Best Co2 regulators,selenoid, etc?
- Thread starter Woodstock
- Start date
prow
Well-Known Member
wow, what pain. you have to fill the bubble chamber? do you have to do this everytime you refill the media? dose the viscousness of the fliud effect the CO2 flow? do you need to adjust the pressure and/or flow of the CO2 as teh bottle gets low?
sounds like i got lucky and got a good regulator included in the pkg deal when i bought my reactor. the reef fanatic deluxe regulator i have is great. even when i change up the media i do not have to readjust anything, but if i did its just one knob to turn for adjustments, no bubble chamber filling or anythinglike that. though it does have one.
even though this is the only reg i have used, the reef fanatic deluxe regulator is what i would go with. it can not be any eaiser to hook up and adjust, unless of course they have some digital or voice comand regs out there. i have had it for a couple years and its worked perfect.
on refilling CO2 bottle ask around your at one of the LFS. i bring my empty CO2 bottle in and exchange it for a filled bottle. only cost $20 for a 5lb bottle exchange. some i geuss are attached to thier bottle and look to fill them up, my LFS dose not fill them up. they have 5-6 filled bottles there and when they exchange enough bottles they send the out the empties and get them all filled. FYI: at first i asked and they told me know they dont fill CO2 bottles. then i asked where i could get CO2 at. thats when they said we exchange empty bottles for filled ones:smck: the moral of the story, ask if they switch out bottle not fill them.
sounds like i got lucky and got a good regulator included in the pkg deal when i bought my reactor. the reef fanatic deluxe regulator i have is great. even when i change up the media i do not have to readjust anything, but if i did its just one knob to turn for adjustments, no bubble chamber filling or anythinglike that. though it does have one.
even though this is the only reg i have used, the reef fanatic deluxe regulator is what i would go with. it can not be any eaiser to hook up and adjust, unless of course they have some digital or voice comand regs out there. i have had it for a couple years and its worked perfect.
on refilling CO2 bottle ask around your at one of the LFS. i bring my empty CO2 bottle in and exchange it for a filled bottle. only cost $20 for a 5lb bottle exchange. some i geuss are attached to thier bottle and look to fill them up, my LFS dose not fill them up. they have 5-6 filled bottles there and when they exchange enough bottles they send the out the empties and get them all filled. FYI: at first i asked and they told me know they dont fill CO2 bottles. then i asked where i could get CO2 at. thats when they said we exchange empty bottles for filled ones:smck: the moral of the story, ask if they switch out bottle not fill them.
GiantRedEyeball
New Member
The fluid in the bubble counter should be a one time fill. The only way that fluid could get out is evaporation if its water, or if the CO2 goes so fast it blows it out, or you spill it. The fluid is that viscous because it slows the bubble/CO2 exiting the regulator making it more manageable to control the amount of CO2 exiting this is by design. The one thing I find with CO2 use is the metal in the regulator changes size with the pressure in atmosphere so the stream of bubbles increases or decreases so there is frequent "adjusting". I find it especially prevalent when high or low pressure fronts are coming in. Its more difficult to manage the CO2 output with less sensitive regulators like the Milwaukee, but it is possible. I no longer use a Milwaukee regulator so do not need the bubble counter solution, I just use RO in my bubble counter now now. I hope this info helps.
Melev
Member
Refilling the bubble counter takes all of 60 seconds. You don't even have to turn off the CO2 to do the task. I've had to fill mine up two or three times a year, but the new fluid I got is very recent and I don't know how long that will last.
The bubble counter on my calcium reactor is very erratic and a pain to count, so I use the one on the regulator.
Years ago, Reef Fanatic had a booth at MACNA and all their gear looked like quality merchandise. Glad to hear it is as good as it looks.
Filling up CO2 bottles is easy. You can ask your local liquor store or run up to the local welding supply to get it refilled. Filling up a 20lb tank and 5lb tank at my liquor store cost $25 last time I was there.
The bubble counter on my calcium reactor is very erratic and a pain to count, so I use the one on the regulator.
Years ago, Reef Fanatic had a booth at MACNA and all their gear looked like quality merchandise. Glad to hear it is as good as it looks.
Filling up CO2 bottles is easy. You can ask your local liquor store or run up to the local welding supply to get it refilled. Filling up a 20lb tank and 5lb tank at my liquor store cost $25 last time I was there.
It sounds like the cost to fill the co2 tank is going to be very inexpensive!
I expect to get at least.... 6 months out of a 5lb tank.
Yep... my 10lb lasted for one year.
I also followed Boomers advice and added Zeomag to my calcium reactor. Great results using it!
prow
Well-Known Member
lol, same here but i have a 5lb bottle. it lasts a good 6+ months. i have a kalk reactor also and had issue with low Mg, Boomer suggested the Zeomag and now its just right. FYI i fill my Ca reactor with 97% Ca media and 3% Zeomag by volume not weight. you have to be careful on the Mg media because it contains double the Alk as Ca media.