Got myself a 25 pound bottle of co2 with a regulator. I have it set at 10 pounds...am wondering how long I should gas my grow room and how often? Room is 10f x 10f growing 8 females under 2 400w hps. Im thinking of gassing it 3 times a day for 1 minute each time. Lights are on 12/12...on 12th day of flowering. Anyone?
25# co2 bottle
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Landragon
Well-Known Member
You need either a flow meter, or a co2 controller. 10lbs is the psi and not the volume of gas flowing at that pressure. The flow meter will read in cfh (cubic feet per hour) or lpm (liters per minute) and based upon these readings you can determine how long the gas needs to flow in order to reach the desired ppm in your sized room.
Hidden Dragon
Well-Known Member
No, not good. You need a Co2 controller. They are expensive but maybe you can shop aound and get a used one. I had the controller and tank but was lazy and did not get around to setting it up. I used to go in and open the tank (just barely) for 45 seconds, figuring that might help. Once I got it all set up, I realized that opening the tank for 45 seconds brought the room up to over 5000 ppm. Way too much.
Get a proper controller and keep it at max 1500 ppm.
Hidden Dragon
Well-Known Member
Can you tell us where you got it for $200? I paid $350 for my controller and retail for it was $500. I need two more.
I have a controler..welder friend of mine told me to keep the guage at 10 pounds but dont know how long I should open it and how many times a day. At 10 pounds not much is coming out the tube. Guess Ill have to experiment...my next purchase is a ppm I guess. Paid 393 bucks for the whole set. Maybe I should gass the whole house since its winter and everything is closed up.
BCtrippin
Well-Known Member
You dont need a controller....All you Need is an electric regulator. You can get one for like $100-200 Depending where you buy. Then just use the calculator. Even on the calculator link on the right side there is the Hydrofarm kit that even has a timer for $139
Hydrofarm kit $139
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/241151
CO2 Calculator - Greentrees Hydroponics
Hydrofarm kit $139
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/241151
CO2 Calculator - Greentrees Hydroponics
Landragon
Well-Known Member
Bc, in order for him to use that calculator, he needs to know the CFM rate his gas is flowing. But his regulator set at 10PSI tells nothing by the pressure.
OP, I thnk you're confused. The "ppm" you speak of is a controller. I dnt think you have a controller. Furthermore, do not gas your while house. Humans do not need excess co2 and it can cause health issues. Figure out how to gas, and keep that gas in, only your growroom.
OP, I thnk you're confused. The "ppm" you speak of is a controller. I dnt think you have a controller. Furthermore, do not gas your while house. Humans do not need excess co2 and it can cause health issues. Figure out how to gas, and keep that gas in, only your growroom.
BCtrippin
Well-Known Member
Did you even read my post? The electric regulators that sell for $139 release between .2-2 CFH. It has a flow meter to show you how much is being released. You set it to the amount you want to release.....
..Lets say 2 CFH, you set your valve to 2 CFH and plug the electric regulator into a timer. When power is applied to the timer the valve opens to 2 CFH for however long you set the timer to.
No need to waste Hundreds on Environmental control units or C02 censors.
Landragon
Well-Known Member
You can keep banging your head. It looks fun. I read your post though. I'm also very versed in how a solenoid works, and how to figure out the cf of co2 to bring a given area up to a specific ppm value. See no reason to buy an "electric regulator", as you call them, since for under $60 he can add a solenoid and flow meter to his regulator. And yes the co2 controller isn't needed, but makes things much more consistent. Plants acclimate to the highest stable level of co2. If there are wide swings due to not properly tuning his gas/vent cycles, co2 supplementation can be less than efficient, or at the worse, a wasted endeavor.
I still wanna see this $200 controller someone spoke of.
I still wanna see this $200 controller someone spoke of.
BCtrippin
Well-Known Member
Yeah, Im not saying controllers are bad, if you can afford them. I would also like to see this "$200" controller.
But after my post you say he needs to know the CFH rate. Which he would know if he gets a flowmeter and electric solenoid which is provided with the $139 hydrofarm kit, and it even has a timer. Im just saying if your on a budget you dont need an expensive controller, they are nice but not an absolute requirement to run Co2. And if you do some basic math you can figure out how fast your rooms air gets replaced then your good to grow.
Landragon
Well-Known Member
Right on. Some growshops will rent out a co2 monitor in exchange for a cash deposit. This allows you to know if it's right and if it's even needed. In a small house wihthe windows closed, and a couple cats dogs and humans, ppm's of 800-1100 are common. Only the brightest most heavily nutes crops need morethan that. I built a sealed, unvented room and need to gas or growth stops. It takes three minutes of normal breathing to raise 200 cubic feet 400 ppm.
gotot
Well-Known Member
yea i was thinkin of an electric regulator. paid 200 for mineYou dont need a controller....All you Need is an electric regulator. You can get one for like $100-200 Depending where you buy. Then just use the calculator. Even on the calculator link on the right side there is the Hydrofarm kit that even has a timer for $139
Hydrofarm kit $139
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/241151
CO2 Calculator - Greentrees Hydroponics