Co2 Fire Extinguishers

[markandhisfish]

can you get them refilled? if so any idea where?

 

[Katch]

yes - fire extingisher service centers.

its prohibitively expensve unless you get lucky and fine someone doing it cheap.

A new FE from ebay only costs me £14 whereas service centers are charging about £30 in my area.

When empty they can be recycled at you local recycling center.

 

[markandhisfish]

thanks . i asked because im looking to do a rather large planted tank probably 6 foot and im expecting a fully planted 6 footer to use quite a lot of co2 and i have no idea how long 1 of those £20 2kg extinguishers would last .

 

[JoshuaA]

Does anyone know what sort of connection the fire extinguishers use?

I'm aware that my TMC V2 Regulator uses a DIN477 Connection or CGA320 connection apparently but what sort of adapter if any do I need to bump it up to a larger canister over my .5kg one.

 

[markandhisfish]

no idea . im just trying to assertain how much a project like this would cost me in co2

 

[Katch]

British BS341 No. 8 or DIN 477 No. 6 (they are the same thing British and EU)

standard

 

[markandhisfish]

from looking around on ukaps , it seems a lot of fire extinguisher service places will swap an empty 1 for a full 1 for around a tenner

 

[ian]

your LFS should do it (if your good friends with them). I get my refils for just under a tenner.

 

[Katch]

paintball sites are also worth trying.

 

[markandhisfish]

thanks il be sure to check them out , altho i think im going to be needing a big cylinder if its going to last any amount of time .

 

[SuperColey1]

I can never work out what some guys/gals are doing to use their CO2 up so quickly.

I used to use a disposable setup with 600g bottles, a fair old ripple on the top yet the bottles would last me 2-3 months on a 125ltr. 2kg is gonna last me 6-9 months.

Always puzzled me how they use theirs so fast. lol

AC

 

[markandhisfish]

maybe a lot of surface loss? so if a 2kg will last you around 6 to 9 months on a 125L . its gotta be reasonable to expect say 2 to 3 month life on a 500L?

hopefully this plan makes co2 more economical what do you rekon?

inline atomiser as low in the outlet pipe as possible ensuring co2 in contact with the water in the pipe as long as possible for max dissolving , spraybar on back wall of tank flowing towards front aimed slightly downwards. koralia or similar right near the spraybar directed downwards to force as much co2 as possible down to the bottom of the tank , co2 only running when lights are on. this is based on reading lots on what other people do with their co2 setups .

 

[SuperColey1]

maybe a lot of surface loss?

Nope. Like I said above I had a fair old ripple on mine. I like to have some decent turbulence to bring more O in. More likely I had mine setup with super efficiency

so if a 2kg will last you around 6 to 9 months on a 125L . its gotta be reasonable to expect say 2 to 3 month life on a 500L?

Get a 5kg. Don't cost much more and not that much bigger.

inline atomiser as low in the outlet pipe as possible ensuring co2 in contact with the water in the pipe as long as possible for max dissolving

Yep thats where I put it. about 6 inches along from the filter on the out side

co2 only running when lights are on. this is based on reading lots on what other people do with their co2 setups .

on an hour before lights on, off an hour or 2 before lights off.

 

[markandhisfish]

the co2/light relationship
thats done with a solenoid / timer right? 2 questions about that . how do you overcome the fact that with co2 off theres no pressure in the co2 pipe? im assuming water backflow down the co2 tubing could become an issue. is it as simple as a check valve?

is it complicated rigging up a system where the lights/co2 are all on timers making it automated when each thing comes on/cuts off?

 

[JoshuaA]

the co2/light relationship
thats done with a solenoid / timer right? 2 questions about that . how do you overcome the fact that with co2 off theres no pressure in the co2 pipe? im assuming water backflow down the co2 tubing could become an issue. is it as simple as a check valve?

is it complicated rigging up a system where the lights/co2 are all on timers making it automated when each thing comes on/cuts off?

Use automated timers and just dial the lights in 2 hours after the Co2 comes on and set the CO2 to go off 2 hours before the light goes out.

I use a solenoid on mine and I imagine most people here will also do that but you can get kits without which would mean you must manually turn it on. You have a non return valve to prevent any blackflow but I only ever get water in the diffuser and not up the pipe. I don't think it turns into a siphon but I could be wrong when the pressure drops.

I go through my 550g or whatever mass it is within about 2 months, I seem to have to have my CO2 coming out pretty fast for it to dissolve efficiently. My problem is I either settle for bubbles galore by using the powerhead to circulate the bubbles which makes the tank aesthetically displeasing or I settle for wasted CO2 gassing right out the tank but will achieve optimum without looking awful.

Coley... I think it's down to the fact you are gifted and skilled, for one you managed to get a Nanotank by "mistake".