# Complete CO2 system



## wallywalt (Dec 8, 2008)

Looking to get a complete CO2 system for a 20 gallon tank with high lighting. This will be my first attempt at using a real setup (not a DIY). Any suggestions?? looking for something that can be dialed in pretty easy and reliable... Thanks


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi wallywalt

Here are some very good places to get CO2 equipment.
http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/
http://www.sumoregulator.com/
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/index.htm

Left C


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## CraigThor (Aug 5, 2007)

I just got Orlandos New Paintball regulator also you could setup a standard 5lb tank with a standard regulator.

I've also used adn been completely happy with RexGriggs cutom regulators with the ideal needle valve. 

This is the one area I would scrimp on too much.

Craig


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I second the paint ball regulator. It's just great. I'm not sure how long it will last yet. I'm on my first bottle with a 10g.


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## fishstein (Dec 12, 2005)

How economical is the paint ball regulator? How much does it cost to run compared with a larger 
CO2 tank and regulator system?

How large is a paint ball tank?

This could be perfect for a Biocube 29 I just picked up at a steal from an LFS [unforunately] going out of business.

I am debating running the Biocube 29 CO2 off of a 125H gallon tank - the 125 is downstairs and the 29 upstairs and I'd have to run about 60-70 ft of CO2 tubing between them, so any good quality/value system that I could run the Biocube 29 on alone would be great.


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## fishstein (Dec 12, 2005)

Looks like paintball cylinders range from .2 to 1 lb CO2 capacity, a lot less than 15-20 lb tanks I've used before (hated having to get refills all the time, so the large capacity was great to minimize trips). How much do paintball CO2 refills typically run? Which size cylinders do most people use?


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## APCRandall (Feb 2, 2007)

I heard that some places that refill paintball tanks don't use co2 and just have compressed air.


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## CraigThor (Aug 5, 2007)

APCRandall said:


> I heard that some places that refill paintball tanks don't use co2 and just have compressed air.


I run a 20 oz paintball tank and keep an extra one for backup. not sure how long it will last should last a long time though for my setup. Cost is $4 for up to a 24 oz fill for me.

HPA setups are for air but the cost of the equipment alone is over $12000 so most places will only use CO2. Dedicated paintball fields and shops will offer both more than likely if they are high end but should also be able to fill both CO2 and HPA. Also CO2 tanks are rated at 3000 psi where as the compressed air tanks are built differently as they have to tolerate up to 4800 psi, most are fiber tanks.

May cost slightly more in the long run for the paintball refills but convinence of filling them down the street at most hours or incase of extreme emergency I can buy one at Wal-Mart 24/7. I can havea 5lb tnak filled for $13 but there is only one place in town that does it and its usually out of the way for me and they have odd hours. Also space is a reason for using the p-ball setup as I'm running a nano Mini M tank.

I can fill my tank down at Theisens down the street. I know they also have a 32 oz tank that are hard to find but I can have those filled for $5 which is 2lbs.

Craig


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

APCRandall said:


> I heard that some places that refill paintball tanks don't use co2 and just have compressed air.


The new thing in paintball guns is compressed air. But they still sell CO2 tanks. They are a little smaller right now - 20 oz instead of 24 oz. The paintball place will fill my 10lb tank too. Very convenient!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

You can also go with a 2.5lb standard tank. I have several 2.5lb and 5lb and I get them filled for $8 and $10 respectively.


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## fishstein (Dec 12, 2005)

Thanks. Up to what size tank can use with Orlandos or another paintball regulator? In other words, is there a limit as to the size of the tank you can use with a paintball regulator? I'm assuming you have to use one of the smaller tanks, otherwise why would anyone use the heavier duty regulators?


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

I would recommend the 2.5 or 5 lb tanks for a 20 gallon. This way you don't have to refill so much. Paintball regs. should work on those tanks just fine.


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## fishstein (Dec 12, 2005)

Are you 100% sure Paintball regulators can be used on a 2.5 or 5 lb tank? 

Will most CO2 refill places give out 2.5 or 5lb tanks with deposits, or do you need to buy your own?


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## CraigThor (Aug 5, 2007)

fishstein said:


> Are you 100% sure Paintball regulators can be used on a 2.5 or 5 lb tank?
> 
> Will most CO2 refill places give out 2.5 or 5lb tanks with deposits, or do you need to buy your own?


Paintball regulators have to be used with paintball tanks as they have a pin valve. Orlando has started making custom regulators for the paintball tank. If you want to go with the standard tank it will need the CG 320 Valve You can see pics over in the nano forum at the plantedtank.net of my setup.

Craig


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## pb300 (Jun 5, 2008)

I use a 16oz paintball tank on my 30gal tank. Now that I've fixed a leak I've been running one of the tanks now for a month and still going strong. This is for 8 hours a day at about 1bps. Paintball tanks only come in sizes up to 24oz that I know of, much more then that and it would simply be to heavy to have on a gun. It costs $3 to fill my 16oz tanks at sports authority, but it would be cheaper to go to the local shop.

Orlando is selling one of his normal regulators that has asa threads instead of cga320. (Very convenient if you're not into hacking things apart to make your own.) An asa has the pushpin in the middle for paintball tanks. A true paintball regulator looks like one of these. Palmer Pursuit Regs If you scroll all the way to the bottom they have a beer system made using one of their regs (perfect for our use). Something I plan on building once I get some extra cash.

For now I have a setup I build that looks like Orlando's and it works very well. Just as an fyi though, any cga 320 regulator can be used with a paintball tank by using an on/off. Smart Parts on/off


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## m-jackson (Dec 23, 2008)

fishstein
Would those larger tanks of co2 you use to use be the welding type. I got one I got to learn some speciality welding but I have never used it. Since I setting my aquarium back up now I keep eyeing it and wordering if it is usable. It is co2 so I would think it might work.


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## abcemorse (May 28, 2008)

Just my .02, but I would go with a 5 or 10 lb can, you can get one at your local fire extinguisher shop, it will already be revalved and ready for a regulator, got my 10 lb for $80 about 4 mos ago, no sign of going dry yet and that's at 6+ bps for a 92G tank. The regulator prices are very comparable between paintball and extinguisher-type tanks, so to me the extra capacity is a huge plus.


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