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I tried to find a source of CO2 within a reasonable distance of my home and it was a major effort (more than 10 calls and numerous web sites). My search included gas supply companies, food & beverage companies, fire extinguisher companies, welding shops and paintball suppliers.
The gas supply companies are not in my area so they were quickly eliminated. There are some food & beverage companies that supply CO2 but the ones I called only deliver.
Most welding companies were not very interested (some have a 50-pound minimum) but the one that was willing to sell cost $25 for a five-pound bottle and you have to leave your bottle overnight with them....in other words, two trips. They also do not guarantee you will get the same bottle back.....so my shiny new aluminum bottle could end up in someone else's hands - NO WAY.
I gave up quickly on fire extinguisher companies when the first company I called had an operator ask me if I wanted carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide....YIKES!
I called Command Post, which has four or five Houston locations. They wanted $15 for a refill. I went to the location on the feeder road of Highway 45 near Airtex (east side of road).
When you take your bottle in for a refill, it is important that the bottle is cold. They told me customers normally put their tank on ice during the drive to their refill center. You will get more product for the same price when the bottle is cold. They will not fill bottles brought in at ambient temperature. They do have a small freezer that would work for 5-pound bottles if they have room (it is another 15-minute wait).
The Command Post people service paintball guns and aquarists. My tank was filled and I was out of their store in 10 minutes.
While I have seen some posts on various sites that you can find suppliers for less than $10, it was not the case with me.
I will get some additional economy with my pH controller. It should be much more energy efficient compared to using a timer. Furthermore, I am injecting CO2 inline, which also should have some additional efficiency. Inserted on the intake tube of a canister filter, the gas bubbles will be solubilized into the water rather than a system that produces bubbles that escape to the surface of the water, which results in significant CO2 loss.
I hope this information helps.
Mike
The gas supply companies are not in my area so they were quickly eliminated. There are some food & beverage companies that supply CO2 but the ones I called only deliver.
Most welding companies were not very interested (some have a 50-pound minimum) but the one that was willing to sell cost $25 for a five-pound bottle and you have to leave your bottle overnight with them....in other words, two trips. They also do not guarantee you will get the same bottle back.....so my shiny new aluminum bottle could end up in someone else's hands - NO WAY.
I gave up quickly on fire extinguisher companies when the first company I called had an operator ask me if I wanted carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide....YIKES!
I called Command Post, which has four or five Houston locations. They wanted $15 for a refill. I went to the location on the feeder road of Highway 45 near Airtex (east side of road).
When you take your bottle in for a refill, it is important that the bottle is cold. They told me customers normally put their tank on ice during the drive to their refill center. You will get more product for the same price when the bottle is cold. They will not fill bottles brought in at ambient temperature. They do have a small freezer that would work for 5-pound bottles if they have room (it is another 15-minute wait).
The Command Post people service paintball guns and aquarists. My tank was filled and I was out of their store in 10 minutes.
While I have seen some posts on various sites that you can find suppliers for less than $10, it was not the case with me.
I will get some additional economy with my pH controller. It should be much more energy efficient compared to using a timer. Furthermore, I am injecting CO2 inline, which also should have some additional efficiency. Inserted on the intake tube of a canister filter, the gas bubbles will be solubilized into the water rather than a system that produces bubbles that escape to the surface of the water, which results in significant CO2 loss.
I hope this information helps.
Mike
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