Hey guys,
First of all, this thread isn't one in which I'll post links to products. Mostly because we've no doubt all got access to this stuff via the net (google Sodastream adaptor) or your local grocery store. Also because worldwide (like the TR community) the parts needed differ place to place. It's more of a concept to provoke the imagination of
DIY'ers
Recently I've been considering a calcium reactor setup due to the growing demands of calcium in my system and the price of liquids to dose to keep the levels up. Buying the CO2 solenoid, bubble counter, regulator and either renting or buying a bottle really added up. Thinking it over it occured to me there is food grade CO2 in sodastream cylinders commonly available from food and grocery retailers. Cheap, easily replacable swap out cylinders are never usually more than 10 minutes drive. Perfect.
I've not yet got all of the parts needed for the intended setup. I've got the bottle, the thread adapter (with a centre nipple to release the gas from the cylinder), the regulator seems it may be 'donated' and then all that will be left is the solenoid for control via the aquacontroller, in my case. I'm assuming the bubble counter is apart of the calcium reactor. Take care if/when attempting to match any threads, it seems there are quite a few different standards both on the bottles, and the adaptors used between the bottle and the regulator.
The sodastream cylinders here in Australia (as far as I know, they're the same thread as in the USA) are 330g (11oz). From my research so far this is said to provide a reasonable ammount of gas usage (roughly 2 months) for a cylinder that is costing me $11 to get initially, and can be traded in for a full one for as little as $3. Perhaps people with existing setups could compare gas volume with thier setups and estimate a rough usage with these bottles? With both refills from gas companies, bottle purchase or rental, this really seems a viable option. I see no problem with getting two cylinders and swapping out the empty one during the weekly shopping ready for the current one to empty.
I would like to express that all information within this post is gathered from my research and personal expirience. I assume that the 'safe for human consumption' CO2 held in the sodastream bottles are safe for reef tanks, this may not be the case (I believe some paintball CO2 cylinders contain oil for parts lubrication). Any gas at high pressures (850-1200psi) are EXTREMELY dangerous, please do not mess with this stuff if you are not totally confident with what you're doing. They will hurt or kill if incorrectly fitted and installed. Sorry, it all had to be said.
This is about the extent I'm going to post for now. I felt seeding this idea may atleast save one person some money with a CO2 setup. There is quite a bit of info on this online in the areas of Home Brewing, Paintball, Fresh and Marine Fishtanks. I've found the adapter at multiple Home Brew stores online, which was the non-standard part of the whole setup.
Hope this is of some help to someone out there somewhere, even without links.
Cheers !
