CO2 pressurized, do you really need a regulator?

[manowar669]

Just as an experiment, I grabbed a 7oz paintball tank out of the garage. It's been in there for years, and it's still got CO2. I screwed on the filling station adaptor, which has a "wheel". I attached a 3/16" barbed nipple (for airtools), attached air pump tubing and a check valve. Stuck the tubing up the intake of a powerhead and stuck it in a 10g tank. Playing with the wheel on the fill station, it got the flow just barely coming out. The power head blows a mist of CO2 every minute or so. I can watch the CO2 moving up the line slowly until it sprays, water gets back into the line about 2.5inches, then it starts it's slow march toward the powerhead again. It's been going for almost 24 hours now.

[Rex Grigg]

But what will happen as the pressure drops in the cylinder? I'm betting you will get what's called "End of Tank Dump". And that can be a bad thing.

The reason we use regulators on CO2 systems is to drop the cylinder pressure 800-1000 psi to a safer working pressure of 10-20 psi.

Then we use a needle valve to control the flow of the CO2 which drops the pressure even more.

What you are doing is very similar to what people did in the dark ages of CO2 systems (6-7 years ago) and ended up killing a lot of fish.

[manowar669]

Yeah, I thought so. I was just experimenting, and today when I got home after work, the flow stopped. I'm guessing the pressure needed to get past the check valve matched the CO2 tank pressure after some had bled off. I could open the valve more, but eh.. I'll stick with my DIY yeast/sugar that I have going on my planted 55G. It's been going really well, plant are looking great. Someday soon I'll spring for a real regulator, $$$ permitting, and after I get back from New Orleans.

[ErrorS]

I just did a complete CO2 system for $150. It's not nearly as expensive as most people expect..

I wish I could take back al the time and money I wasted on DIY CO2.