Co2

[theshadowinc]

Okay well went through a scary moment with my tank, now I am unsure what is going on. Okay so first I use a Milwaukee MA 957 Regulator with glycerin in the bubble counter.

I found my tank was in the yellow one day and my discus where BLACK in colour right away I shut the co2 supply off from the needle valve. Did a water change to bring the PH back up in the tank. Went to my tank today and found that it wasn't on erm! I adjusted the valve seemed that it was all the way out hmm this shuts the flow off?? But playing with the needle valve I get bubbles for a bit and then nothing, close it and repeat same thing. So I unpluged it set to 10psi and seems to work okay now cept for I need to replace the glycerin it seems that it is watered down. Anyone else run into problems with this and I am thinking of setting it to 20psi instead of 10 i find I end up with flucuating issues with co2 in the tank with 10psi and usually get this problem right after a bottle change because I always close the vavle and set to 10 psi.

I think what happen is the wife shut or open the valve or kocked it unsure atm, but running into an issue setting the bubble count for it since it is rising quick, so question is does glycerin break down, the only check valve I use on it is part of the bubble counter,.... Should I be looking at using another check vavle just incase or should I be fine?

Other Question Has anyone ever ran into this issue where its always unstable after a tank change?
Could the right side not be reading right?
What are the common issues with this sol. and where can I get a replacement one for it cheap.. for the reason its cheap for me to just buy a new one depending on price.

I like this co2 regulator and hope its just all a fluke will know for sure in the next few days, and is there even a way to set it up where it runs 24/7 and not overdose the tank?

 

[Mikaila31]

sure it wasn't a end of tank dump? When the canister pressure drops to low, sometimes the regulator can't regulate it. So the working pressure increases, ect. Until the tank is empty. Thats a end of tank dump. If co2 is too high, fish will surface sit and loose color.

 

[theshadowinc]

sure it wasn't a end of tank dump? When the canister pressure drops to low, sometimes the regulator can't regulate it. So the working pressure increases, ect. Until the tank is empty. Thats a end of tank dump. If co2 is too high, fish will surface sit and loose color.

Well I have been through end of tank dump before but nothing like this ........ and honestly it wasn't the first thing on my mind but now thinking of this hmm..... isn't end of tank dump my setting on the right 20 psi so for end of tank to happen the left would read the same or less?
what I normally get is pressures being all weird on me and overdose of co2 i think I might be at the end of tank dump spot not sure, I am tring to figure out when the last refill was done I think its due in the next 2-3 weeks or so. I did notice 1 major thing I took it out of the under cabnet holder and took the glycerin out and put in new stuff, the old stuff for some reason seemed to have broken down from the co2 not sure if anyone else had gone through before,(The bubbles raised really quick to the surface of the counter like it would with water but when I changed the fluid it slowed down alot)

I am not sure if its end of tank dump... my pressure reads about 700psi normally its 800psi when I have it filled so Assuming I am getting end of tank dump maybe with the fluid needed to be changed as well?

I would assume over time that the glycerin would break down from co2 passing though it and turn it into a thinner consistancy but I am not actually sure on that.

Maybe its worth having it filled anyways and see... what do you think?


Has anyone else ran into where the glycerin or mineral oil breaks down in the counter to like a water consistency?

 

[aaronnorth]

My PSI is 50-60 & Bar is 1.5-2 (Fire Extinghuisher)


With the glycerol im not sure. As a guess when it is in water the hydrogen bonding is not the same so the OH bonds witht the CO2 to form HCO3.

If you want to run it 24/7, then ave a getle surface ripple and keep adjusting the output until you get the DC to green.

 

[theshadowinc]

My PSI is 50-60 & Bar is 1.5-2 (Fire Extinghuisher)

On what gauge you use a double setup?
When i get my tanks filled they come 800psi or so, this is reading from my tank.

With the glycerol im not sure. As a guess when it is in water the hydrogen bonding is not the same so the OH bonds witht the CO2 to form HCO3.

are they the same thing I use glycerin not the glycerol, day 1 went by pretty good after the fluid change so guessing it might have been the fluid but forgot to check pressure again on the left gauge for the tank

If you want to run it 24/7, then ave a getle surface ripple and keep adjusting the output until you get the DC to green.

Wouldn't I have to worry about no oxygen at night? This is why we turn it off at night isn't it? But what benefit would be from having it run all the time? I just hope when the solenoid is no good it defaults to on all the time for me to do this

Another weird question, when i go through end of tank dump I don't get a huge blast of co2 running into the tank atleast I have never noticed and had it happen once on me and no problems at all, does end of tank dump only concern people who are using a method like direct injection? I use the glass ceramic disc

 

[aaronnorth]

this is the one I use:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/CO2-Regulator-Live-Aquarium-Plant-Diffuser-Fish-Tank-SI_W0QQitemZ250445501708QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item3a4fb7150c

glycerin/ glycerol/ glycerine are all the same.

When we run it for 8hrs a day or whatever, we use a higher injection rate and by the end of the night the CO2 levels can get to 35ppm>
I did forget to say people that do run it 24/7 sometimes raise the filter outlet/ powerhead slightly higher at night to be on the safe side, if you dont want to do this then set an air pump on a timer.

I have never experienced end of tank dump, that, or I havent noticed it. So im not sure.

 

[theshadowinc]

this is the one I use:

http/cgi.ebay.co.u...=item3a4fb7150c

glycerin/ glycerol/ glycerine are all the same.

When we run it for 8hrs a day or whatever, we use a higher injection rate and by the end of the night the CO2 levels can get to 35ppm>
I did forget to say people that do run it 24/7 sometimes raise the filter outlet/ powerhead slightly higher at night to be on the safe side, if you dont want to do this then set an air pump on a timer.

I have never experienced end of tank dump, that, or I havent noticed it. So im not sure.

Well i think its a bit of a few problems took the tank in and found out its near end of tank so guessing that I got a dump

I use the same gauge set as you
not sure what really went on today but overdosed the tank again erm found out my bubble rate jumped huge thinking solonoid issue at first but not sure, I have it set to 30psi on right gauge and waiting till tomorrow to add co2 to the tank for the simple reason came home today and measured the ph and was off the chart, did 50% waterchange twice and its only at 6.5 ph now so gussing really low another day for stress in the tank for everything erm.

How reliable is the needle valve on these things as well as the soloniod its only about 1 year old I would say, kinda weird how all these problems come out of the blue. I have air in the tank right now so airpump set heading out co2 is off so more updates later on this problem I will figure it out sooner or later maybe it was operator fault here not sure, but thinking the solenoid is sticking causing issues on setting bubble rate.

anyways off and running update later tonight when i get home from dinner

 

[theshadowinc]

Back from dinner and the fish are doing much better now they are eating and not looking like they are dead at the bottom of the tank, co2 is off and the ph is still 6.5 in the tank hmm....

I think I might have found the problem, there was a lack of flow in the tank, kinda weird no algue showed up(Probably cause of the co2 levels) but the filter was clogged and barly moving the water, no pressure from the spray bar, took the system apart and cleaned it out, flow seems better now not 100% but its still much better than before, might wait overnight and see what happens with the ph, and the co2 levels. Last thing I want is an overdose again, I am wondering if this lack of flow would cause the co2 to spike so high. I am amazed I never lost 1 fish during this entire thing. (Have to wait overnight to see what happens this end of tank dump thing and gauge thing is really getting to me, boy am I not a happy camper almost 1 year setup like this no problems at all and boom all of a sudden this

Okay so we are back to square 1 again,
KH 6 degrees,
GH not sure don't care,
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm
Co2 reader is green, lights out happened 3 hours ago give or take a few mins
Dosed EI
(Mainly so I can look back at readings and decide on my dosing of ei now)
This weekend I need to do massive trimmings doing a 50% water change left no room for fish to swim looked like 1 massive clump of plant material
Guess have to wait till morning and retest the ph levels and co2 levels and nitrate, so far everything seems to be doing okay but not turning the co2 back on for awhile need to see some changes first so probably all day tomorrow will go without unless everything is perfect come morning meaning co2 reads 0ppm

When we run it for 8hrs a day or whatever, we use a higher injection rate and by the end of the night the CO2 levels can get to 35ppm>

Is why I didn't think end of tank dump, I thaught that the solenoid stuck open overnight, I figured right off the get go it was an issue with the gauge because pressure read on the left side 700psi, and 20psi on the right side and the bubble rate seemed normal, i set 2-3 bubbles per second, so I end up seeing like 4-5 bubbles small ones in the bubble counter before it gets to the top and busts

set an air pump on a timer[/qutoe]
in the beggining i did the entire setup had the air on at night, but then after awhile I got use to just monitoring the fish and watching the co2 checker seeme to work out well for me so got rid of the air at night along time ago and never had a problem till recently. The only thing I am getting confused on is don't you go through more co2 during the day when you have a large plant mass? I have I would say a good 60% of the substrate covered and working on a ground cover atm that is not working to well, not to mention my drift wood that is in the middle of the tank and has java fern on one end, my Anubias on the other and finally got ricca to stay on the wood. I would say with all the different plants and size of leaves etc that the tank is over planted in some areas and underplanted in others probably in total would be considered 90% substrate covered

I have never experienced end of tank dump, that, or I havent noticed it. So im not sure.

How do you know when to change the tank? I normally see the pressure on the left gauge get down to about 300-400psi is when i normally take mine in, we also talked about me getting an extra tank when I was in because I go in about every 3-4 months to see him and said I love the service but would rather get a bigger tank and a bigger tank don't fit under my cabnet erm, so looking at an extra one next time. So then I will see him 2 times a year instead of 4 lol. Feel better knowing I can get a deal getting 2 filled ^^ means more savings in my pocket is why i went injected in the first place hehe, atm I pay 15 dollars(Canadian) for a refill, 5lbs ~ So 8.96 pounds and or 10.10 euros depending where you are from

glycerin/ glycerol/ glycerine are all the same

I thaught chemical compounds would change things when something like co2 passing though it as in the molecule make up of it,
but okay cool

sure it wasn't a end of tank dump? When the canister pressure drops to low, sometimes the regulator can't regulate it. So the working pressure increases, ect. Until the tank is empty. Thats a end of tank dump. If co2 is too high, fish will surface sit and loose color.

Think it was end of tank dump and maybe some other issues going on after I had the tank refilled still had an issue of overdose.
End of tank dump so if you set pressure to 20 psi the end of tank dump won't happen till it reaches 20psi on the tank side?
Learned more than the average joe in the past few days about co2 and fish surfacing, I can honestly say from first hand experience first signs are the fish surfaces for air this is normal the next stage after that is lose colour and the next stage after this is they float to the bottom of the tank and look dead but gills move massive quickly I guess next stage after that would be death.

I can't really complain been almost 1 full year of this tank running and no major issues till now, cept for the algue when I first started the tank other than that its been a perfect tank. Now I am still worried about it for some reason guess it can sit pretty heavy on someones head for awhile it was definitly a scare not just 1 day but 2 days in a row,

I did the following Soleniod clicks so guessing it works, I released the pressure from the gauge and the right side drops to 0 closed needle valve pluged and unpluged the solenoid a few times want to make sure it works. With all valves close open the big valve till reading was 20psi now just waiting on water quality overnight to start my bubble rate again... sigh i have some relief now man this is scary stuff when it happens maybe someone will learn from my mistakes ^^ after all this is why we post isn't it?

 

[theshadowinc]

Readings today where co2 off reading at 30ppm still, ph raising slowly about 6.8, fish doing much better and so are my nerves
Tomorrow I think I will set a low low bubble rate to see whats going on hoping with air on over night it brings the co2 out

 

[theshadowinc]

Okay started the co2 up today and found I was running into the same problem so then I decided I must look for a blockage thre has to be a kink in the hose somewhere.... well there wasn't a kink in the hose. I opened the needle valve and waited, a different problem occured bubbles started and went big and then stopped all together. So I increased the pressure and pop its working fine now...... so far anyways the hose popped off the diffuser, I am thinking clogged so cleaning it now. But so far so good everything seems back to the norm just waiting on the green mark now