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How long does your CO2 cylinder last you?

papa_c

papa_c

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2013
Messages
362
OK i know this a "how long is a piece of string" and depends on many factors, so to help make my choice of cylinder it would be good to understand your set up and how often you have to refil/change your cylinder, rarther un scientific but it would give real world use.

So are you running a high/low tech tank, cylinder type, bubble count, duration of lights and CO2 on, how often you refil/change your cylinder...

Would be interest to see the results
 
I have 180l tank and using 2Kg FE and lights 6-8 hours with CO2 on two hours before lights and off one hour before lights off. My bubbles will be a different size than yours (unless you use a JBL Proflora), but never really measured, just upped the bubble rate slowly until drop checker was dark green approaching yellow.....

Out of the FE's I have used I have got 137days, 60days, 23days, 98days, 81days, 115days & current is 52days and about 1Kg down on weight.

Guess which FE usage is where I had the leaks.....🙁
 
Sacha said:
Ian, how did you spot the leak(s)?
Click to expand...

1. The cylinder lasted only 60days then next 23days.

2. The fault below (most likely attacked by thread sealer 🙁)
Bubble_zps4e4f8463.png

3. Dunking as much as possible, that's bubble counter and one way valve, in a bucket of water and waggling the connections and watching the bubbles escape. First failure I had was cheap Chinese bubble counter the plastic crazed and leaked like a sieve. Next the one, the way valve leaked at a seam. My next quality Easy Aqua one way valve leaked at seam (I took this apart and resealed it). The last leak I had was after last cylinder change, noticed green algae appearing in tank (not seen green algae at all before) and noticed fine mist of bubble not present. In fact the JBL bubble counter was leaking at its sealing gasket. Looks like when I depressurised the system, changing cylinder, it "sucked" the gasket in slightly and when re-pressurised it leaked. Re-seated seal, CO2 mist back, wiped algae off glass and use liquid carbon to remove it from other things and now back algae free again.
 
2 kg cylinder with inline atomizer, 2-3 bps, 65 liters, 7 hours per day... I used it for 3,5 months. Then I changed it for a 8 kg pub cylinder and left the 2 kg cylinder as a reserve cylinder, but I think I will have co2 for some more weeks left once my large cylinder will be empty.
I am very careful checking the leaks, at least once a month or when I notice something strange...I just make a mix of soap and water (80-20) and I use a small brush to paint every single place where a potential leak may occur. If the co2 leaks the soap immediately bubbles.

Jordi
 
Guys, thanks for the answers so far, would be great to hear from all the other experts out there. Really trying to get as much info on this prior to making my decision which cylinder type to go with.
 
I have a 3.2kg bottle and had it running at roughly 1-2bps 6 hours a day.
I inject by inline atomizer.

It's been about 4months and still got about another 2 months at least left! 🙂



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