setting the main working pressure with the larger dial, you use the second smaller dial to control the output to the bubble counter and airline to the aquarium. It wasn't too hard to attach the airline (get stiffer airline specifically for CO2, which is typically 6mm outside diameter and 4mm inside diameter), and unscrewing the top cap to fill the bubble counter with water. Be careful of the o-ring on the bubble counter cap -- you want it to sit just right on the lip when you screw the cap on, without mangling it. You need to connect the power adapter cable to the solenoid, and power it on in order for gas to start flowing. It was fairly easy to see and count bubbles. For my 5 gallon tank, I just use one bubble per 2-3 seconds (this is 20-30 bubbles per minute). It doesn't come with tubing, check valve or diffuser, so you'll need to order extra parts. My diffuser came with a plastic check valve -- be very careful -- mine let water past it due to the expansion and vacuum of the airline tubing after the solenoid closes. If you have your cylinder under the tank like me, this could cause water to siphon out of the tank and down to the regulator (and maybe out onto the floor?!). I ordered a separate stainless steel check valve, which is strong enough to prevent back-flow when the solenoid is closed. When the solenoid opens with the dials set to my desired pressure, I start to see bubbles one by one in the bubble counter, but it usually takes 10+ minutes to start seeing bubbles at the diffuser. This probably depends on your flow, airline length, and diffuser, though. I double check that I'm getting an appropriate CO2 concentration in the aquarium with a suction cupped glass bulb with color-changing liquid indicator on the opposite side of the aquarium as the CO2 diffuser. I plug the power adapter into a smart outlet that I can control via an Alexa routine. It turns on 1 hour before my lights reach max intensity and off 1 hour before the lights start to ramp down to off. A lot of aquarium lights have this ramp up/down feature and the light I use (also FZONE) has this feature in a connected app. Finally, I debating using a kit for DIY CO2, where you mix citric acid and baking soda into a pressurized cylinder. Realistically, I couldn't see myself maintaining this over the long term. And some people warned that when those kit's CO2 cylinder vary in pressure you need to really keep an eye out on the bubble counter -- too much hassle! Around me, there are many options for getting no-too-expensive beverage quality CO2 in 5 lb cylinders at beverage supply stores, fire stations, welding stores, etc. This cylinder will last me for maybe an entire year! Easy decision.

Really good regulator! I wanted to try out co2 but didn’t want to spend too much on a crazy setup. I’ve had it going for 2 months now and it’s worked perfectly after I got it started. I have been using the 40g cartridge refills on a 10 gallon tank and they last me a little over 3 weeks each using this at one bubble per second, for 8 hours a day. I’ll have to look into getting one of the bigger refillable tanks eventually. I feel like the bubbles per second drifts maybe a little bit, so maybe something to keep an eye on during first setup so you can adjust. After some setup and use, I have two thoughts for other buyers. If you’re getting this as a beginner and using the disposable co2 cartridges, familiarize yourself with how to attach it and with the o-ring situation. The booklet included can be misleading, I think partially due to translation; if you’re using a cartridge, yes you do want an o-ring. For some reason a lot of the setup videos I saw online conveniently showed my planned setup, but breezed through the important detail of adding in the o-ring. Don’t be like me and skim through the booklet thinking I’ve seen all the tutorials, and then proceed to waste an entire cartridge and have all of the gas escape loudly into my room and scare the hell out of my dog lol. This may be partially user error I admit 😭 but if you’re not familiar with how this works I feel like it’s not a crazy mistake based on the booklets wording. Just don’t be like me, make sure you double check the process for your specific setup :) Another thing that I noticed is that the area where the power connector connects to the actual regulator, the cable looks a little janky (photos attached). I feel like this could be a common point of failure if they’re all like this. For some reason it came with a tiny zip tie around it but that was not helping lol. I ended up wrapping the whole area with electrical tape so hopefully that’ll help it last. Anyway I’m happy with it! I’m excited to see my plants thrive :)

What can I say about this aquarium purposed CO regulator. Good features: It's well made, seems heavily constructed and the basic design is great. Very space efficient and compact No useless features, although I'd like to see a CO2 tank pressure gauge, I realize in this size format that's a big ask. It works reasonably well: The solenoid is quiet and runs cool. I can tell you about a Victor CO2 regulator that I DIY'd to work with a big aquarium, and all the futzing about to make it work, the solenoid was getting so hot it started smelling like melted plastic! I had to find a different wall wart of less than half the voltage to get it to run cool enough. Cool running solenoids are a big deal in high tech, CO2 pressure tank supplied planted tanks. So now for the serious quibbles: Amazon lowered the price after I bought mine. Yeah I am a price junky but that 4 dollar savings meant I could have bought something else. The reverse flow valve on the bubble counter does not work!! I've woken up for 5 days now of having the supply line to the bubble counter vial's barb nearly 4/5ths filled with water. Why cannot any manufacture of aquarium CO2 control bits design a CO2 one way valve that doesn't allow water ingress? This is the second one I've bought that leaks backwards. This is a big issue because if the water makes its way into the regulator, it corrodes and stops working. And I'm going to revise my review to reflect this oversight. This is unconscionable. And for the last antifeature: The volume control valve is not sensitive enough. If you run a small aquarium at say 1 bubble every 4~6 seconds you're going to find that you're very close to being near the end of the lowest range of bubble control. This where FZone could have knocked this out of the park. As this regulator is aimed at smaller aquariums and not everyone runs their CO2 systems at 30 parts per million just so their livestock isn't being stressed by having far too much CO2 present. I run about 18 ppm and slightly green/turquoise on the test kit. Having a very low flow would be a nice selling point on the volume control; to be able to increase the bubble count from say 6 seconds to 2 seconds per bubble while turning the knob a half turn would really help, instead of the 1/16th turn touchiness of this unit. And that's running the lowest pressure I can reliably set the count for at a little over 10 PSI. Edited August 15th: It's stopped working completely, not real happy and I'm not sure how to contact the company about this issue considering it's been in use less than a month. And this morning there was no pressure, again. Yet the paintball tank is showing there's still over half of the CO2 by weight left inside. Since the fourth of this month I've had to remove and reinstall this on the paintball tank to get it to see any pressure on the gauge, I was thinking it was a pin-valve issue on the paintball tank but removing it after reinstalling it shows there's enough CO2 to make a big "FFFT! when unscrewing the tank. I also tried installing the CGA320 adapter and using my 5# tank but it also doesn't bring the regulator back to life. Pretty disappointed after my first review.

Summary: Good product, well built with quality materials, offering versatile installation and operating options, the only down side is that working pressure is higher than other makes. Pros: - Built well - Quality components - Works as intended - Flexible installation options - Solenoid runs cool - Good packaging Cons: - Higher working pressure than other makes Detail Review: I’ve had a few months to use this regulator and overall I’d call this a good product, and would buy again. This came in good packaging that kept component safe during shipping and nothing was damaged when I received the regulator. First thing I noticed when setting up the regulator was that this thing was well built, with quality components. Everything fit right and had a solid feel to it, like it was designed to feel that way. The second thing I noticed was the attention to detail with little things like the power cord. Other makes that I’ve owned simply had a heat shrink wrap over the solder points. The regulator from FZONE had not only the heat shrink wrap; but, a zip tie to hold it securely in place. Small detail; but, it matters in the long run. This model was capable of connecting to multiple CO2 sources; but, my setup used a CGA320 valve on a 10lb tank. The threads fit snug, and securely so no leaks found when I finished. The bubble counter is of standard design and includes a rubber washer for installation to ensure a good seal. I found the counter to be helpful for dialing in precise BPS for the fine needle valve, this is helpful for smaller setups. I did however find that the operating pressure for this unit was a bit higher than others. Most regulators operate at 30-32 lbs of working pressure; but, I found my regulator didn’t perform consistently until I had it 40-42 lbs of working pressure. Not a big deal, just something to note during setup. You’ll notice that the solenoid runs warm as expected; but, still cooler than most other makes. This was a pleasant surprise. Overall this product worked great upon setup, and still continues work great many months later. I’d recommend this product if you’re looking for a regulator for your high tech planted setup.

I had this and a couple other regulators with two guages, but I ended up ordering more of this one. Build Quality: Great, the only compaint I have is that the insulation for the two wires that connect to the solenoid came off for one of my units. The unit still works flawlessly, but I'm afraid of pulling the wires loose. Connectivity: I have used it with a re-fillable 5lbs CO2 tank and a small 95g disposable cartridge and both usecases are solid. The supplied adapters and o-rings are super handy! Also used it in upright and sideways connection styles and both of them work great. Adjustment: This is the best part. Using this thing is simple, it just has one guage that shows you the output pressure. Most diffusers you use will have a threshold pressure (ie 'this stone needs 40psi before CO2 will get pushed through it' type stuff). Just rotate the big knob until the guage shows your desired output pressure. Then use the needle adjustment knob to dial in how much CO2 flow you want. I have some small nano tanks (2G - 5G) and they need very fine adjustment. This regulator is able to do it very well. The knob isn't super touchy and holds its tension very well. I have tried using a couple other regulators and wanted to break something when I used those because I just couldn't dial my settings in. This thing is a beauty! Aesthetics: Aawesome. I love the elegant look of this thing. It's small, easy to fit in any space, looks really nice and high quality. Won't topple small cylinders over etc. Absolutely love this thing to bits. I wish I could hoard10 of these just in case the supply runs out. The lack of internal pressure guage isn't really a big deal for me. I find that the second guage just adds bulk and isn't useful 99% percent of the time. If using a disposable cardridge, there isn't really much you can do about the internal pressure. If you've punctured the cartridge, it's gone. For re-usable/detachable tanks, if you know when starting out that there is enough CO2 there to use the tank, that's all the information you really need. Having that extra guage sitting there and looking like Mickey Mouse is good for an over-the-top steampunk look, but I don't find it to be a requirement. I'm really glad FZone made this thing that sacrifices the optional funcionality to provide a better product.

You're probably considering this regulator because you want a non-obtrusive and cost-effective CO2 regulator. If you're new to CO2 injection, you might even be a little nervous about the entire thing like I was. I am glad to say this regulator satisfies my needs and wasn't complicates to set up, at all. 3 weeks into using it, I only observed a small amount of drift in bubble count in the first 24 hrs of using it. I have observed no drift after that. The regulator is pretty decently constructed. It's heavy and doesn't feel cheap (except for the bubble counter itself, which is plasticky but works fine). The knobs turn smoothly. The wires for the solenoid are somewhat flimsy, as others have noted, but I don't find this problematic. Just avoid bending the wires in any way-- which is what you should do for any such wire. The solenoid itself does get a little warm, but I don't find it overly warm. The box includes a paintball adaptor and several o-rings, a hex key and a simple wrench. You should not need other tools to get this running. Do obtain a simple plug-in timer so you control when the CO2 comes on. When setting up the regulator, make sure the solenoid is on, otherwise you won't be able to count bubbles (this seems obvious but it's an easy thing to overlook). One downside is that there isn't a gauge that tells you the pressure inside the tank, but that's the trade-off when you want a really low-profile regulator. Overall, good buy. It's getting the job done. I am considering going high-tech for my other aquarium, and if I do, I'll buy another one of these. Does it feel premium? I wouldn't say premium. Will it stand the test of time? It remains to be seen. Am I nervous about the purchase? Not at all. Hope this helps!

This is my 1st regulator for aquarium. Did a lot of research and decided on this one. I read other reviews and can concur that it feels very solid. It has a good weight to it and materials look and feel strong. I like that it is a dual stage regulator. I filled the bubble counter with glycerin to avoid evaporation (which occurs if you fill it with water). It’s connected to a Vevor 5lb tank using the standard cg320 connector. No leaks. Solid and stable bubble count. No issues with the solenoid connector. I had read reviews stating that the cable connecter wasn’t solid. But this one feels solid; looks like they added a tie wrap and shrink wrap to solidify the connector. The needle valve is, of course, very sensitive when fine-tuning the amount of bubbles. I think this is just normal for any regulator. I have it dialled in nicely to the amount of CO2 desired. I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone. I also am impressed with the customer service at Fzone. They quickly replied to some questions.

Works great! I've been using it since it arrived last month and it was an easy set up, and I have no problems with it since setting it up. The price was great but after getting the product I can see that it's pretty well made too. Definitely recommended! - - - Some minor issues occurred due to wear and tear after a while and I contacted the seller. They sent me plenty of replacement gaskets, and a step-by-step on how to tweak it when it sort of stopped working and I got it fixed with their help. Everything gets worn down eventually but their customer service is top notch making this product amazing because of the people behind it! Thanks!!

Right out of the box you can see how well constructed this regulator is. Comes with all the tools you need to set it up, and extra O-rings. Took me all of 15 minutes to replace the Milwaukee one I was using. What is most practical with this regulator is, it will will work with smaller and even disposable C-02 tanks enabling it fit in areas where you do not have a lot of room. I am using this one with a standard CGA320 5lb standard tank,,, but I will be purchasing a disposable C-02 cartridge as a backup. Instructions provided are clear and and easy to follow. Needle valve is very precise. I used mineral oil instead of water in the bubble counter, avoiding evaporation concerns. I highly recommend this regulator to anyone wanting to get into C-02

Easy to set up and works well. I’ve been using it for about a month. If it breaks I will update the review, but so far, so good. I like the size of the regulator as well. I recommend using bubble fluid and not water though for the bubble counter. Water evaporates too quickly.

This is my second time ordering this regulator Positive: Getting the job done. -compact and versatile - dual stage, no co2 fluctuations -precise control knobs of pressure -precise bubble counter Negative: -No dual gauge, can't see how much co2 left for refill -back power inlet only small pinn and cable are fragile, need to manipulate with care. -last co2 does diffuseur the welding broke couldnt plug it back..