I have been trying to set up a tank with CO2 but if i run more than 2 bubbles per sec my 5lb tank drains in less than 2 weeks and with a 55 g tank I cant get the co2 above 15ppm with less. Should my tank be draining that fast? Is there a cheap place to get refills in this area? Laurel bottle co went out of business.
CO2 issues
- Thread starter rivka25
- Start date
FishEggs
Well-Known Member
How much surface agitation do you have going on? Are you using an air stone or hang on back filter?
bossanova
Members
Doesn’t sound right, at all. Google Robert’s Oxygen, many locations in the area.
Pumps have spraybars, but they are below the surface, pointed 45 degrees down. No airstone or hob.
IndianaSam
CCA Members
I used to run CO2 on my 55 gallon tank with one of those paint ball CO2 canister setups. I would get way more than 2 weeks out of a bottle so it sounds like you might have a leak or something.
Becca
Members
What regulator are you using? Any chance you blew it when you opened your CO2 canister? You need tp have it all the way down (turn dial to the left/ counterclockwise until loose), connect it to the canister, and slowly turn the canister on. Coat the connections with soapy water and check for escaping bubbles.
What are you using as a diffuser?
Are you using a permaseal and teflon tape?
What are you using as a diffuser?
Are you using a permaseal and teflon tape?
Azoo regulator, no dial to turn (set pressure) adjust bubbles with the needle valve, and it goes from no to 10bps in less than a quarter turn. Ceramic diffuser, directly under intake, - bubble counter is part of diffuser to avoid extra breaks in line. I alway turn it on very slowly as i have been using Big co2 Or nitrogen tanks daily at work for the past 15 years (The equipment we use drains a full tank in 12 hours) It is just odd behavior. I recently switched to higher bubble rate during the day but sollinoid closed at night. Could the sollinoid switch itself leak?
i am not sure what permaseal is. I have had discussions with gas guys about teflon tape, i was told not to use it as small bits of it could clog the regulator, the main purpose is to keep the threads from fusing and stripping not to actually seal. -not sure about this.
Becca
Members
Solenoids can go bad, yeah. Post on www.gwapa.org. Nick Kinser is really good at diagnosing regulator issues.
bossanova
Members
It could also be time to replace the tubing? I hear that common airline hose isn’t suitable for co2, although that isn’t my experience
JLW
CCA Members
There's a really simple way to test this. Mix liquid soap with water until its soupy -- and coat your connections (obvs, don't get it in the electronics). If it bubbles up, there's gas coming through it.
I would strongly recommend getting a permaseal.
www.homebrewing.org
greenleafaquariums.com
They're a couple of bucks, and they replace the cheap felt washer that the gas guys give you. Those leak. They're awful. Get a permaseal. I've never used teflon on the connections for a gas cylinder, but you certainly CAN. If you properly wrap the threads, there's no way that any can get into the solenoid -- you simply want to make sure that you've wrapped it in a single, smooth layer, and don't have any bits hanging out.
I would strongly recommend getting a permaseal.
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greenleafaquariums.com
They're a couple of bucks, and they replace the cheap felt washer that the gas guys give you. Those leak. They're awful. Get a permaseal. I've never used teflon on the connections for a gas cylinder, but you certainly CAN. If you properly wrap the threads, there's no way that any can get into the solenoid -- you simply want to make sure that you've wrapped it in a single, smooth layer, and don't have any bits hanging out.
cabinetmkr39
DavidG / CCA Member
Sound like a leaking seal I found you really need to crank down on the nut to make it seal. check the nut is tite from time to time. Real tite
Well i got a new tank, hookedverything up and soap tested. I saw no bubbles, set it to 2bps and walked away 15 min later, no more bubbles, the second pressure guage (set to 40 at the factory) is wobbling between 30 and 50. I can hear a faint inttermittant clicking noise, softer than solenoid.
clearly a leak somewhere, do replace the whole regulator ?
clearly a leak somewhere, do replace the whole regulator ?
JLW
CCA Members
It sounds like a mechanical problem in the system. I would just replace it. You can try to figure out if its solenoid or whatever, but... They're not so expensive to take the risk.
