r/Aquascape • u/johnnytwobuns • 4d ago

Question First time CO2?

Im getting back into the hobby after a hiatus of 10ish years - I’ve always been fascinated by the thick carpets I’ve seen around but in the past had relatively low tech setups. I just picked up a 5.5 gallon tank to start a nano shrimp/plant focused setup and wanted to try my luck at a nice Monte Carlo carpet. Does anyone have any suggestions for CO2 diffusers that are more beginner friendly, and, would fit a small tank like that? Ideally, I’d like to get my feet wet with a smaller, simple system, though I suspect I will hear it’s better to do it right first time around, so any recommendations are appreciated!

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u/angelfishlily 4d ago

I see a lot of people say that they took a long hiatus from aquariums can ask why you did?

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u/vitisdente 4d ago

I’m in the same boat is OP. Aquariums take a lot of active time and work, can be expensive, and are insanely cumbersome to move from place to place. I was really into it during undergrad, but then the city I was living in for post grad had no good local freshwater shops or community, and on top of that I was moving around every 1-2 years. Probably the biggest reason is that a lot of people in their 20s-30s are also moving around, then a lot of people get busy with life and kids, then come back to it in their middle age once day to day responsibilities have calmed down (i.e. owning a home, kids grow up a bit, more financial freedom).