Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

After having experimented with DIY CO2 injection, I have decided to move up
to a "real" pressurized tank system. I am a little unsure where to start and
would appreciate any help anybody could give me with the following:

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.
2) Best place to get the CO2. Is the CO2 sold for paintball guns OK ?
3) Best web sites or books to help me get started.
4) Anything special I should look for, or anything special I should avoid?
5) Any worthwhile advice from people with experience.

I am not afraid to spend some money on this .... but I want to get it right
the first time so I only spend it once !

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

"Henry" wrote in message
...
After having experimented with DIY CO2 injection, I have decided to move
up
to a "real" pressurized tank system. I am a little unsure where to start
and
would appreciate any help anybody could give me with the following:

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.
2) Best place to get the CO2. Is the CO2 sold for paintball guns OK ?
3) Best web sites or books to help me get started.
4) Anything special I should look for, or anything special I should avoid?
5) Any worthwhile advice from people with experience.

I am not afraid to spend some money on this .... but I want to get it
right
the first time so I only spend it once !



I'm also interested in knowing the answers to some of these questions. I
suspect I will stick with DIY for a while at least. But am interested
anyway. My main concern is where can I have my bottle filled... I live in a
very rural area, plus I would feel stupid calling up welders and other
companies asking if they will supply me with bottled CO2, etc.

Someone somewhere, a while back, recommended suppliers of gases for
hospitals. I'm not above trying to investigate there, if it is a good
possibility.

thanks,

bob

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Since CO2 tanks are used for beer tapers, some liquor stores will fill them.


"Bob A" wrote in message
...

"Henry" wrote in message
...
After having experimented with DIY CO2 injection, I have decided to move
up
to a "real" pressurized tank system. I am a little unsure where to start
and
would appreciate any help anybody could give me with the following:

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.
2) Best place to get the CO2. Is the CO2 sold for paintball guns OK ?
3) Best web sites or books to help me get started.
4) Anything special I should look for, or anything special I should
avoid?
5) Any worthwhile advice from people with experience.

I am not afraid to spend some money on this .... but I want to get it
right
the first time so I only spend it once !



I'm also interested in knowing the answers to some of these questions. I
suspect I will stick with DIY for a while at least. But am interested
anyway. My main concern is where can I have my bottle filled... I live in
a
very rural area, plus I would feel stupid calling up welders and other
companies asking if they will supply me with bottled CO2, etc.

Someone somewhere, a while back, recommended suppliers of gases for
hospitals. I'm not above trying to investigate there, if it is a good
possibility.

thanks,

bob

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

"Henry" wrote in message ...
After having experimented with DIY CO2 injection, I have decided to move up
to a "real" pressurized tank system. I am a little unsure where to start and
would appreciate any help anybody could give me with the following:

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.
2) Best place to get the CO2. Is the CO2 sold for paintball guns OK ?
3) Best web sites or books to help me get started.
4) Anything special I should look for, or anything special I should avoid?
5) Any worthwhile advice from people with experience.

I am not afraid to spend some money on this .... but I want to get it right
the first time so I only spend it once !

http://www.dlink.org/aqua/CO2.html

Hope this Helps
Dominic

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Henry wrote:

3) Best web sites or books to help me get started.

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/

5) Any worthwhile advice from people with experience.

Success with CO2 is all about efficiently dissolving the CO2 in the water and
keeping it there. If you have done well with DIY, then you have experience in
this area. But remember to design your CO2 and filter system to minimize surface
agitation while still allowing adequate circulation.

I got excited about using a cannister filter to inject the CO2, since it was a
simpler solution than having a separate reactor. Unfortunately, each bubble
makes a smacking noise on the impeller, and we value quiet more than simplicity.
If this small noise is not a problem for you, definitely use the filter. It's
one less piece of gear to clean and maintain.

Since a CO2 bottle must be used upright, buy the biggest tank you can still
hide. In my case that is a 10 pound tank. A 20 pound tank would last twice as
long (or longer, since they are often not filled all the way), but it is so tall
it would have to be left out in the open. It's pretty darn heavy, too!

Any beverage supply shop can sell and refill tanks. Look for places that sell
soda fountain drinks. Welding supply shops usually carry it too.

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.

This is what I bought:

Rapids Wholesale - Co2 kits - 5-lb new steel tank with dual guage regulators
$99

http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv"http://rapidswholesale.net/
Merchant2/merchant.mv?

Florida driftwood - needle valve used in medical gases $19.50

http://www.floridadriftwood.com/product.asp?3=51

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Bob Alston wrote:

1) Best sources for tanks, regulators, controllers etc.

This is what I bought:

Rapids Wholesale - Co2 kits - 5-lb new steel tank with dual guage regulators
$99

http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv"http://rapidswholesale.net/
Merchant2/merchant.mv?

That's a great deal!

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Oops wrong hotlink previously
Rapids Wholesale - Co2 kits - 5-lb new steel tank with dual guage regulators
$99 item BD435

http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2...tore_Code=RWOC
AS&Product_Code=BD435

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Nice deal Bob. How would you adapt that red tube to a diffuser? Do you need
more connectors?


"Bob Alston" wrote in message
...
Oops wrong hotlink previously
Rapids Wholesale - Co2 kits - 5-lb new steel tank with dual guage
regulators
$99 item BD435


http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2...tore_Code=RWOC
AS&Product_Code=BD435

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 15:15:05 -0500, "Frank Mamone"
wrote:

Nice deal Bob. How would you adapt that red tube to a diffuser? Do you need
more connectors?


You can unscrew the existing hose adapter on the regulator and screw
in a smaller one that fits the CO2 tubing.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Is that type of hose adapter easily available?

Thanks Chuck.


"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 15:15:05 -0500, "Frank Mamone"
wrote:

Nice deal Bob. How would you adapt that red tube to a diffuser? Do you
need
more connectors?


You can unscrew the existing hose adapter on the regulator and screw
in a smaller one that fits the CO2 tubing.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Actually what I did is unscrew the huge hosebarb that came with the
regulator. Then I connected the Clippard MNV-4K2 that I got from Florida
Driftwood directly to the regulator using a 1/8" NPT female to 1/4" NPT male
adaptor. Should be able to get one at a hardware store. Then, if you have
the Clippard MNV-4K2 (emphesis on the K2) you already have a 1/8 inch ID
hose barb for the airline tubing. Need to put gas-type teflon on the 1/8
and 1/4 threads.

Bob
"Frank Mamone" wrote in message
.. .
Nice deal Bob. How would you adapt that red tube to a diffuser? Do you
need
more connectors?


"Bob Alston" wrote in message
...
Oops wrong hotlink previously
Rapids Wholesale - Co2 kits - 5-lb new steel tank with dual guage
regulators
$99 item BD435



http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2...tore_Code=RWOC
AS&Product_Code=BD435

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

Nice deal Bob. How would you adapt that red tube to a diffuser? Do you
need
more connectors?

http://www.dlink.org/aqua/CO2.html

--
Thank You

Dominic
http://www.dlink.org/aqua

Help needed w/ CO2 injection
 

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 16:10:41 -0500, "Frank Mamone"
wrote:

Is that type of hose adapter easily available?

I've never had a problem finding them at my welding supply place.

Also, instead of a hose barb, you can also use an adapter to connect
a needle-valve directly to the reactor. That's the route I went when
adding a needle-valve to my setup.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua