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part for calcium regulator (1 Viewer)

Dhummel

Dhummel

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
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i'm looking for the valve needle the you adjust the co2 flow into the reactor, mine i have to keep turning to keep the bubble count consistant.
i have the pressure turned up on the tank as well but the bubble count keeps falling, so i'm thinking the needle valve is bad.
any other sudjustions ??
 
As the pressure in the CA reactor builds up over a couple of days it can slow the bubble count down some. May want to just let it settle for several days between any adjustments. Also when the CO2 tank starts to get low it can slow down too......you sure your fittings are tight and not leaking any CO2 ? Do you have any links to the type/brand you purchased ?
 
david, thanks for the help.
just checked the guages on the regulator, left reads little over 50 and right is at 8. fittings ar all tight.
brand name unsure, theres no name on it,
whats been happening is the bubble count will go to almost nothing then i'll have to turn the valve more each time.
i'll keep an eye on the bubbles, had to adjust today because i unpluged the tank to move some cords. so when the tank solenoid gets shut off like that will that change the bubble count, seems to be good so far, learning more as i go.
 
Is your CO2 tank almost empty? Mine usually runs at 800-1000 psi regulated down to about 10-12 psi and then controlled by the needle valve. However, for some reason my bubble count is more erratic with a 5lb tank than with the 10 lb tank.

I have always had to run the output at >10 psi to have a consistent bubble count.

Marine Depot sells replacement parts.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...quarium_Supplies_CO2_Accessories&vendor=.html
 
Last edited:
sameyer said:
Is your CO2 tank almost empty? Mine usually runs at 800-1000 psi regulated down to about 10-12 psi and then controlled by the needle valve. However, for some reason my bubble count is more erratic with a 5lb tank than with the 10 lb tank.

I have always had to run the output at <10 psi to have a consistent bubble count.

Marine Depot sells replacement parts.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...quarium_Supplies_CO2_Accessories&vendor=.html
Click to expand...

i guess i wouldn't think the tank would be empty already, i've had the reactor running for only a month or so, wouldn't the guage read closer to 0 if it was empty, the tank is pretty big, i'm guessing 2' if not taller.
as far as parts, that was the the one i looked at, can you take the barb fitting off for the screw on bubble counter ??
 
My 10 lb tank usually lasts 6-9 months starting at 800-1000 psi and dropping pretty quickly near the end of the tank. If it's 50 psi, I would think that it is almost empty. If you don't have the regulator sealed well to the tank, it can drain very quickly. You can check it with a soapy solution. Make sure the o-ring in the reg is still in good shape. I drained a full CO2 tank when the o-ring in the reg fell out between tank changes. :mad_3:

If you need a refill, All Safe on Washington Ave in Minneapolis was $11 for a 10 lb recharge.

As for the needle valve, I don't think the barb comes off at least not on the one I have (similar to marine depot).

As David said, the pressure can take some time to normalize. My system has had times where it can generate bubbles like clockwork and others where it struggles against the pressure. I usually try to adjust the CO2 and effluent drip rate to get a consistent bubble count. Watch the pH if you start messing.



Dhummel said:
i guess i wouldn't think the tank would be empty already, i've had the reactor running for only a month or so, wouldn't the guage read closer to 0 if it was empty, the tank is pretty big, i'm guessing 2' if not taller.
as far as parts, that was the the one i looked at, can you take the barb fitting off for the screw on bubble counter ??
Click to expand...
 
hmmm, i check to see if the tank has a leak or not. as far as bubble count i had it set last night, came home today from wk and bubbles were barely going.?
 
just checked the guage, no leaks, did read the guages wrong though, just under 1000, 2 marks under.
 
do you mean if the bubbles are flowing freely or not?
dont seam to have any pressure depending on what your talking about.
right now the bubbles are ok and ph is at 6.8
 
I think David G is right. I would leave it for a couple of days and then only make a small adjustment every fews days until it stabilizes. It takes some time for the reactor to reach an equilibrium point and if you adjust too often you are trying to hit a moving target.
 
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