can i use 9 oz co2 containers for paintball on a calcium reactor?

[armagedon48]

i found 8 used co2 bottles used for paintball for under 20$. they are all 9 oz but i want to know if these could be used for a calcium reactor. i figure when the bottle pressure gets low, just replace it and eventualy when there is one or two bottles left, just refill them all.

of course i would still need the regulator and such.

am i making sence or should i just buy a big co2 tank.

[Harold Edwards]

I played paintball for years and those co2 bottles are only good for 5 years, so if they are out of date than they will not fill them. and they will need to be tested.
other than that I think they could work but you want to make sure that there is no rust or any other impurities in the tank.

[Catharsis70]

I dont remember the details but I remember this being asked several times in planted tank forums. I think the majority said not a good idea but I dont remember why. Try to google it.

[Vincerama2]

I think the paintball CO2 bottles have some kind of lubricant added to them to keep the gun's lines from rusting out. Not sure, but I think that's the reason not to use them.

V

[SteveOhh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8702669#post8702669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vincerama2
I think the paintball CO2 bottles have some kind of lubricant added to them to keep the gun's lines from rusting out. Not sure, but I think that's the reason not to use them.

V

Don't they use abestos, the same way it was used in acoustic texture guns years ago???? :lol:

[toastman]

HUHHH? Steve OHH have you been drinking again? Abestos used in the making or distributing of paintball tanks? YOu guys crack me up.....they dont add any lubricant to the CO2 used in paintball, its just straight CO2, I see no problem with using the tanks, other then you would go through it pretty darn fast

[armagedon48]

i was just wondering cuz i saw 10 used co2 bottles on ebay for under 20$ shipped.

i think ill wait for more money to come along and get the 5 lb co2 bottle.

[jdieck]

Yes, my recommendation is to get a 10# bottle, the price difference is not much and you will be able to find someone to refills it. Most places can not safely fill less than 10# cylinders.
Paintball cylinders contain oils.
By the way you do not need to buy the cylinder, most welding places will rent you one.

[jcm2m9]

I have a calcium reactor for my nano and am using a 2.5lb tank. The company that built the reactor looked into paintball tanks as an option for me. They are not a good idea. The main reason we did not use them is becuase the paintball tanks have a different fitting then normal co2 tanks; therefore a standard regulator will not work.

By the way, any place that refills fire extinguishers will refill small tanks. That is where I got my 2.5lb filled.

[toastman]

I beg to differ with the oils thing in the paintball tanks, they do not add any oil to a CO2 tank for a paintball gun, you oil the gun not the air, you put oil in the fitting where the CO2 hooks up. Just follow me here, CO2 is CO2, not CO2 with a little bit of oil in it, that would make it some other gas, believe me they do not mix any oils into paintball gas that is CO2. But on a side note, they do date stamp them and after 5 years you have to get them re tested hydrostatically so you can use them another 5 years, so I would not use them unless I had 10 of em around and cheap way to fill them

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8705590#post8705590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by toastman
I beg to differ with the oils thing in the paintball tanks, they do not add any oil to a CO2 tank for a paintball gun, you oil the gun not the air, you put oil in the fitting where the CO2 hooks up. Just follow me here, CO2 is CO2, not CO2 with a little bit of oil in it, that would make it some other gas, believe me they do not mix any oils into paintball gas that is CO2. But on a side note, they do date stamp them and after 5 years you have to get them re tested hydrostatically so you can use them another 5 years, so I would not use them unless I had 10 of em around and cheap way to fill them
You are right they do not put oil neither in the tank nor in the gas but the gas used is not tested nor certified oil nor hydrocarbon free. To insure that you get right purity you need CO2 used for welding, food packaging or helathcare.

[douggiestyle]

the paintbal guys just use a couple of regular co2 tanks to fill the paint ball cyliders

[MinibowMatt]

Its not the re-filling thats the problem. Its the oils that are already in the tank from the manufacturer.I would not put a paintball tank on my reef or my planted tanks.. I guess its your choice, but I wouldnt risk it.

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8705760#post8705760 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douggiestyle
the paintbal guys just use a couple of regular co2 tanks to fill the paint ball cyliders
Do they vacuum the bottle?, purge the air out? Weight the bottle to prevent overfill? It they do it might be OK

[Donw]

Red sea makes a regulator just for paintball tanks to be used on aquariums. Most shops that fill the bottles buy the same co2 from the same places we buy from for our tanks. You can get a refill kit and larger bottle to refill the little bottles yourself. I think I paid around $100 for the kit and scale. The aluminum bottles do not have oil in them from the factory, this would damage alot of the new high tech markers and make that $1000 marker inaccurate. The carbon fiber nitrogen bottles are way to expensive and require a adapter to use co2.

Don

[douggiestyle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8705936#post8705936 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck
Do they vacuum the bottle?, purge the air out? Weight the bottle to prevent overfill? It they do it might be OK

dont know what that has to do with the type of co2 the paintball guys use. but no they do not. plug and play.

i prefer the non co2 paintball systems myself. but im not the paintball wizard. its much more simple to plug your gun in and woosh, off you go.


btw i love playing paintball. its so reassuring to know how quickley i would be killed in real combat.

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8707648#post8707648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douggiestyle

i prefer the non co2 paintball systems myself. but im not the paintball wizard. its much more simple to plug your gun in and woosh, off you go.



Non co2??? We use nitrogen and scuba tanks and co2 with a 100lb refil tank. At 1000+ rounds per minute we use some serious co2. Us old guys have to use are bank accounts to beat those little kids.:)

Don

[douggiestyle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8708006#post8708006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Donw
Non co2??? We use nitrogen and scuba tanks and co2 with a 100lb refil tank. At 1000+ rounds per minute we use some serious co2. Us old guys have to use are bank accounts to beat those little kids.:)

Don

NICE

got some of those paint grenades too i suppose

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8708117#post8708117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by douggiestyle
NICE

got some of those paint grenades too i suppose

Not meaning to hijack the thread and not really reef keeping realated.

No those are for kids. But we do have a custom dual a5 with a 3000 round hopper that runs on nitrogen only. Thats about 45 seconds worth of paint. :)

Don

[douggiestyle]

not to much happening in this forum that is reef related today.