hey integ..i posted this in the co2 thread but not seemin ta get an answer so ima ask you..bc i think you mentioned you use co2 correct..well i am planning on joining the co2 enrichment team but i was wondering how to caculate my rruuning times to get 1100-1500 ppm in my 64cu. ft. space..they had a calculator but i only made it half way thru the formula and was stuck so....1st question do do yyou think i cud use a 5lb tank for at least 3weeks at a time in this space b4 refills or go for the 20lb and runni it the entire flowr period??? or what about boost bucket??they say they last 90 days with ppms up to 1300ppm/?? +rep for info thanx bud
CO2 enrichment works great, but it is very hard to dial in correctly on a timer. Your best bet is to save up and do it right the first time and just get a co2 controller. They are fairly expensive, but the cheapest one that is worth buying is the one mad by Hydro Innovations. Here's a link for that one.
http://www.growlightexpress.com/carbon-dioxide-co2-31/hydrogen-co2-monitor-997.html
It saves you all the calculating(which is almost impossible to get right) because it is very hard to calculate accurately since most rooms arent completely sealed. Mine for example, I did everything I could to make sure it is sealed, and I still have a leak somehow. Having the controller helps you know that as long as you bottle isnt empty, your co2 ppms are perfect.
As far as the bottle, they dont last long at all. In an average sized tent 4'x4' a 20lb bottle usually lasts 1-1.5 weeks. They are also kind of a pain to get filled on a regular bases, and might raise suspicion if you're in there getting it filled every week. If you can have the space for if a co2 generator is far more efficient. I use the Hydrogen MiniGen and water cool it, but the water part is optional. here's a link for that...
http://www.growlightexpress.com/carbon-dioxide-co2-31/minigen-co2-generator-907.html
It is very small and does a great job. It also geenerates a very small amount of heat(when not water cooled) that is easily manageable. And for the efficiency side, a 20lb propane bottle lasts me 3-3.5 weeks and can be exchanged anywhere(gas station at 2am if need be) and is slightly sheaper to fill than co2. Thats my 2 sents. Even if you can get the generator, you should still use the controller on the bottled stuff and cook up a good excuse as to why you need to get it filled every week or so, for example you use it in an aquarium for underwater plants, but you may have to do a little research on underwater plants because when I used that excuse I had the luck of having someone with interests in that and he started asking questions about how I like to set up the filters on my tank because his suck and he wanted to change it.