Hey everyone I have got a mate coming in from the USA in 3 weeks time who should be prepared to bring me what I need and I dont know when I will get another chance If some of you have followed my earlier threads I am pretty clueless on the whole aquatic plant scene but I am learning every day. I would like to know , if I source myself a cylinder in SA, what else do I need to run a CO2 system besides the cylinder that you guys would buy in the USA? ? I dont want the ferrari of systems but what would you guys recommend for my 140 liter tank?
see if you your buddy can get an azoo regulator, or a milwaukee system, they seem to be good value for money. the cylinder you should be able to source easily in SA even if you use an old CO2 fire extinguisher...
Thanks man! What do you think of this? http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/CO2.html#bc Okay... followed your advice http://www.aquacave.com/milwaukee-co2-r ... 957-4.html much more affordable!
Hey, if you can get Rex's regulator without the solenoid (you can get equally as good here that works on our voltage), then go for it. On the other hand, Milwaukee has a very good presence\support in SA with authorized distributors such as Sraytech for example, offering spare parts and repairs.
Hey all.... going with the Milwaukee at this stage I spend about 45 minutes at Afrox this morning. Can I use beverage grade CO2?? Its the only type I will be able to get hold of. Going to cost me 50 bucks a month rental, its a 10kg cyliners, and 200 bucks to have it filled. Its very strict here on CO2 , and it is illegal to bring it over the border or to have a non-CO2 cert tank in your possesion.I am pretty relaxed, 50 is not the end of the world. Its only 1x 6 pack of heini's
Q&A from rex grigg 4. Are there different grades of CO2? Yes, in the United States there are two basic grades of CO2 that you can find. Beverage/food/welding grade which is 99.99% pure CO2 with the main contaminant being water. The other grade is Medical grade. Medical grade CO2 is 99.999% pure. That extra 9 costs a lot of money. Some places will try and tell you that there is a difference between welding grade and food/beverage grade. If this is the case then that difference happens at their location. If you could be there when the CO2 truck comes you would find that they fill both containers from the same truck.
I've seen some companies (like Sera) sell adaptors that go between different types of CO2 containers. You may find a paintball shop somewhere willing to "decant" a section of CO2 from their big CO2 cylinders to your much smaller tank one! South Africa does have standards on gas cylinders of all sorts; they're pretty much on PAR with standards everywhere. I don't think there's any reason you can't bring in a random (empty) cylinder but you may find many businesses wary of refilling them. Remember that you can't travel on planes with full gas cylinders of any kind. All gas cylinders should be periodically inspected and tested; hiring one from afrox is a pretty good way of doing this.
inspected and tested - how often do u think this should be done? what are the dangers of not doing this besides springing a leak? also, is afrox the only company that does this service?
there should be a date stamp on your cylinder, some places wont fill the cylinder if there isnt a valid date stamp on it...
CO2 cylinders have to undergo and pass a hydro test every ten years. Most of the bigger gas suppliers offer hydro testing. Chubb Fire also does, but I think only their cylinders.
Hey all BTW I sat with one of the main guys at Afrox here again , talking shop , and he says it is dangerous to use a fire extinguisher as a converted CO2 holding tank .... I am no engineer but just thought I should pass at on. When I mentioned it he thought I was crazy hahahhahah...
maybe he's thinking we're using the powdered fire extinguishes? only other thing i heard was that the valves of the fire extinguishers are prone to leaking and theres a steel tube leading to the bottom of the tank givin u CO2 in the liquid state instead of the gasseous state..i don see this as a prob though as we use such minimal amounts i don think that it'l really come out as a liquid..i mean it hasn yet.. hehe
I will try ask again when I go , but he was very shocked... maybe he misunderstood me He might also lack experience in this specific area, or he was just trying to put me off sourcing my own tank! either way they are my only local suppliers, so I think I am going to go with their 10kg tank.
