Lifespan of 5# cannister

[Mahorela]

I've been searching far and wide for an outfitter in my area that will lease CO2 canisters. The only one I've been able to find offers a 5lb.

I have a 125g with approx. 3.3 watts of light per gallon.

I'm wondering, how long, at....perhaps 1 bubble per second, would a 5lb canister last? How does one calculate that?


Thanks everyone ;)

[Mgamer20o0]

it all depends. you will prob want a couple bubbles a sec. if you turn it off at night it should last a year. if its on 24/7 should last 6 months. give or take.

[Mahorela]

Thanks for your input!

I've been going back and forth with the concept of turning it off at night. I'm relatively new to the pressurized CO2 world after being out of the hobby for about 4 years and finally coming back in.

However, 6 months is much longer than I was originally thinking.

[Mgamer20o0]

have you checked out welding shops? i got a 10 and a 20 pound tank from the local welding shop.

[Mahorela]

I'm currently up to my eyes in the yellow pages, looking for places in my area :) I've called a few brewery supply shops and one welding, and so far, no one leases their canisters, nor do they refill.

Hopefully I'll find something better!

[Mgamer20o0]

you will prob have to just buy one. ask if they have any used one?

[Mahorela]

I hope it doesn't come to that, but if I have to, I will. I'm hesitant to buy one because of the inspection factor. But we'll see!

[Squawkbert]

How long a 5# tank lasts will depend on several things:

How many ppm will you maintain?
Will you run it at night?
How much surface agitation do you have?
How efficient is your diffusion into the water?

---and the single most important thing---

Do you have any leaks in the system?

[Mahorela]

Hi Squawkbert, I would love to answer these questions for you, but I'm only in the set-up phase of this tank so I have no solid answers! :p

What I can tell you:
Fluval 405 & Eheim Ecco Little surface agitation.

Regulator w/ Milkwaukee pH controller/monitor, reactor 2000 and Rio pump.

Lighting consists of 4x 96watt 6700k PCF's.

I'm unsure if there are leaks in the system, it's yet to arrive on my doorstep ;)

So, I'm debating on the whole concept of turning it off at night, vs. leaving it on. What are the advantages and disadvantages, in your opinions?

[Rex Grigg]

Try looking at places that service fire extinguishers. I've had much better luck with them in filling while you wait.

And if you can find one that fills while you want you can buy a larger cylinder. And chances are they can supply that need also.

[Mahorela]

Awesome Rex, thanks for the suggestion. I swear, I'm going to fly through the phone the next time someone says "WE DON'T FILL CO2"

And your guide is hilarious and informative, BTW.

[Rex Grigg]

Many places don't fill CO2 cylinders. They just have them dropped off. The key is finding the place that fills them. And that's either a large company like Air Gas or the fire extinguisher places or large beverage distributors.

Air Gas may or may not fill while you wait (see compressed gases in the yellow pages).

[Squawkbert]

re: night time... CO2 at night is right up there w/ boar teats (pretty useless). If your setup includes a solenoid valve, have it turn CO2 on an hour or two before your lights come on and have it shut off a while before your lights shut off. Doing this should make your CO2 tank last ~ twice as long.

[jgulecas]

You should get the biggest tank that you can fit in the space available. For height restrictions, add about 1.5" for the regulator.

[Mahorela]

That makes sense, Squawkbert. I realize that plants won't utilize the CO2 at night, so I will configure my system to shut off a little before lights out.

I finally got my hands on a 20# cylinder; maintenance included and refills available. It was like pulling teeth to find it, too.

I'm going to hook everything up tonight and hope I do it correctly, haha.

[Rex Grigg]

Add 0" for the regulator. You can mount the regulator 90° to the cylinder for zero clearance.