WickedOdie Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 So I have a Co2 tank set up with a regulator controlling my 90 gallon planted tank. I'm having trouble with keeping pressure. It all works up to my needle valve. When it's closed, not allowing Co2 to move through it builds up pressure. Once I open the valve, the pressure drops and the tank dumps until it reaches the lowest pressure i set it at, which is about 10 CFH. This however is not the pressure I set the regulator at, The regulator when the needle valve is closed sits at around 25 CFH. Now... From the needle valve my ADA Co2 tubing goes up into a Fluval Co2 bubble counter. From three it leaves once again using my ADA Co2 tubing goes into my store bought reactor. Water Plant System is the make I do believe. It is then mixed in with my water. I've checked everything for leaks, I can't find anything. I don't understand the drop in pressure. I can't set anything higher than 1 bubble per second. It's something after the regulator. I do have a bubble counter coming from china that actually hooks onto the needle valve itself. So all in all, when the solenoid is off, it builds up pressure, as soon as the solenoid gets power, the tank dumps until my regulator loses pressure. It's not a huge dump, but it's not consistent. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 what regulator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blink Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 What is CFH? PSI is pressure measurement. I set my regulator to 30 PSI and it doesn't vary no matter what you do to the needle valve because the regulator is what controls the pressure, not the needle valve. If your regulator won't hold the set pressure then your regulator is probably defective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedOdie Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Cubic feet per hour. I'm going to take it back as soon as the new one I ordered comes in. I'm stuck with 1 bubble per second for now. Hah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blink Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Ah, well that's why it reads funny, it's reading flow not pressure. There's no way you'll flow enough CO2 in a properly adjusted aquarium to register on a flow gauge. You can replace the flow gauge with a pressure gauge (about $14 at princess auto) if you intend to keep the regulator. In the meantime you can increase the pressure a little at a time until you can consistently achieve your desired bubble rate, you just won't have an accurate gauge reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedOdie Posted September 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 That's the thing, whenever I set the flow and the bubble count, after a while the flow will be reduced and my bubble count goes down. I can't set a steady bubble count. I ordered a Milwaukee and imma take this one back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vimmer Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Yeah that sounds like a pooched regulator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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