# Cost of keeping a nitrogen tank anyone?



## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

I think I have a good idea on what nitrogen tanks cost for storing semen, but never having owned one and never having done AI or seen it done, I have no idea how the tank works. Can anyone tell me how much the liquid nitrogen that you need for the tanks costs, the mode for acquiring it, and perhaps importantly, how often you need to refill a nitrogen tank with liquid nitrogen? I'm just trying to get a handle on how expensive it will be to do AI, once all the initial equipment is on hand. Thanks. Oh, and can someone also tell me how long straws last if properly stored? I'm guessing a long long time, but that's just a guess. Thanks.


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## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

We got a used tank. It cost $35 to have it filled by our ABS representative (he AI's our cows). How often you fill a tank depends on the tank's age and condition. We quickly found out the tank we got was bad. It leaked constantly until all the liquid nitrogen was gone, in a few hours.









That is ok to see for half an hour but after that, your tank has got a bad leak.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I get my tank filled at AirGas. It is a welding supply store and they fill tanks for lots of other people too. I think it costs about $30 per fill. I have a measuring stick that came with my tank to measure how much nitrogen it has. I don't let it go below 12 cm. I usually fill mine every 4 months. It depends though on how often you open it and how long you leave it open. I got my tank new through Superior Semen Works. I don't know exactly how long the straws will last, but I have used straws that were 10-12 years old and I have heard of people having semen that was 20 years old.


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## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

Thanks so much.


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## Pronking Publius (Mar 29, 2012)

All very helpful. I'm just trying to get an idea of all these things I've never dealt with before.


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