This may be a stupid question so I apologize in advance. What are you supposed to do while refilling your co2 cylinder? Is leaving the light off sufficient? Again, sorry, I'm new at this.
I always have an extra filled cylinder on stand by to replace the one that needs to be refilled. I just got my spare cylinders refilled and it was kind of funny. When I first phoned to inquire about how long it would take, not that it would matter, I was told by a staff member at the same shop 5 days as they have to send empty cylinders out to get refilled. Then when I took the cylinders down to the shop, another lady told me that they would be filled in an hour. Go figure.
It all depends on how long your tank goes without c02, I cannot seen algae materializing in one hour if that is how long the tank goes without c02. If it is a day or more, then I would be a little concerned. If you are still worried, I don't think it would hurt any to leave the lights off, while you wait for the cylinder to get filled and then reconnect it.
It's a nifty little adapter that lets you screw a paintball tank onto your standard regulator.
Jeremy (the guy that runs the site) is a good guy too, I'm pretty sure he posts on the forums from time to time.
Like Homer, I have spare co2 cylinders, and if you find a good deal on one I highly recommend getting one.
However, without a spare, here are some suggestions:
-Try to plan out a tank refill. Keep an eye on your cylinder pressure. When it drops below 750 psig, you only have a few days left. If you get time before it runs completely out(knowing you won't have time later), go ahead and refill it a day or two early.
-Your fish and plant(and lack of algae) will be fine for a single day. Cut the lights in half(if you can) or turn them off completely.
-Keep some Excel around as a supplement if you have to wait more than a day or two to get your cylinder refilled. In a high light tank used to pressurized co2, it's not a perfect solution, but it'll help a lot in a jam.
thank you everyone for all your help. I'm just starting to get everything I need for my first pressurized co2 system, and all of your advice is greatly appreciated.
The nice thing about welding suppliers, is that thier days start pretty early. So if you catch the tank getting low, its feasible to get a tank filled/swapped and back in place hours before the lighting kicks on.
I'm having a really hard time finding someone that is open past 4:30 or on the weekends. I've tried a lot of places, (welding shops, fire equipment shops, paintball shops). Every liquor store I've talked to acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. This could be a bit of a problem.
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