What Grade CO2 to use in Pressurized Setup?

[WhiteCloud]

It appears I will need a pressurized CO2 system. I called around to find out how much it would cost to fill the CO2 tank...and discovered there were 3 Grades:

Paint Ball Grade (they called it something else though)
Welding grade
Beverage Grade

What grade CO2 should I use in the tank. The welding/gas company had never heard of using CO2 in an aquarium...so they could not give me any advice on the grade.

Thanks

 

[madasafish]

Welding grade is what I have and it works fine. I think you'll find beverage grade to be a little more pure.

With pressurized gases, you get a lot of different grades because many ppl use them for different things. At the lab I work at, the Nitrogen comes in Pure, High Pure, and Ultra High pure. The difference? A couple ppm of CO2 contamination. Really nothing to worry about.

 

[malkore]

Welding grade is what I use, and beveridge grade is safe too. I really don't think paintball grade is any different, though I have read it contains a lubricant. However I don't see how a lubricant could really work in a pressurized cylinder, so I suspect it's just just some other gasses mixed in, probably nitrogen. I'm sure it'd be just as safe to use, but is typically more expensive because you can only get it at a paintball shop, and they charge a ton for the amount of CO2 you get.

 

[Guest]

Not being familiar with paintball grade, I'd say either welding or beverage, though welding should be cheaper (I'm guessing here, it seems to me it wouldn't need to be as highly refined). Like the others, I use welding grade, no problems ever.

I'm even known as "the aquarium nut" at my local welding shop! I guess they have no other planted tank customers there.

 

[Robert H]

There is also medical grade. Food, welding, medical, there is hardly any difference between them as far as the aquarium goes. Paintball may be different.