# [Wet Thumb Forum]-500g CO2 tank: how long should it last



## Paulo Pinheiro (Feb 11, 2003)

Hi once again!

I was thinking on going pressurized and I even got a used old 10Kg bottle. I went today to a local distributor inquiring if the bottle was abble to be filled with CO2 and they said "maybe, but you have to do a hydraulic test on it, which costs â¬75 + filling which costs â¬40"

Is this crazy or what??? I've been seeing arround here people buying full bottles for much less. In Portugal it is so expensive!!!

Then I would need regulator, needle valve and tubing... another â¬100 easy.

So I was considering on buying over the internet a 500g bottle and a kit with all the rest (regulator, needle valve, CO2 tubing, reactor, buble counter, non-return valve). All this would be â¬125.

bottle:










kit:









"The BioPlast COÂ²-ProfiStar-Set consist of a COÂ²-reactor, a pressure reducer with rapture disc for extra safety and a needle valve for fine setting of the required COÂ² bubbles. To archieve an optimum diffusion of CO2 and the most economical running of the appliance, the pressure reactor is fitted with a regulator tap for the water flow.

Contents:
-Regulator with gauges for working pressure and bottle pressure (Fits all COÂ² bottles)
-Fine-needle-valve
-COÂ² pressure reactor
-Non-return-valve
-Suction cups
-1,5 m COÂ² hose
-bubble counter"

However I must know how long does a bottle like this usually lasts you guys that own one like it.

I remember seing a topic like this somewhere but can't find it. And I also know it depends A LOT on the bubble rate, but I would like to have a rough estimate so as to know how often I would need a refill.

Thanks,

Paulo Pinheiro

Allen's rule: when everything fails read the instructions!!!

[This message was edited by Paulo Pinheiro on Tue April 15 2003 at 06:40 AM.]

[This message was edited by Paulo Pinheiro on Tue April 15 2003 at 10:37 AM.]


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## Paulo Pinheiro (Feb 11, 2003)

Hi once again!

I was thinking on going pressurized and I even got a used old 10Kg bottle. I went today to a local distributor inquiring if the bottle was abble to be filled with CO2 and they said "maybe, but you have to do a hydraulic test on it, which costs â¬75 + filling which costs â¬40"

Is this crazy or what??? I've been seeing arround here people buying full bottles for much less. In Portugal it is so expensive!!!

Then I would need regulator, needle valve and tubing... another â¬100 easy.

So I was considering on buying over the internet a 500g bottle and a kit with all the rest (regulator, needle valve, CO2 tubing, reactor, buble counter, non-return valve). All this would be â¬125.

bottle:










kit:









"The BioPlast COÂ²-ProfiStar-Set consist of a COÂ²-reactor, a pressure reducer with rapture disc for extra safety and a needle valve for fine setting of the required COÂ² bubbles. To archieve an optimum diffusion of CO2 and the most economical running of the appliance, the pressure reactor is fitted with a regulator tap for the water flow.

Contents:
-Regulator with gauges for working pressure and bottle pressure (Fits all COÂ² bottles)
-Fine-needle-valve
-COÂ² pressure reactor
-Non-return-valve
-Suction cups
-1,5 m COÂ² hose
-bubble counter"

However I must know how long does a bottle like this usually lasts you guys that own one like it.

I remember seing a topic like this somewhere but can't find it. And I also know it depends A LOT on the bubble rate, but I would like to have a rough estimate so as to know how often I would need a refill.

Thanks,

Paulo Pinheiro

Allen's rule: when everything fails read the instructions!!!

[This message was edited by Paulo Pinheiro on Tue April 15 2003 at 06:40 AM.]

[This message was edited by Paulo Pinheiro on Tue April 15 2003 at 10:37 AM.]


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

This is approximate. At one 2-3 mm bubble per second, a 500g CO2 cylinder should last approximately 11 weeks.


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## Paulo Pinheiro (Feb 11, 2003)

gsmollin, sorry to bother once again but do you have your setup on a solenoide that shuts at night or is it on 24/7? I can get a solenoide for 45 â¬ and if it gets me 6 months of CO2 without refilling it would be well worth the money

Allen's rule: when everything fails read the instructions!!!


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## Guest (Apr 22, 2003)

Paulo,

Just wondering how much do you pay to fill CO2 in Portugal. In US I can fill 5lbs tank for 10$ which should last me for at 6 months or so.

I don't know if I would buy a solenoid setup just to "save up" on CO2. Most aquarist run their setups on 24/7 basis.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## Paulo Pinheiro (Feb 11, 2003)

Dr. Jay, I see your point there but I was asked for the equivalent to 40 USD to refill a 10 Kg bottle (It's a very old bottle that I was given, it need to be tested which by itself costs almost 75 USD)

So you see, I can buy a brand new 500g bottle for â¬ 45 (about the same in USD). Of course, the 10 Kg bottle would last me for years without refilling I guess... But the inicial costs are very high for me at this moment (75 â¬ for regulator + 75â¬ for testing the bottle + 40 â¬ to fill the bottle + tubing, to the grand amount of 190 â¬, way too much!!!)

So I'm still pondering the two...

That's why I'm asking for your oppinion on this. What would you do?

Allen's rule: when everything fails read the instructions!!!


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Sory for the delay, but I missed your reply. I run the CO2 24/7, and that's how I estimated your time. Here in the USA, a 5 lb. (2.3 kg) tank costs about $13 (USD) to refill, and it lasts me 6-11 months depending on usage. A solenoid would arguably save half of that, so it saves $8-13 a year. Solenoids cost $60, so it takes 5-8 years to amortize the cost of the solenoid with CO2 savings. That is not attractive, and doesn't count the cost of capital, electricity consumption, or depreciation of the solenoid. The economics just aren't there. Your economics may differ.


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