CO2 bottle - where to refill it?

I'm considering purchase of CO2 system to my tank but before I spend money on it, I would like to know where I could refill it in Wexford area. I would like to avoid situation when I spend some hundreds euros and then, when the bottle is empty, not to be able to use the system.

I have a CO2 system and a few fire Extinguishers for sale, System consists of Pressure gauges and Solenoid.

Kev.

PM if interested.

Glasnevin.

Hi Kev,

I am really interested in but at first I would like to get an answer to my question: where should I go to with the empty CO2 bottle to have it filled in when CO2 is used? Is there any service like that in IE? I am convinced there is but I don't know where to go to have it done.

When I know the place and prices for such service then I will take decision on purchase of the system. And obviously I will ask you for 'price quotation' - nice to hear you have a spare one!!

Katherine

Any LFS that sells refillable co2 systems should be able to offer an off-site refilling service (for example Seahorse Aquariums does). Aside from the aquatics trade, any company that sells and services fire extinguishers will be able to refill as CO2 is used in fire extingushers for electrical and liquid fires. Also you can probably get them refilled in gas companys that refil stuff like welders bottles etc.

You wouldn't be short of places to get the bottles refilled.

Let me Google that for you!

Wolfsburg, I would be very happy if you could help me. I was following the 'fire extinguisher' path and have found places in Dublin, Galway and Limerick but nothing in my Wexford area so far! There are only 2 pet shops in Wexford (Petmania and a small one in the town). I inquired about in the small one this morning and had impression that they looked at me as I were from another planet (generally they are very nice and helpfull in this store)... Petmania is located 40 minutes walking distance from me (I don't drive on ice on my summer tires) and I do not expect them to have such service as Seahorse does. I have never seen any CO2 system on Petmania offer.

I have only ever seen the Steel Bottles which, against everything Green, are not recyclable and have to be binned!
You could check the Phone Book to see if there are any paint balling suppliers nearby. They use CO2 as a propellant for the Paint Balls.

Try here www.paintballer.ie/fields/21-delta-force-paintball-wexford.html

Kev.

Tom in D&M Aquatics, Croagh, Limerick has them on sale at the moment at 1/2 price full sera co2 system including gas cylinder,
this is the unit he had when i was in there he had 2 of them
www.onlineaquariumstore.com/acatalog/Ser..._External_Valve.html

yes john absolutely right.
katherine i have done a bit of googling on this matter as i am still toying with the idea of a high tech set-up instead of easycarbo
welding suppliers, pubs and fire equipment suppliers will do it. the fire places are most expensive i think but there will be plenty if you google/directory inquiries
welding suppliers could be cheaper but they often put argon in the co2 too so will kill your tank, and should be readily available in the area just ask in a hardwares tore or builders providers
pub bottles could be a pain in the hole to get filled, you will need to make a good deal with the owner/manager that you borrow a bottle, drop it back when its empty and take a full one away. problem is, the filler company count the bottles and could cause problems. pub co2 is by far the best as it is food grade. my a-hole general manager would not let me do this, even if i paid a bit more for each bottle, and he gave me the above speech regarding the suppliers
maybe (i am going to try this) find out who supplies your local, and contact them directly to see if you could "rent" (ie pay a deposit worth as much as the bottle+gas) a bottle and call them to fill it/replace it with a full one, next time they are near your area or if you are near them drop it in

OK, so update for today - spent some hours on walking this and that way in the town (fortunatelly like walking and this is what I've learnt (Following previous day experience, I took a print out of the Sera CO2 system picture to give an idea what I was talking about):

1. Crimewatch Fire and Security (found on net - they do refill fire extinguishers) - a girl was surprised with my question, told they did only refills for extinquisers, promissed to call back when a collegue who knew more would be back, never called back

2. Hardware shops - nobody knows anything, have no idea where to go.

3. Wedling suppliers - they have bottles with CO2!! but the smallest one is only 80 or more cms high (I think it is 6 kg one). They are supplied by BOC. Cost for this "piece of furniture" (no way to hide it in a press) is 19.42 for refill and 72.00 yearly fee for bottle rental. Are there any BOC competitors in Ireland?

4. I was even in sport weapon shop - guys were very nice and tried to help - gave me last chance address to check for tomorrow. Unfortunatly, they work on a very small CO2 cartridges that are not refillable.

5. I did not manage to get in touch with DeltaForce (paintball) - Kev thanks for direction - so it is also left for tomorrow. I do not know any pub owner in Wexford and do not expect any of them to help a person who they see for the first time... So, if these 2 addresses do not help me, I will probably give up with CO2 fertilazation and will have to cancell some of my plants I wanted to have in the tank.

I am really tired walking 5 hours and knoking so many doors and the only conclusion is that I started from the right point and did not spend money on the system to be furious on myself later on when the bottle is empty!

Joey, if I find energy - I will ask in some pubs - maybe... Regarding Easycarbo - I probably would not withdrown from using it even when CO2 system works - in my oppinion they work in a slightly different way and I would only reduce Easycarbo.

Sheag35 - I talked with Tom and I know their current price, but this is next step in my affords to have CO2 system.

Thanks everybody for suggestions and help if you have any other ideas - please tell me. I will keep you informed about and I just started to think if it is worth creating a list of places where small CO2 bottles could be refilled. It might be helpfull for those who want to go this way with their tanks and do not know where to start. If such list is created, they won't be "breaking open doors". What do you think about it?

answer to point 3: BOC also do the gas for the hotel i work, think they are also known as suregas.
what you could do is look for people selling off welding bottles/pub bottles (probably would be stolen but saves you risking it yourself ) but i think that price is fair enough for the re-fills, would anyone know how long a 6kg bottle would last if you inject 1-2 (maybe 3) bubbles per minute? that way you could work out what is more cost effective - large doses easycarbo or filling co2.

also, dont cancel your plants. planted systems are a BALANCE of nutrients, co2 and light. if you dont have too much co2 (just easycarbo) then lower the lighting and fertilising a bit. i am getting plants which need med lights (possibly running 2-3 54w t5's over a 450l) and will have fertile substrate. some easylife ferts will be added and probably i will put a minimum of 2ml per 50l per day. plants that "need" high light and co2 will probably survive at med light with no injected co2, just carbon fertiliser. the balance is to keep algae at bay which is a challenge to say the least, and the higher the inputs of the 3 criteria, the more easy the balance can be tipped IMO

Joey you should get over half a year out of the 6kg bottle if it's no leaks... and be careful with overdosing easycarbo.

cool, so total running cost of co2 is around 100 a year. i reckon even if i buy easycarbo at 25euro a litre, dosing 2ml/50l a day for 450l (18ml a day) it would last 50 days approx so would spend over 200euro a year. i may see can i sneak a bottle out of work...

joey wrote:

i may see can i sneak a bottle out of work...

* 2 bottles, please (be careful list can become longer )

(BOC does not accept customer-owned bottles...)

Is the size of valve exactly the same in small bottles (500 ml or 1.5 kg) and the 6 kg one? If they are not - clocks from the CO2 system could not fit in (purchase of new clocks = e55.00)

Crime Watch called me this morning confirming they only do fire extinguishers that are exchanged for a new ones. Re-filling is done in North...

I got in touch with representative of BOC in my county who promissed me to check everything for me - I have to send him as much information on the bottles, system and gas as possible. I was asked if the gas should be liquid or volatail. What's the proper answer?

Hi K

It is a non-volatile liquid Gas, I'm really surprised BOC are even talking to you, they normally require a contract where you rent the Bottle/canister and pay for re-fills. If they sort you out I say well done.

Kev.

Hi Kev,

Thanks for info. The first question I was asked was about the contract... Then I briefly explained what I wanted and probably he wanted to get rid off me and therefore asked for an emailed detailed info. We shall see - life sometimes surprises us!! Hope it will work this time!

I'm ready to sign a contract with BOC if they can supply me with 500 ml up to 2 kg bottles every 2 - 3 months or on my request.

Kath

PS:
petmania does not refill bottles, Maidenhead - has them for exchange (very likely I'll be there tomorrow)

Katherine wrote:

I got in touch with representative of BOC in my county who promissed me to check everything for me - I have to send him as much information on the bottles, system and gas as possible. I was asked if the gas should be liquid or volatail. What's the proper answer?

Hi, CO2 is stored in it's liquid state in pressurised bottles. Two types of bottle are available, one which just has a tap at the top, the volatile option, which releases the CO2 from the bottle in it's gaseous state. This is the one you want.
(For the pedants, the other type is the liquid release, which has a hose to the bottom of the tank from the tap, and releases the CO2 in liquid form. This is handy if you need to cool things rapidly, or create a "dry-ice" type effect. It can often be seen at concerts (and in one VERY misguided basement club on Stephens Green!). You don't want this one.)

Murph, thank you very much - I will copy your post if you let me do it and now I understand the difference and what he meant.

Copy away. Glad to be of help.

katherine, would you please post on here any updates as i might do the same thing with co2 in a few months and would save me alot of hassle. obviously ask the permission of BOC or whoever supplies your gas, if you can publish the info on here (it would be beneficial to them as they can get some customers from us fishkeepers)

cheers, you are a star

Joey, I will. I think this forum is to help each other and I hope that if there is such need that we will need support from our colleques they will sing a letter to BOC or any other supplier I could get to. And I hope I can use the expression: "I am not the only fish keeper who uses this system. There are many other who hesitate to go this way due to difficulties with getting refills."
I am not going to put the system this year - probably around February - but I do not like to leave such things till last moment This equipment is too expensive to make a useless toy of it. Currently, I 'm in Wexford but if I manage to achieve something in here, I hope it will go around other conties - "Think globally, act locally."
Thanks to Kev, I learnt that paintball players also used small CO2 tanks (500 ml) and were having similar problems. I did not manage to get info where they refilled their bottles. Maybe there is somebody who knows that.

i stopped a guy from apex fire services when he was doing his usual rounds, and asked him about refil/replacements of bottles for personal use. he said its totally possible but it is alot more expensive than the BOC for filling

Just to put a little damper on the Thread.

Playing around with highly compressed Gasses can be very dangerous, don't try any modifications etc as bottle of Gas can turn into a projectile in the blink of an Eye.

Be Careful.

Kev.

Katherine, dont know if its much help to ya, but there is a place in tallaght in dublin where i get mine filled. cant remember if it was 10 or 20 euros for 2 bottles, 2kg and a 5kg. Probably not much good to ya unless ya visit dublin a bit. i will find their info if ya want it.

Rolly

rolly would you post up info for me please, and where did you get the bottle? i am not too far from dublin. and katherine it would still probably be worth your while taking that trip every couple months for the gas, if you dont need to rent a bottle like BOC

Of course, I am also very interested in. I would prefer having something closer to my place but if you haven't what you like, you like what you have. Do they re-fill bottles immediately or you have to leave them and then to collect? Do you remember if they work on Saturdays?
In Maidenhead in Carlow you can swap your 500 ml bottle for a filled one or you can leave it for a couple of weeks and then to collect it when returned from the UK. I would like to avoid swaps and would like to keep my brand new, well kept bottles. Rob from Carlow told me he would check everything with headquarders regarding re-filling options next week.

Its Doyle and Doyle Wholesalers, unit 78A, Cookstown industrial estate, Tallaght. Tel 01 4131336. I just landed in and they filled it there and then for me. Joey they sold me a 5kg bottle, filled, cant remember the price, but can remember thinking it was very reasonable. I went in asking about it and once I mentioned fish they knew what I was talking about. I think as long as your not looking for it to be certified, theres no issues.
People will think I plugging them, was writing about this last too!

Rolly

sound rolly, but i also got word today that my local motor factors does co2, sells all sizes bottles and fill on the premesis too, so will check it out tomorrow.

katherine, if you do that via maidenshead then get 2 bottles so you don't have a delay while yours is filled and you will always have a shiny bottle. or ask them can they send a used bottle and it would not matter, if you hid it in a sleeve or small press. not the question is what equipment is also needed to finish the set-up??