How To Run Two Tanks....

[Dave Spencer]

The following picture is a schematic of what I did to tee in to an existing CO2 set up from a second tank.

The CO2 hose at the bottom of the picture is coming from my Aquamas neede valve and connects in to the T piece (black and red item). The branch exiting from the T piece to the left of the picture goes to my 60l Iwagumi. The branch exiting from the right of the T piece goes to my new 24l tank. Next in line in the 24l tank T off is the needle valve (cream coloured item) for controlling the bubble rate to the tank. The final item is the ever essential NRV. Make sure that this is downstream of your needle valve, because any water back feeding to this will eventually corrode it and sieze it up.

In the next picture you can see the T piece in situ, straight after the needle valve on the Aquamas regulator. The branch to the left goes to the reactor, which is pictured in my 60l journal.

The branch to the right goes to my new 24l set up. Hopefully you can see the needle valve, NRV and finally the CO2 diffuser.

When I set up the 24l tank I will obviously have to adjust the CO2 to the existing tank, as some of it will now be taken by the new tank. One other thing I have done is to incorporate a certain amount of slack in the CO2 line to the second tank because, otherwise, I am bound to move the cylinder at some time and end up yanking the diffuser out of its mounting in the second tank.

I hope somebody will find this useful. Dave.

 

[BigIan]

where did you get those needle valves?

I`m running 2 diffusors on my 6 gallon planted tank and i`m having trouble getting the flow between them even, i`m just using a crappy inline tap that you use on normal airline. at the mo but its not that reliable...

 

[JamesC]

Seems an odd way to do it. Should never have 2 needle valves in series. The usual recommended way to do it is from the solenoid attach the splitter. Then from each side of the splitter you attach a needle valve and then NRV. This allows you to control each needle valve separately without affecting the other. You can buy many-way adapters so you can run several tanks from one cylinder, but you have to buy a needle valve for each line.

James

 

[Dave Spencer]

Seems an odd way to do it. Should never have 2 needle valves in series.

Fully appreciate this James, but there was no way I could see to get the T piece between the Aquamas solenoid and needle valve without complicating things. If anybody wants to run the needle valves in parallel they will need to fit an inline needle valve on each of the two outlets of the T piece, wind the Aquamas needle valve open and control each leg using the inline needle valves.

We have a lot of air operated instruments and valves at work that use this less than ideal situation, but it is sometimes a case of as needs must.

Anybody with any good or better ideas is more than welcome to add them. Knowledge is for sharing, after all.

Dave.

 

[Themuleous]

Interesting idea Dave, would be interested to see how it works out. I would imagine its cheap too?

If it were me though I would have got one of these, which given the kit your got would be easy to attach.

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

Sam, I spent three years in Germany and I am still rubbish at the lingo. It looks a good bit of kit, but is the black knob a control for a needle valve? If it is then it is a good option. I am just on a bit of a downer with Aquamas at the moment.

Dave.

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh as with the single ones the big black knob works the bubble rate for one side with the smaller silver knob for the other bubble rate.

Given your recent experience with Aquamas I ordered my new reg (as I recently found that the Aquamedic one I've got leaks and managed to empty a 12lb pub cylinder in 7weeks!) from Lunapet

Sam