# co2 tank questions



## SelfSupplied (Oct 15, 2008)

I'm working on getting a co2 tank for my room. Currently I'm using the ole' sugar and yeast co2 production but plan to upgrade to a tank and valve asap.

So, my question is how big of a co2 tank do I need for a 6x6 room? Do I need some specific kind of valve? I'm kind of out in the dark about what I need, so hopefully I can get some help.

Thanks.


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## NoDrama (Oct 15, 2008)

you need this. Deluxe CO2 Regulator with Solenoid Valve by Reef Fanatic - AquaCave Use a timer to turn it on and off at regular intervals to hold 1500-1600 PPM during lights on.

At minimum you want a 20 pound tank, but a 50 will probably last 2 grows.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

To do it *correctly* you need a ppm controler. Guessing ain't the best route.
There is the calc as a sticky here, but it doesn't account for what the plant(s) sucks up or leaks in the room.

Room should be spot on. Lights, temp, humidity, proven grows. (keep in mind, venting fans are off while CO2 is on, so monitor the temps with the vent fans off before going to CO2)

A basic controller will be about $400

The regulator/flow meter another $40-$100
Valve (might get in the above) but $20-100.

A 20lb tank or 50lb tank. (My local shop won't sell a 50lber, only rent them. So I bought a 20lb'er) Then about $15-20 to refill.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

NoDrama said:


> you need this. Deluxe CO2 Regulator with Solenoid Valve by Reef Fanatic - AquaCave Use a timer to turn it on and off at regular intervals to hold 1500-1600 PPM during lights on.
> 
> At minimum you want a 20 pound tank, but a 50 will probably last 2 grows.


I've heard some many different values for how long a tank lasts. A week to a few grows. I think McLovin goes through then pretty fast.


I'd love to just snatch one from work, but thats a $400+ bottle. (high grade CO2)


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## SelfSupplied (Oct 15, 2008)

I'm only growing 4 plants. My bloom tent is only 3x3, and my veg box is 3x2.5. How much co2 do I need for these rooms really? Wouldn't a 10 pound tank last me one grow? Do I need co2 in the veg room, too, or just bloom?

Again, co2 is a pretty new concept to me. I've been growing with out it but lately have been reading how helpful it is to a heavier harvest and have become very interested.

I don't mind dropping a few hundred bucks for reliable equiptment.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

Get a 20lb'er. (or 50, but its kind heavy) And I'd buy my tank instead of renting it. If they ask what its for just say brewing beer. (or you are making a laser  But then you'd need nitrogen and helium also.)

Veg plant will like it too. But not worth a second controller. Maybe just set it up for a few blast for hee's and ha's


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## hippiepudz024 (Oct 15, 2008)

hey my room is 4x4 and i use a ten pound co2 tank. the tank will last in my growroom for about five to six weeks if i turn the tank on for an hour three times a day. It also costs about fifteen dollars to fill one up


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

hippiepudz024 said:


> hey my room is 4x4 and i use a ten pound co2 tank. the tank will last in my growroom for about five to six weeks if i turn the tank on for an hour three times a day. It also costs about fifteen dollars to fill one up


So that is without a ppm controller? (just guess work?)


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## ststepen420 (Oct 15, 2008)

co2boost.com

or

get the co2 pucks

the shit really isnt that important....if you spend enough time with your plants then they are getting co2 and co2 is naturally in the air at all times so really it is not a necessity


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## NoDrama (Oct 15, 2008)

Sure you just gotta breathe on em once a day, so much co2 in your breath prolly killin the plants with it.

In all reality unless your PPM levels are in the correct range those CO2 pucks don't do squat and thats why they haven't worked for you and probably why you deem it not so important.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

ststepen420 said:


> the shit really isnt that important....if you spend enough time with your plants then they are getting co2 and co2 is naturally in the air at all times so really it is not a necessity


Good point. Plus indoor Co2 levels are about twice that of otside.


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## ststepen420 (Oct 15, 2008)

i dont use any co2 except what is naturally available, the man started a thread asking about co2 so i offered him something he might want to look at. I deem it not important because its not and it seems as though you are wasting your time arguing about it because i could care less about you and people who try to impose what they think they know on everyone else. Its not that complicated, get a 6th grade science book and look it up jackass


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## ststepen420 (Oct 15, 2008)

right on man atleast you arent ignorant to the world like that other dude. You dont put co2 tanks by tour plants outside do you??? and theres a higher concentration of it inside so why the hell does any one really need it?? answer is you dont


BigBudBalls said:


> Good point. Plus indoor Co2 levels are about twice that of otside.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 15, 2008)

ststepen420 said:


> right on man atleast you arent ignorant to the world like that other dude. You dont put co2 tanks by tour plants outside do you??? and theres a higher concentration of it inside so why the hell does any one really need it?? answer is you dont


Well, you don't need the killer nutes, lights, soil, etc. But it all helps.
People always say 'They don't call it weed for nothing' but thats slang. I guess they don't call it cheeba for nothing either. (whats a cheeba?)
CO2 is a good thing, but the very last thing to add to an op. (plus its expensive to do correctly)

But anywhoo, its an easy plant to grow, its a challenging plant to grow well.

To steal a phrase from the computer/it industry, garbage in garbage out.


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## BongJuice (Oct 15, 2008)

ststepen420 said:


> right on man atleast you arent ignorant to the world like that other dude. You dont put co2 tanks by tour plants outside do you??? and theres a higher concentration of it inside so why the hell does any one really need it?? answer is you dont


Where I live, Outside CO2 PPM levels are at around 200 PPM.
My indoor PPM levels are around 450 PPM
The indoor CO2 levels won't do squat for my plants. 
Keeping your PPM levels at about 1500 PPM will make your plants
grow 1/3 more. 
I get about 100-200 more grams of weed due to the fact that I use CO2.
I personally think CO2 is necessary for people who grow in small quanties, like myself.
I grow Hydrponically with an Ebb-n-flow system. I grow 8 clones in a SOG method and I usually harvest right around 500 grams.


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## NoDrama (Oct 15, 2008)

ststepen420 said:


> i dont use any co2 except what is naturally available, the man started a thread asking about co2 so i offered him something he might want to look at. I deem it not important because its not and it seems as though you are wasting your time arguing about it because i could care less about you and people who try to impose what they think they know on everyone else. Its not that complicated, get a 6th grade science book and look it up jackass


So by your own admission you don't use CO2 at all, because " It's not important". If you actually read that 6th grade book you will find something in there about photosynthesis and you will find out the CO2 is VERY important to that plants well being. And Whats with the name calling? Your not really 12 years old are you? Or perhaps you have a large Ego and anyone who would disagree with you hits a nerve?


ststepen420 said:


> right on man atleast you arent ignorant to the world like that other dude. You dont put co2 tanks by tour plants outside do you??? and theres a higher concentration of it inside so why the hell does any one really need it?? answer is you dont


Yep I get a 25% dry yield increase, have used it for multiple grows and have real life experience , but yet somehow I am the ignorant one. Since the environment inside is controlled its fairly simple to adjust fan timing so that an ideal 1500-1600 PPM can be maintained. Which is impossible outdoors due to wind blowing all that CO2 away. Which is of course why no one puts bottles by their outdoor plants. Kinda seems silly now doesn't it?

Anyway, you Sir, have a wonderful day.


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## SelfSupplied (Oct 16, 2008)

What is the solenoid? What makes the dual meter solenoid valve better than say a single meter welding tank valve?

In other words, what do I need the valve to do?


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 16, 2008)

SelfSupplied said:


> What is the solenoid? What makes the dual meter solenoid valve better than say a single meter welding tank valve?
> 
> In other words, what do I need the valve to do?


A dual meter will show the pressure in the bottle and also the pressure the regulator is set to.

A solenoid(valve) is a valve controlled electronically (in a nut shell) It turns the gas on and off.


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## NoDrama (Oct 16, 2008)

Without the regulator the gas will come out at very high pressure, enough to rip things apart. Without the solenoid and valve the CO2 will constantly be on, this could possibly cause damage to plants due to extreme levels, but could also harm you if the room were small enough and you were in there long enough. It is heavier than air, so it fills rooms from the bottom up.


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## Hydrokronics (Oct 16, 2008)

Im pretty sure this is the best place to ask for the help that i need regarding co2. you seem to be very knowledgable Drama and i a wondering if you could help me? I just purchased a 10Lber and a hydrofarm regulator kit. The distribution tube didnt have any pre drilled holes in it and i am not sure what to do. The instructions didnt say anything, about doing anything to the distribution tube. I need to know how large to make the holes and how far apart to space them. I want to make sure i get this right because i dont want that to be the reason that the co2 doesnt run efficently. I know the holes should be very small but im hoping you have some expirience with the subject and/or could tell me how your distribution tube is set-up. Thank you for your time!


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## BongJuice (Oct 16, 2008)

Hydrokronics said:


> Im pretty sure this is the best place to ask for the help that i need regarding co2. you seem to be very knowledgable Drama and i a wondering if you could help me? I just purchased a 10Lber and a hydrofarm regulator kit. The distribution tube didnt have any pre drilled holes in it and i am not sure what to do. The instructions didnt say anything, about doing anything to the distribution tube. I need to know how large to make the holes and how far apart to space them. I want to make sure i get this right because i dont want that to be the reason that the co2 doesnt run efficently. I know the holes should be very small but im hoping you have some expirience with the subject and/or could tell me how your distribution tube is set-up. Thank you for your time!


I have my distribution line wrapped around my entire plant area. I keep the line about 6 inches lower than the tops of the leaves.
When making holes in the line, I used a drywall screw and poked holes in it every six inches.


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## NoDrama (Oct 16, 2008)

My setup is pretty easy. First of all my tubing is above the plants, no holes in the tubing it just ends right in front of my intake fan. It is timed to release a 5PSI stream every 6 minutes for about 10 seconds. the intake fan spreads that out and it slowly starts to sink as it is carried along the canopy to the other side where it will be exhausted out after a trip all the way across the grow area. A 50 pound tank lasts a total of 16-18 weeks of flowering in my smaller grow space ( 2 square meters). and CO2 levels are kept between 1500-1600 during the entire lights on period.

Basically I am using a fan to disperse the CO2 over a wide area, you could poke holes i guess but i don't see it as really necessary.


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## Hydrokronics (Oct 17, 2008)

true. Thank you for the idea. would u know a good settng to set it at or how i would go about setting up a hydrofarm reg that way?


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## goblin7dg (Oct 18, 2008)

what controllers would you guys recommend, and lets say money at the time is an issue, whats the most affordable means of getting the extra co2 to your plants.

i mean i can afford the tank, guages, and tubing, anything else thats cheap that i would need. or would i just open the tank manually for a couple minutes and then shut it off (with fans off ) and is it best during day time in the room?

would i just shoot co2 all around my plants or just let it leak inside the flower room for a couple minutes probably from above since co2 is heavier right? of course i could do this with out being in their so i dont get poisoned but how much time would i need to give it before its safe for me to go in.


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## NoDrama (Oct 18, 2008)

goblin7dg said:


> what controllers would you guys recommend, and lets say money at the time is an issue, whats the most affordable means of getting the extra co2 to your plants.
> 
> i mean i can afford the tank, guages, and tubing, anything else thats cheap that i would need. or would i just open the tank manually for a couple minutes and then shut it off (with fans off ) and is it best during day time in the room?
> 
> would i just shoot co2 all around my plants or just let it leak inside the flower room for a couple minutes probably from above since co2 is heavier right? of course i could do this with out being in their so i dont get poisoned but how much time would i need to give it before its safe for me to go in.


If you read the thread all your questions are pretty much answered.


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## Hydrokronics (Oct 19, 2008)

is there any large chain stores that fill co2?


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## NoDrama (Oct 21, 2008)

Praxair is a large co that refills, they are everywhere it seems.


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## Hydrokronics (Oct 22, 2008)

Perfect. found one like 20 min from me. Not trying to suck anyones cock, but i dont think i have had a question yet that drama didnt have a full answer to. thanks again fro all you help. 

I was wondering though if you could hlep me with my scheduling. I am curious how i should set my timer. I have a .2-2 regulator and am not sure how many times a day for how long i should run her. another issue is that my setup is in a closet type senario, so i will be pumping in there but it is open to the enitre room which is about 10x10. so i am assuming since the smaler "closet" type area is not sealed, the co2 will need to be adjusted to fill the entire room to efficent levels. I would just seal the smaller room but then would have heat issues. and Since the co2 will be inicially coming from that area i would assume it would be more beneficial there. Thanks again for your help and so for the long winded question.


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## Robel (Oct 22, 2008)

Currently I'm using the ole' sugar and yeast co2 production but plan to upgrade to a tank and valve asap. So, my question is how big of a co2 tank do I need for a 6x6 room?


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## NoDrama (Oct 22, 2008)

how high is it? 10'? if so then a 50 pound tank should last a whole grow. if the height is restricted you may be able to get away with a 20 pound.


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## BigBudBalls (Oct 22, 2008)

NoDrama said:


> how high is it? 10'? if so then a 50 pound tank should last a whole grow. if the height is restricted you may be able to get away with a 20 pound.


But CO2 is heavier then air, so height shouldn't matter.

(yes, I'm just being a wiseass. Shitty day.)


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## indoorsavant (Jan 15, 2010)

ok so i know this is someone elses thread but i need help.when i crank my tank co2 comes from the know instead of my regulator.im confused please someone help.


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