FZ-1011

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.

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.

Creating an epic high-tech aquascape can be expensive. When I first learned about the cost of entry for a Co2 set-up (yes, as a disclaimer I'm a beginner) I was pretty hesitant to jump in. I only have a 10-gallon tank, so I wanted to start by using the smaller paintball canister setup instead of a full size Co2 tank. After what felt like a bazillion hours of online research, I decided to go with this F-zone unit as it seemed like a nice balance of quality and price (kinda like the Goldie Lox concept not too cheaply made but not the crazy over the top kind.) It has been almost a month since I started using it and it's been pretty close to perfect so far. I did struggle a little when trying to get it set up. In my first attempt, I wasn't getting any pressure to register because I didn't screw on the provided adapter tight enough onto the Co2 tank. I was worried about going too far and breaking things, but I learned it would only work after I screwed it on as far as it would possibly go.) I figured this out upon trying it on a second Co2 canister but made a noob mistake in thinking it was broken when I removed it completely and didn't see the pressure go back to zero. A quick email to F-zone (they literally responded in less than an hour) helped me realize my error in logic. They informed me that pressure will get locked in the valve when you close it to remove it (a commonsense thing when you actually put any thought into it since the whole regulator is meant to control the pressure, duh. Silly me). Getting the bubble count that I wanted wasn’t hard to achieve with the sensitivity of the valve on the unit. Knowing what works best for your tank will take time and testing (mine was about 16 bubbles per 10 seconds), but I have seen no issues with it holding the count I set it to when putting it on a timer. When it first turns back on, though, I did notice the Co2 will take about 1-2 minutes to stabilize to the bubble count it was set to. My final Co2 set up (including this regulator) has been perfect for my needs. I have no regrets about this purchase. It’s not as cheap as the DIY set-ups but the quality and consistency are much better and worth the price difference. It cost me less than $250 for everything. I have a few non-essential items in my set-up so you might even get things closer to $200. Here is a list of all the items I use for anyone who is interested: • F-zone Co2 Proof Tubing • Generic Stop Valve (to stop water siphoning back up into the provided bubble counter) • Generic Stainless Steel U-shaped Tube Connector (to get up and over the rim of the tank as Co2 tubing is very rigid) • Zoo Med Mag Clip Suction Cup (much stronger than normal suction cups to hold the diffuser in place) • Neo in-tank diffuser (though, I will be trying an in-line diffuser for use with canister filters to reduce the “Sprite” water effect) • Jardli Drop Checker (the sphere-shaped one) w/ some Fluval CO2 Indicator Solution • AHRISE Smart Plug Power Strip (to put the lights and Co2 on an app-controlled timer) • and two filled JT Paintball 20 oz. Co2 Tanks (one serving as a back-up for when the other runs out so there is no gap in Co2)

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.

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 :)

I received the Fzone CO2 regulator less than 48 hours after ordering. The package arrived in good condition, though the contents of the box could have been packaged better. The bubble counter was left loose inside the box and appears a little scratched up (plastic) but is functional. The regulator itself seemed well packaged, though the o-rings were loosely tossed into the box and were all over the place. The regulator itself is simple to set up. The instructions are not very clear but it seems intuitive enough. Just make sure to use the proper seal ring for correct adapter depending on which type of CO2 cannister/container you plan on using. Thats probably the best benefit of this regulator. I have a heavily planted 55g tank and a lightly planted 5 gallon tank. Being able to switch this regulator from a 5 lb CGA320 cylinder to a 20 oz CO2 paintball container is a huge benefit for hiding the regulator/canister behind my tiny tank. It has huge visual appeal! The product seems to function well. It seems heavy and well made. The pressure gauge is clear and easy to read. My favorite feature is the fine tuning knob. I have another regulator that does not have this knob which can make adjusting pressure difficult. This product makes it simple. All in all, I say this product is well worth the price and it gets the job done!

Summary Definitely recommend this regulator based on my experience with it so far. Its very good value for money, 3 stage to protect against end of tank dump, can be used with regular, paintball tanks or disposable cylinders, solenoid to turn on and off on timer. Please read on for detailed review. Review I have stayed away from mini regulators and single stage regulators ever since I started this hobby. However I came across FZone mini regulator which claimed to be multistage. A few hobbyist have been using FZone single stage regulator and have been satisfied, but I avoid single stage regulators. On inspection the mini regulator design I was intrigued. They have updated the design to get rid of flaws and managed to add 3 stages into the compact design. I have seen some high end compact regulator use this idea but first time I have seen it in a affordable regulator. I ended up getting one on whim because I keep backup regulators for emergency. The shipping was quick and it was in service for my 10g tank using the paintball adaptor that came with the package. I didn’t include a o-ring that goes between the paintball and adaptor, but I had spare so not a big deal. Everything worked as expected out the door after following instructions. I used a atomic diffuser for this, so I needed atleast 40psi of output which it managed fine and delivered constantly. No leaks. The needle valve took a bit of careful slight adjustments to get my desired bubble rate. Its not a fine adjustment needle valve that I have on my expensive regulators but for this price and it’s desired use it’s good enough. As such you just need to adjust it when you set it up, after that you should never need to readjust it unless your needs change. The solenoid is my favorite. I like these small solenoids usually used in pneumatic setups. You need to fabricate the body to accommodate so kudos to the designers to make it happen. Its perfect for such small applications, doesn’t get hot and works flawlessly. Other things, the regulator came in black which matches my paintball tank, the bubble counter is a good addition and usually a good thing when you start your setup. The pressure gauge is easy to read. It came with additional o-rings used in the body and a wrench to tighten the nut to cylinder. Overall this would be my recommended regulator for anyone taking the plunge into using CO2 and don’t have big budget. I never recommend cheap single stage regulators, but this one with 3 stage design is hard to ignore and definitely recommended. If this works thru 3-4 cycles without any failure I don’t see the need for bulky regulators anymore. I will comeback and report if anything goes wrong as I continue its use.

After 6 weeks of use I figured it was time to review this excellent regulator. I have a 55 gallon fully planted aquarium, my first, and this is my first regulator purchase. This project started many months beforehand, slowly buying all the components I needed to begin with the regulator being the last and most difficult purchase as it seemed to me to be the most contentious and inconsistent in terms of reviews. Most are relatively costly and it seemed like even the most expensive were not without many poor reviews. I finally decided to purchase the Fzone and have been extremely happy with it. After receiving the unit the first thing I did was disassemble it and apply silicone to all the gaskets, a must in my opinion. I also installed a leak stopper O-ring which I also strongly recommend and was inexpensive on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018UNZLHU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Pressure thus far has been very consistent. This unit is weighty and all aluminum, nothing cheap about the build which was important to me. I added water to the bubble counter (which I do every couple weeks and is easy to do), connected to my 5lb CO2 tank, then to the CO2 tubing that terminated with my diffuser. Based on the reviews I read I chose a 20lb regulator pressure which has held exact since the first moment it was set without issue. I have yet to have to touch the regulator since. The solenoid needle valve has been great too. Reviews say it's sensitive and it is, but it's supposed to be. I do periodically adjust it in very small increments but I think this is more due to the changing (growing) ecosystem in my tank and its needs. I have it connected to an indoor digital timer which has too has been a great and inexpensive Amazon purchase (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014SGCIR4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I have my light also connected to this same timer. I personally like that the drop checker is attached the way it is and that I didn't have to purchase a separate unit with a separate check valve. Everything you need (apart from tubing and the mentioned o-ring of course) is included. I would strongly recommend applying silicone to the gaskets before use which is not included. My only complaint is not having a pressure valve for the tank itself. I just periodically check the tank weight, but since it's triple stage there are no worries of an end tank dump catastrophe. I think the unit was well worth the cost, is built well and thus far has performed consistently without worries on my end. Should something happen to it I will not hesitate to purchase another.

Great regulator and great customer service. I bought this regulator due to a lack of space in a cabinet housing the co2 tank. It can operate without adding any height onto my converted oxygen tank so its perfect. Customer service was great when I had an issue with the wire too.

It's my first CO2 regulator, so I was a bit skeptical about the purchase. I did a ton of research and eventually decided on this particular model. It's highly versatile - works with the "regular" CO2 cylinders (those with CGA320 fitting), paintball cylinders and disposable cylinders. I hooked it up to a 15 lbs CO2 cylinder with CGA320 fitting, rotated the fitting that connects to the bubble counter so it's vertical (took me a second to figure this out as it was not in the documentation), and hooked it up to the hose/diffuser - the entire process was easy and completed in mere minutes. It also came with the wrench to tighten the connection to the cylinder - that's a bonus. I connected the solenoid to a smart switch so it comes on and shuts off automatically. It's only been a couple of days, but it's been working nicely. The input and output pressure remained steady, and the product does seem to be built in a sturdy manner. The only thing missing is a gauge that shows the pre-regulated cylinder pressure (i.e. how much CO2 is left in the tank), but that's the only trade-off for a mini regulator. For the versatility, price and feature, I am quite happy with the purchase so far.

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 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.

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..