How often can I adjust my needle valve?

[Erk]

So I think I have everything under control now....my xp3 doesnt leak now that the reactor is dedicated to the xp1. I have a good bit of surface movement, using both spray bar attachments...my whole back wall of the tank is lined with them now! :lol:

My question is, how often can I raise the bubble count? Like a lil bit daily, towards the end of the photoperiod, as long as the fishies seem fine at the end of the photoperiod? It stinks for me cause I dont get home until the co2 has been on for about 6.5 hours :? Maybe every other day? Im prolly about 1 bps, maybe a lil faster....no pearling, not even on the riccia floating :( I know things take time, but I have had other issues, besides the filter leaking, so im ready to get back to it

Red sea co2 indicator looks lite blue....maybe greenish by the end of the photoperiod right now :(

Thanks very much :)

[ILLUSN]

You can adjust it as often as you like, with good surface movement plenty of o2 is entering, but also plenty of co2 is escaping, id bring up the bubble rate to at least 2bps proably even go to 3 or 4 with good surface movement. as long as the fish look happy you'll be fine.

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN! I will check them out when I get home today and see how they are, and prolly turn the bubble count up towards the end of my photoperiod tonight.....I really hope I can get these plants to do something! Im getting a tad frustrated with them right now :oops:

Thanks again :D

[ILLUSN]

proably a dumb question but how old are your CF's? they've only really got a lifespan of 9-12 months. i replace 1/2 of mine (2 of my 4x96w) every 4-6 months. as soon i notice they are not as bright as they use to be. also have you added any substrate ferts to your eco complete? i tend to add some clay balls and/or florish tabs every 3 months. bout 2 per plant.

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN....the 96k is prolly 6months old, and the 10k i just put in a lil bit ago, so say.....2-3 months tops. and that isnt on that much throughout the day....only 2 hours...turned the bubble count a lil bit....indicator seems greenish now, its gonna shut off soon :( I do have root sticks under all my rooted plants, and I recently put seachem root tabs in as I rescaped....maybe 2-3 weeks? I dose my dry ferts using EI, this is the second week of it.

I guess some more root tabs could help. I have a box of 10 laying around.....I will chuck them in tomorrow, or after my next water change

Thanks again

[Erk]

What kind of diffuser would be good for my tank? The rhinox 2000 or 5000? I would like to try the reactor and the diffuser, and see what happens. I will get a bubble counter splitter so I can control the flow to each piece of equipment. I was hoping the diffuser would help to increase my chances of my plants pearling

Thanks very much :D

[Erk]

I ordered the rhinox5000 diffuser today, and also a bubble counter splitter. Im curious what do I need to do to the cylinder in order to shut it down, so I can hook up the splitter? Would simply unplugging the selanoid be enough to let me unscrew the regular counter, and hook up the splitter?

Thanks very much

[Erk]

The diffuser and bubble counter splitter arrived today :D :D

Im curious what I need to do to my cylinder, and regulator to hook this splitter up? I can post a picture...its gonna give me two bubble counters on the same reg.

Its a milwaukee reg. Do I need to shut the gas off (the main knob on the cylinder) and what about the black knob on the front of the reg that seems to control the right gauge?

Im just concerned...dont wanna blow up my reg.

Thanks very much!
Eric

[ILLUSN]

turn off your CO2 rig remove the reg altogether, unscrew the bubble counter. the housing that holds the bubble counter and needle valve should screw off, now wrap some teflon tape around the thread of your new splitter and screw into where your old needlevalve/bubble counter was, put the reg back on the cylinder and your done. each of the 2 new bubblecounters has it's own needle valve.

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN....I will check the directions that came with the reg too....I have to make sure if the big black knob on the "front" of the reg. is supposed to be unscrewed or what....I remember something "fishy" there :lol:

I also wanna take this opportunity to put some teflon tape on my threads for the reg. to cylinder connection....forgot that the first time around :roll: :oops:

Im very anxious to get outta work, and go home and mess with this. And since co2 is shut off now anyways...seems like a good time to do it

Thanks again for your help! :D

[fish_r]

turn ur reg off @ the bottle first, then open ur needle valve all the way to release any gas left in the reg, then u can take ur reg off the bottle. just make sure when ur ready to go again too open the black knob till it has no resistance to the spring as per the instructions, then follow the instructions to get ur pressure up to 10lbs again...

[Erk]

Thanks very much fish_r :D

I think I got it.....shouldnt be too tough to do. Im glad I will get to get some teflon tape on that connection as well....cant believe I forgot that the first time around....then I was to concerned about the reg. that I was gonna wait until I got the cylinder filled again...hahaha

Thanks again for your help...will let you know how the pearling goes now with the reactor and diffuser :wink: :lol:

[Erk]

I cant seem to get my bubble counter housing off where it screws into the selanoid?? Does it just unscrew....like Im not using enough muscle?? haha

Thanks guys...sorry im an idiot when it comes to stuff like this

[Erk]

Got it :oops: that was a pain! :wink:

I had to borrow another wrench... :roll:

Thanks tho

[Erk]

Does the selanoid valve need to be mounted in the "normal" way for it to work? Mine is more 90 degrees now, from the way it arrived, but its hard to get that to sit properly and have the bubble counter splitter pointed upwards like "normal" :?

Thanks

[ILLUSN]

Should work fine mine sita at strange angles

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN

Hmmm.....hope I didnt break anything :oops:

Do you have milwaukee regs?

[Erk]

Well I dunno what happened, but the selanoid doesnt click anymore.

I called the manufacturer and they are sending me out a new one, and I should have it hopefully saturday....dunno what to do about co2 in the tank until then tho :(

Thanks

[ILLUSN]

i've got a milwalkee reg as well, without the solenoid you'll have to operate it manually, till your new one arrives

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN,

How do you recommend I go about that? I will have to back off the big black knob on the front of the reg. and then shut the gas off at the bottle?

Its not good to close the needle valves to shut it off manually...correct?

Thanks again...I was really looking forward to checking out the new diffuser :(

[ILLUSN]

I Just turn off the bottle, it gives the gas inside a chance to get out and once you turn the reg back on you dont have to worry about resetting it, funny your solenoid doesnt work, they're tough little things, any chance of a pic of how it sits on the reg?

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN, I will spin the knob to off on the cylinder, and run my airstone 24/7 until the new selanoid arrives. Just to be safe

I know fish_r had an issue with his selanoid on this same reg in the past

Here is the pic you requested....its a mess, and when we move, I may invest in a new stand to put all this equipment into....i didnt know I would be this much into everything when I bought the tank and stand, and now I cant hide ANYTHING! hahaha

Thanks for your help :D
Eric

[ILLUSN]

mine sits in a simalr way and it still works well, i got my reg of glenske who was having trouble with it, again proably a dumb question but it the solenoid sitting thight, as in theres no movement between it and the reg?

[fish_r]

I know fish_r had an issue with his selanoid on this same reg in the past

and i am again with this one Eric :(
i think what happens is water leaks into the solenoid from the bubble counter, so as soon as i can afford it going to get a dupla bubble counter and leave the bubble counter empty that comes with the reg. iv'e now had two solenoids doing the same.
but u can take the solenoid apart and clean/dry the piston in there and dry the housing and use a "little RP7 or WD40" on the piston and it should work ok, at least for a while :roll:
if this reg gives me any more dramas after that i'm going to toss it and get a new one...

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN and fish_r :D


again proably a dumb question but it the solenoid sitting thight, as in theres no movement between it and the reg?

Yes it is very tight, and it was like that the "old" way as well...thats why I said it was a pain to swap the bubble counter for the splitter? Should I try to give it some "slack"



and i am again with this one Eric
i think what happens is water leaks into the solenoid from the bubble counter, so as soon as i can afford it going to get a dupla bubble counter and leave the bubble counter empty that comes with the reg. iv'e now had two solenoids doing the same.

Im sorry to hear this is happening again to you Rob :(

The selanoid was taken apart yesterday, and the piston was pushed back in, so to say, so I can use it again, but not with the timer....but I can simply screw the new one into the silver box when it arrives

You would think with them sending out new ones like this, without any questions that they would work on their design :roll: This thing is 3 months old....4 months max

Thanks again guys...I wonder if putting some wd40 on the new one and letting it dry and then hooking it up would help to prevent this?

[fish_r]

u can use the wd40, but u dont have to let it dry.
but as soon as water gets in there again it will gunk up again and stick...
i think they send out new ones no questions asked cause they know it's a common fault with that particular reg...

[fish_r]

u can use the wd40, but u dont have to let it dry.
but as soon as water gets in there again it will gunk up again and stick...
i think they send out new ones no questions asked cause they know it's a common fault with that particular reg...

when mine sticks i usually give the side of the solenoid a tap with a screwdriver handle and switch it on and off a few times and it un sticks. till next time it's due to go off again anyway

[Erk]

Thank fish_r....I was hitting this selanoid yesterday, and I couldnt get it to click at all....the piston doesnt move at all.

Maybe some teflon tape on the threads in and out of the selanoid?

[fish_r]

i dont think the teflon tape will help this particular problem Eric :(

[Erk]

Darn :(

Well I guess I will hope for the best with this one.

Do they make "other" selanoids that would fit this reg, that you can just swap them? Or is it in the design of how its put together?

I guess I will put in the back of my mind that one day I may have to get a new reg, with a better selanoid :(

Thanks

[fish_r]

u can get other solenoids that will fit the reg Eric
any of these would probably fit...

[fish_r]

http://www.aquariumsuppliesaustralia.com.au/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=54

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r.....may look into those over here, and see the prices....they seem to be about as much as a new reg. on that site :shock: Hope that is different over here :lol:

I may go that route then....seems a lil easier, and hopefully cheaper!

Thanks again :D
Eric

[fish_r]

i would try go for a German solenoid Eric, u should just about be able to get any Co2 solenoid to fit, but u may have to use an adapter depending on the threads...
but i would see how ur new one goes first as u may get lucky and get an ok one...

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r! I will def. wait and see how the new one goes first.

Im waiting on a "Milwaukee Instruments tech support manager" to email me back about if there is anything I can do to help try to prevent this from happening again :roll:

I just told my mother to pick one of these up for her tank, and now Im hoping she wont have the same problem :roll:

I will keep you posted what this tech says about it

Thanks again

[Erk]

I guess they know their selanoids are rather crappy.....I asked what I can do to help prevent this from happening in the future...TWICE, and now the tech isnt writing back, so I guess I cant do anything, but get a better selanoid :?

[fish_r]

cheers for letting me know Eric...

[Erk]

Sure thing Rob....if by some miracle they do write me, I will certainly let you know :)

[Erk]

Ok, so the new selanoid arrived today :D Thankfully!! I needed something good to happen today! Its been a rough one!

Anyways.....this one is different from the original one. The old one had brass fittings that you had to loosen and tighten with a wrench....this new one has fittings like the top of the bubble counters?? They look like they can go on the co2 line or something? I think it will be too heavy for the co2 line?

Anyways, here are the pictures....any advice on how to go about switching these out? I was planning on just changing the black box part of it, and keeping the same silver box part, since that is the hard part to get to, and all it would take is four screws....but if this one will increase my chances of it lasting longer, I would rather do whatever I need to do?

Thanks as always....your a fantastic group! :D
Eric

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p310/erousseau/newselanoid.jpg

[Erk]

There is an A and a B on this new selanoid....no directions :? Im not very bright with this stuff..but I certainly hope it works better! :) :wink:

Shoud A be pointed towards the tank or bubble counter?

Thanks

[Erk]

Also, do I still use a check valve on the co2 line? I guess it should go from bubble counter, to selanoid valve, to check valve to diffuser?

Whats up with this "A" and "B" on the selanoid tho?

Thanks

[fish_r]

Eric, u can undo the 4 silver screws on the solenoid and turn it around so u connect it the same way ur other one was, just becarefull to put it back the way it came apart.
i would advise not to use the bubble counter that comes with the reg. mine was sticking really bad again so i stripped it down "again" and the solenoid/piston had a fair bit of water in it again. iv'e since cleaned the solenoid parts all out again and dried everything and put it back together again. now i'm leaving the bubble counter on the reg dry and have fitted a sepperate bubble counter above with a check valve so that no water can enter the solenoid valve.
HTH
Rob...

[Erk]

Thanks Rob

I still have the "old" selanoid inline with the bubble counter on the reg. Im using the new selanoid inline on the co2 tubing, and I have a check valve before and after the selanoid. So far, so good

the "A" is on the reg side and the "B" is on the tank side

Im using the bubble counter that came with the new splitter, and since I have disconnected the reactor, the old bubble counter that came with the reg isnt "active". I also have teflon tape on the threads on the bubble counters. The bubble counter that came with the splitter, has an approximate 1/8" barb that sticks out into the counter, and thats where the bubbles come out....its def. different from the old bubble counter that isnt in use right now

Thanks very much for your help....I hope this works
Eric