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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 26, 2014 10:54:02 GMT -5
hey everyone have had my pressurized co2 up and running for 2 weeks now, bottle was a 900 psi when i hooked it up and this morning i checked and its at just under 500 psi ! is that even possible on a 29 gallon tank ? checked with soapy water for leaks and found none put the entire hose in a bucket of water and nothing any ideas should i shut it of to avoid eotd?
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Post by gabor129 on Jan 26, 2014 15:41:47 GMT -5
I am not sure what are people running the co2 tanks at, but that seems a bit off! I would send a pm to Admin, or Rainbowfish Allan they are knowledgeable about the pressurized Co2 units!
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 26, 2014 21:03:55 GMT -5
well just to share how my day went, after monitoring my co2 tank all day to make sure theres no dumping (tank holding steady at 500 psi, I sat down to watch tv cause co2 shuts off at 8pm at 730 i went to check tank OH NO down around 300 psi look in the tank platys are all at the top botias loaches algae eaters are all laying on their sides at the bottom, PANIC MODE !!!!!! DRAIN 30% power head and filter output churn up the water for about an hour added air stone. My biggest fear was eotd when I added co2 and wouldn't you know it 2 weeks in and i gas my fish! Well I'm happy to report I never lost a single fish! so I guess today was a good day after all, for anyone whos interested the reg is an aqua-tek.
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Post by lesfromlakeshore on Jan 26, 2014 21:11:51 GMT -5
Damn, talk about a stressful day . Sorry you had to go though all this but at least it sounds like the fish will be alright. Really wish I could help but I haven't ventured into the high tech planted tanks yet.
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 26, 2014 21:16:46 GMT -5
Damn, talk about a stressful day . Sorry you had to go though all this but at least it sounds like the fish will be alright. Really wish I could help but I haven't ventured into the high tech planted tanks yet. Thanks Les, maybe I shouldn't have ventured into it yet either...lol |
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Post by Rainbowfish Alan on Jan 26, 2014 21:28:06 GMT -5
Watch your fish carefully over the next few days. Keep the surface agitation high and co2 low. On occasions when I've overdosed co2, it seemed that the effects on the fish lingered for a while and I lost a couple a few days later.
My 10lb cylinder stays at about 750 psi until the tank is virtually empty then the pressure drops off rapidly. Two weeks is VERY soon to empty a cylinder. Either your cylinder is very small, or you are dosing far too much co2. Considering the effect on the fish, it must be the latter. Do you have a bubble counter and drop checker? They will help you get a handle on things, until then definitely turn down your needle valve.
EOTD is best avoided by having a dual stage regulator. But they are pricey. I've been running a single stage regulator and I get very nervous toward the end of the cylinder. I have my cylinder permanently on a bathroom scale, which helps me predict when it will run out. I've just ordered a dual stage regulator and hopefully that will lessen the risk.
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Post by gabor129 on Jan 26, 2014 21:42:02 GMT -5
I figured someone with more knowledge will answer this post! Sorry to hear about your fish! I was not even thinking of the size of the tank and the "dumping" of the CO2 when the tank gets low! Very good points!
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 26, 2014 21:44:54 GMT -5
I have a bubble counter(4bps) and drop checker all was fine today until it dumped and went to bright yellow lol it is a 5 lb tank and i was figuring on at least 2 1/2 months I running a aqua-tek single stage with adjustable reg, have you ever gotten a tank that wasnt full? its my only explanation of what might have happened.
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Post by Rainbowfish Alan on Jan 26, 2014 21:52:33 GMT -5
4 bps in my opinion is quite high, but there are so many factors at play that it's not out of the ballpark high. As mentioned in my pm, I think sometimes tanks may be underfilled a bit, but not by that much. Try using a bathroom scale and I still suggest fewer bps. According to what I've read, more fish have been lost through co2 poisening than almost anything else (ref Tom Barr).
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 26, 2014 22:02:55 GMT -5
would it make a difference what pressure i was running it at ? was running bout 30 psi.
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Post by fin on Jan 26, 2014 23:44:58 GMT -5
happy everything worked out well for you. that's what I am always afraid of "the regulator failing", that's why I stay with the yeast and sugar system. a little more work but much safer.
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Post by Admin on Jan 27, 2014 22:33:21 GMT -5
That is way too much to drop in short amount of time. 30 PSI is high depending on what you are using to diffuse the Co2. If its an atomizer than no its not high (thats what I run mine at), but if you are using a normal diffuser or airstone, thats way too high. Remember Co2 is temperature sensitive, I have found great swings between the day I get my 10Lb tank filled and the day after as the Co2 must get to room temperature to give you an accurate picture of whats in the tank.
I agree with Alan that 4bps is way too much for a 29 gallon and drop checkers are very delayed in their reading so alot of times when its yellow you've overdosed long before that.
Make sure your needle valve is not slowly allowing more Co2 to pass and I would recommend a dual stage regulator if it is an option. If you are 100% sure its not a leak at any point than theres something else going on forsure.
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 28, 2014 4:53:44 GMT -5
That is way too much to drop in short amount of time. 30 PSI is high depending on what you are using to diffuse the Co2. If its an atomizer than no its not high (thats what I run mine at), but if you are using a normal diffuser or airstone, thats way too high. Remember Co2 is temperature sensitive, I have found great swings between the day I get my 10Lb tank filled and the day after as the Co2 must get to room temperature to give you an accurate picture of whats in the tank. I agree with Alan that 4bps is way too much for a 29 gallon and drop checkers are very delayed in their reading so alot of times when its yellow you've overdosed long before that. Make sure your needle valve is not slowly allowing more Co2 to pass and I would recommend a dual stage regulator if it is an option. If you are 100% sure its not a leak at any point than theres something else going on forsure. I'm using a rhinox 5000 glass diffuser, what would you suggest my pressure be when using that? |
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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2014 17:17:32 GMT -5
For a diffuser like that all you need is enough to start seeing it diffuse Co2 (white mist/bubbles). Should only take 5-10PSI
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Post by uncleglenny on Jan 28, 2014 17:50:18 GMT -5
well just to update, got my fresh tank today hooked it up and checked for leaks, to my surprise I found the reg was leaking where the cga post connects to the body took it all apart replace the orings and still leaked, took all apart and used original orings and viola all sealed up. presently I am running it at about 12lbs with a bubble count of 2-3 bps, so far 2 1/2 hours and drop checker hasn't changed, should i up bps or just wait?
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