[cS]

Where did you guys get your ph controllers and about how much do they run?

A pH controller should be IMHO on the very bottom of your to-buy list. Do you have nothing else to purchase? A different substrate than the neon red gravel for example. :mrgreen:

I use pH and KH test kits to get [CO2] in the 25-30ppm range, and take note of how many bubbles per minute are required. That's it. As long as the bubble rate stays the same, there is no reason why [CO2] should deviate from what I had initially measured. I don't touch the system until the CO2 bottle needs refill. When that happens, I'll employ the pH/KH test kits again.