# fluval 20g co2 cartridge



## alexxa

I have a fluval co2 20g set and just wondering is there any other co2 cartridge that would fit fluval 20g's adapter.


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## coldmantis

16g co2 cartridge for bicycles tires, if you decide to go the 16g root it's like 25-30 bucks for a box of 20, I used it once on the fluval 20g kit, only lasted me 1 week exactly running it at around 1 bubble per 2-3secs.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> 16g co2 cartridge for bicycles tires, if you decide to go the 16g root it's like 25-30 bucks for a box of 20, I used it once on the fluval 20g kit, only lasted me 1 week exactly running it at around 1 bubble per 2-3secs.


thank you for your quick reply!
one more question. Do I have to use the weird diffuser came with the box?
Can I just use the fluval 20g co2 system to a glass diffuser?
and is the 16g bicycle co2 same size as the original 20g fluval cartridge?


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## coldmantis

the diffuser should go one place which is the garbage, the 16g is smaller then the 20g of course but the thread size is the exact same. Tell me how consistent your bubble rate is for the fluval I used it for one week and then returned it, the bubble rate is very inconsistent for me, I set it to 1 bubble per 2 seconds, next bubble will be 1bps next will be 1b 5sec, 1b 3sec etc... very bad co2 kit imho for the price you pay I think I payed around 40something you can build a 20oz paintball co2 for the same price and last you depending on how fast you run your bps at least 5months-7months and refills are only 5 dollars.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> the diffuser should go one place which is the garbage, the 16g is smaller then the 20g of course but the thread size is the exact same. Tell me how consistent your bubble rate is for the fluval I used it for one week and then returned it, the bubble rate is very inconsistent for me, I set it to 1 bubble per 2 seconds, next bubble will be 1bps next will be 1b 5sec, 1b 3sec etc... very bad co2 kit imho for the price you pay I think I payed around 40something you can build a 20oz paintball co2 for the same price and last you depending on how fast you run your bps at least 5months-7months and refills are only 5 dollars.


i haven't start using it because i am still waiting my tank to cycle
i will check that out later, thank you


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## coldmantis

this is a more upgraded paintball co2 but a simple one will cost around the 40 dollar mark. started this setup on october 31st 2010, it's now january 23rd 2011, on a 29 gallon crs/yellow shrimp tank with some MTS and ramhorn, running at 1 bubble per 3 secs. I still haven't refilled it yet and my gauge is showing around the 600psi mark from the full 850psi when I started a couple of months ago.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> this is a more upgraded paintball co2 but a simple one will cost around the 40 dollar mark. started this setup on october 31st 2010, it's now january 23rd 2011, on a 29 gallon crs/yellow shrimp tank with some MTS and ramhorn, running at 1 bubble per 3 secs. I still haven't refilled it yet and my gauge is showing around the 600psi mark from the full 850psi when I started a couple of months ago.


thats nice!
where did you get the adapter and for how much?


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## coldmantis

20oz paintball tank - 29.99
to fill the 20oz with co2 - 5.00
asa adapter with 1500psi gauge installed - 20.00ish ebay shipped
swagelock needle valve rated for 3000psi - 11.00 ebay shipped
fittings for the needle vavle - I think 2.00 home depot
pencil sharpener type bubble counter - 5.00 ebay shipped
co2 tubing - .50 cents/foot from AI
plastic check valve - 2.00 for 10 ebay shipped

but for a simple one
20oz - 29.99
co2 fill - 5.00
cheapo asa fill station adapter - 11.00 ebay shipped
watts A-41 needle valve from home depot - 5.00
diy soda bubble counter - free
some regular airline tube - free if you have some lying around
check valve - free if you have some lying around

I have 3 of these setup 2 24oz and 1 20oz


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> 20oz paintball tank - 29.99
> to fill the 20oz with co2 - 5.00
> asa adapter with 1500psi gauge installed - 20.00ish ebay shipped
> swagelock needle valve rated for 3000psi - 11.00 ebay shipped
> fittings for the needle vavle - I think 2.00 home depot
> pencil sharpener type bubble counter - 5.00 ebay shipped
> co2 tubing - .50 cents/foot from AI
> plastic check valve - 2.00 for 10 ebay shipped
> 
> but for a simple one
> 20oz - 29.99
> co2 fill - 5.00
> cheapo asa fill station adapter - 11.00 ebay shipped
> watts A-41 needle valve from home depot - 5.00
> diy soda bubble counter - free
> some regular airline tube - free if you have some lying around
> check valve - free if you have some lying around
> 
> I have 3 of these setup 2 24oz and 1 20oz


did you get the 20oz tank from badland?
and will 9oz do the same job? coz I dont have much space for a 20oz
Can you also send me the ebay link for the adapter please? I found the silver one, but it is $7.45 + shipping 6.70


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## coldmantis

a 9oz will work won't last as long but will work, this is the cheap one I remember it being cheaper I guess he raised his prices cheap adapter but for this price you might as well go to like st. splatters and buy one I think it's around 15 or so there


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## coldmantis

they also sell adapter from badlands but from my personal experience the adapters there are overpriced and cheaply made, 1st one lasted a couple of days and it leaked, second one just died on me and leaked this week, all of the ebay ones I bought still works great to this day.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> they also sell adapter from badlands but from my personal experience the adapters there are overpriced and cheaply made, 1st one lasted a couple of days and it leaked, second one just died on me and leaked this week, all of the ebay ones I bought still works great to this day.


http://store.sgtsplatters.com/products/ninja-ufa-universal-fill-adaptor
is it this one?


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## coldmantis

ya that's the one


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> ya that's the one


thank you for your help


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## alexxa

does canadian paintball sell asa adaptor?
coz i live closer to it


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## coldmantis

no idea, I bought all my stuff from fleabay/st.splatter/badlands/defcon


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> no idea, I bought all my stuff from fleabay/st.splatter/badlands/defcon


out of this places, where can i get the cheapest co2 tank? 
thank you


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## coldmantis

all paintball tanks are the same price regardless of where you go.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> all paintball tanks are the same price regardless of where you go.


You have been to defcon right?
I just googled and found that canadian paintball is in defcon. Did you notice it when you went defcon?
Thank you



> CanadianPaintball.com Scarborough
> 
> 3550 Victoria Park Ave. P-2
> Toronto, Ontario, M2H-2N5
> Email - [email protected]
> 
> Ph - 647-351-1401
> 
> Store Manager - James Coombes
> 
> Store Hours:
> 
> Monday - Thursday 2:00pm-9:00pm
> Friday 12pm-9pm
> Saturday - 12am-6pm
> Sunday - 12pm-5pm
> 
> This store is located inside DefconPaintball.ca, Scarborough's Premiere Indoor Paintball Location.


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## lemuj

coldmantis said:


> this is a more upgraded paintball co2 but a simple one will cost around the 40 dollar mark. started this setup on october 31st 2010, it's now january 23rd 2011, on a 29 gallon crs/yellow shrimp tank with some MTS and ramhorn, running at 1 bubble per 3 secs. I still haven't refilled it yet and my gauge is showing around the 600psi mark from the full 850psi when I started a couple of months ago.


i luv this set-up very nice and clean....sorry OP to derail but had to asked...would you sell this thing? for how much?


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## coldmantis

I had two of these setups extra, 1 I sold to brapbrabboom member on this forum the other, everyone who came to my house for plants demanded I sell it to them, but I was fooling around with it and it broke.... so nothing extra sorry. it's cheap to make though and all you need to do is go to 2 places, a paintball store and home depot, all other extras you should have for the simple setup, the upgrade one ebay is your friend. I know that there is a swagelok distributor here in scarborough very close to centennial college but they want like 40+ bucks for the needle valve while ebay it's less then 12 bucks shipped.


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## coldmantis

alexxa said:


> You have been to defcon right?
> I just googled and found that canadian paintball is in defcon. Did you notice it when you went defcon?
> Thank you


that address looks familiar, pretty sure it's the same, and I don't think they sell the asa adapter alone, call and ask but they do refills for 5 dollars there and are closed like a 2am so if you run out in the night time you can just go there to refill, better to just get another paintball tank since it don't cost that much and switch it when empty for convenience.


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## coldmantis

just a caution for anyone who is trying this the home depot needle valve is only 5 dollars so you get what you pay for, it's decent for like 1bps, 2bps, or even 1 bubble per 2 seconds, if you looking for something like 1 bubble per 3,4,5 seconds get the swagelok since it's rated for 3000psi and the depot one is only at 450psi, the paintball tank shoots out 850psi so you do the math. so to sum it up if you get the home depot needle valve there is a chance that it might float a little, I used to use the home depot valve on all my 3 setups it does float a little but it settles out at what I want the bubble per second to be so it works fine for me. if you want it to last even longer like 8 months+ then you will have to spend more and switch out the original pin valve on the paintball tank to a on/off pin valve then a 1/2 flare adapter, some kind of good co2 washer to a cheapo regular co2 regulator off ebay, some more fittings then to a solenoid then to a good needle valve like a fabco or swagelok. But this will cost around at least a 100 bucks


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> that address looks familiar, pretty sure it's the same, and I don't think they sell the asa adapter alone, call and ask but they do refills for 5 dollars there and are closed like a 2am so if you run out in the night time you can just go there to refill, better to just get another paintball tank since it don't cost that much and switch it when empty for convenience.


i went to defcon and canadianpainball website, and their products are different
on canadianpaintball i found a co2 fill cap for $9.99
http://www.canadianpaintball.com/main/air/fittings.htm


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## coldmantis

here is a link on plantedtank that shows you step by step on how to get this going , this thread is the most popular thread it has over 43k views!!! and over 1k post paintball co2 setup


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## coldmantis

alexxa said:


> i went to defcon and canadianpainball website, and their products are different
> on canadianpaintball i found a co2 fill cap for $9.99
> http://www.canadianpaintball.com/main/air/fittings.htm


I think that canadian painball is a online store only no store front, the defcon place is an actual paintball arena with a store inside. I think the defcon was at vic park and mcnicoll


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> I think that canadian painball is a online store only no store front, the defcon place is an actual paintball arena with a store inside. I think the defcon was at vic park and mcnicoll


ok thx, then i think i will go with stg splatter.
Do you know if they offer refill and for how much?


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## coldmantis

my first ever setup I bought the tank for defcon but they were out of co2 so I went to st. splatter to refill, the majority of paintball places in toronto is 5 dollars to refill, now I get my paintball refilled at next paintball in pickering because it's close to my house and just off the highway cost more there though 6 bucks but they look like they know what they are doing and I find that they will fill your paintball tank full, some places only fill it like 80%, a full 24oz paintball tank should be over 3lbs


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## Jsu

You can make a living or a wack of side cash making this CO2 setup and sell it for maybe $80 to $100. There's lots of people out there that doesnt have time to make it and rather just buy it. i am one of them.


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## coldmantis

lol lots of people ask me to make it for them, but I have a 8months son, so I fall in the category of people who don't have time too.


Jsu said:


> You can make a living or a wack of side cash making this CO2 setup and sell it for maybe $80 to $100. There's lots of people out there that doesnt have time to make it and rather just buy it. i am one of them.


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## alexxa

I just went to canadian tires, and they dont carry co2 cartridge anymore
Where did you get it? and were you running ur fluval co2 24hrs?


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## coldmantis

ct does not carry it something about the law, u cant get 16g easily, it has to be a bike shop, I dont know any in scarb, I went to one dt close to my work


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> ct does not carry it something about the law, u cant get 16g easily, it has to be a bike shop, I dont know any in scarb, I went to one dt close to my work


only bike shop?
does walmart hv it?


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## alexxa

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...artial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

this is the needle valve?
it doesn't look like it is.
This one is only 75psi


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## coldmantis

ya thats the one but when you go buy it, it has a nut and a tube insert for your tubes. I believe it says 450psi on the print manual thats included with the needle valve, you don't have a choice it's that or nothing for that price. Or you can get this locatly but it will cost you around 50 bucks with tax, this one is rated for 3000psi.

If you want something that can incorporate a solenoid then you can go this route
using paintball with regulator


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> ya thats the one but when you go buy it, it has a nut and a tube insert for your tubes. I believe it says 450psi on the print manual thats included with the needle valve, you don't have a choice it's that or nothing for that price. Or you can get this locatly but it will cost you around 50 bucks with tax, this one is rated for 3000psi.
> 
> If you want something that can incorporate a solenoid then you can go this route
> using paintball with regulator


oh ok thx
It just doesn't look like what other people have.


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## alexxa

thx guys i just made mine
still testing it


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## coldmantis

don't forget to check for leaks by putting the whole top portion in a bucket of water.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> don't forget to check for leaks by putting the whole top portion in a bucket of water.


Yep i fixed the leaks already
thx for mentioning that


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## coldmantis

check for leaks again in 24hours, you never know. If you find that the bubble rate slowing down the you probably have a leak somewhere.


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> check for leaks again in 24hours, you never know. If you find that the bubble rate slowing down the you probably have a leak somewhere.


ok thank you I will check it again tonight


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## alexxa

my asa adapter requires quite amount of force to turn, does anyone have the problem?


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## coldmantis

alexxa said:


> my asa adapter requires quite amount of force to turn, does anyone have the problem?


maybe the person who filled you tank filled it too much so you turning against 850psi of pressure.


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## coldmantis

so Alex hows the setup going, you like it. My glosso on my 14.3g Japanese Curve is not doing to well, but at the same time I didn't want to setup another bottle so I split the co2 into my 29g and my 14.3g.


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## alexxa

Dont know what happen to the asa adapter.
When i turn it on, i hear gas leaking sound and i actually feel gas coming out.
should I add some teflon tape on the on/off valve of the adapter?


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## coldmantis

put it in water and see where it's leaking if the asa knob part is leaking then the oring is bad, maybe you over twisted it? if that's the case you can either fix it yourself by find an appropriate size oring but that's a lot of trouble just bring it back to where you buy it and tell them it's defective and get an exchange


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## alexxa

coldmantis said:


> put it in water and see where it's leaking if the asa knob part is leaking then the oring is bad, maybe you over twisted it? if that's the case you can either fix it yourself by find an appropriate size oring but that's a lot of trouble just bring it back to where you buy it and tell them it's defective and get an exchange











It leaks between the top part valve and the adapter. I actually feel gas coming out when i turn it


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## coldmantis

that happend to me twice on different asa adapters, I end up tossing it in the garbage and getting a new one.


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