Pressurized CO2 idea

[wildroseofky]

I have 4 tanks now. A 5 gallon, 10 gallon, 20 gallon long, and a 29 gallon tall. I have been using diy CO2 but I am getting tired of mixing the bottles every two weeks. I was wondering is this would work. I am thinking of buying a Pressurized system and using a metal gang valve to split the CO2 into all 4 tanks. Would that work? I have done this with diy CO2 on two tanks and it worked. Would that be too much dividing of the gas? Or should I buy two systems and split it between two tanks each?

 

[maxwellag]

That would work. My only concern would be that the gang valve is adjustable (so you can control the amount of co2 going into each tank better). Also, on 4 tanks, a smaller sized (such as a 5lb tank) co2 tank won't last very long, so you might want to consider getting a larger tank (10 or 20lb).

 

[wildroseofky]

The metal gang valve has flow control for up to 4 air lines so I could adjust the amount of CO2 going into each tank. I have a lead on one of those large CO2 tanks used for welding. I have a lot of family that work in the mining and mechanic fields. They now people who weld a lot. The only thing holding me up is the solenoid. Those things are expensive. I also have to figure out if I have room to put that big of a tank.

 

[Mebbid]

This is more feasible if the tanks are close together. Otherwise you are going to lose a lot of CO2 from airline tubing unless you rig up a PVC system to deliver the CO2 to the different tanks.

 

[Coyne]

If youre up for it, GreenLeafAquariums.com sells regulators with built in manifolds (up to 6 I believe) each with their own bubble counters and check valves. Super expensive though.

Ive been considering them for something I want to set up. Unfortunately, Im having a difficult time finding a metal gang valve that is small enough for the CO2 tubing to fit onto and Im not confident that the plastic ones will hold up over time... so I may end up shelling out for a "Cadillac".

 

[wildroseofky]

All of my tanks are side by side. Why would the type of piping make a difference? I wasn't aware that CO2 line leaked. I can do pvc. Here is a link to the metal gang valve I was thinking of ordering. IT is made for air line tubing.E4YK Stainless Steel 6-head Air Split-flow Valve for Aquarium Fish Tank - Silver - Free Shipping - DealExtreme or this one E5YK Stainless Steel Aquarium Five Head Water Tank Regulating Valve - Black + Silver - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

I have become addicted to this site because of the prices and finding items for tanks I couldn't find any where else. The shipping can be slow though. Items have been decent quality.

I checked out the Green Leaf stuff but the price gets me. I am on a tight budget. I can get the large CO2 tank for $30. It is one of those large stand up ones. I am just not sure I can lift it and how much trouble it would be to take and get filled. Should last a long time though. I am wondering if I can lay it down under the tank shelf?

 

[Coyne]

Thanks for the links. I dont need the 5-way split, but this seems like a much cheaper alternative than the direction I was going.