Co2 equip. -- good/bad

Pockets

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Mar 13, 2007
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Ok there are a few brands of equiptment out there and I know for a fact that with products like these some are good and some are bad.

Will someone who has had experience please tell me what brand name of Regulator/Solinoid/Check Valve/Bubble Counter are the good ones and which are advised to stay away from.

Example Brands:


  1. Victor
  2. Aqua Medic
  3. Aqualine Buschke
  4. Azoo
  5. JBJ
  6. Milwaukee

Just want to say that I do not care the least bit about how much the product cost I only care about the reputation that the brand has for making a quality precision product.


tnx

:D
 

sherry

Guru Class Expert
Feb 23, 2006
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Tom likes Victor for regulators, and has actually gone through a lot of this in recent threads.. just do a search. He recently told me that he likes Rex Grigg's solenoids and check valves (Rex is a hobbiest who also sells co2 gear.)
 

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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As Sherry mentioned :D
Light duty CO2 inert gas reg.

I like the tygon tubing from Aquaculture Supplies, Pond Supplies, Lake Aeration, Aquarium Supplies, Orlando, Florida. (1/8" ID).
I like the Nice Nupro metering valves, but findign the fittings I like is harder.
The other option that is very nice are the valves from Aquacave, they are 21" and have a nice big black easy to turn knob and have a nice big 1/8" threaded male end that makes leaking a thing of the past(unlike clippards tiny little 10-32 threads)

Not much more but a lot nicer IMO/IME also.

CO2 disc, Rhinox are hard to beta for the $$$.
Reactors, DIY them yourself.
Easy to make, save you 50-60$.
Venturis are good for larger tanks(25-35$ etc).

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

VaughnH

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Jan 24, 2005
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Last week I learned something new about CO2 equipment. My tank ran out of CO2 again, having lasted far too short a time. I refilled it, reinstalled it, tightening the nut to the tank as tight as I could with a 12" wrench, and using a new nylon washer. I wondered about that nut later, because when I removed the cylinder to get it refilled, the nut didn't seem to be tight enough. So about 4 hours later I tried to tighten it again - it was almost loose! I tightened it as hard as I could, again. Next morning I again checked it - almost loose! I again tightened it as tight as I could, and late in the day found it to still be tight.

What I think the problem is, and what may be causing us to "use" so much CO2, is that the newly filled bottle is extremely cold, and remains cold for several hours. As it warms up it apparently loosens the connection to the regulator. So, our routine procedure needs to be to retighten that big nut at least every day for 3 or 4 days after we install the newly filled tank.

I had already discovered that the CO2 bubble rate will not stabilize for that long, probably due to the cold, so I routinely readjust it for a few days now.

Like most everything in this hobby, there is always something new to learn.
 

Naja002

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Apr 15, 2006
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VaughnH;16516 said:
Last week I learned something new about CO2 equipment. My tank ran out of CO2 again, having lasted far too short a time. I refilled it, reinstalled it, tightening the nut to the tank as tight as I could with a 12" wrench, and using a new nylon washer. I wondered about that nut later, because when I removed the cylinder to get it refilled, the nut didn't seem to be tight enough. So about 4 hours later I tried to tighten it again - it was almost loose! I tightened it as hard as I could, again. Next morning I again checked it - almost loose! I again tightened it as tight as I could, and late in the day found it to still be tight.

What I think the problem is, and what may be causing us to "use" so much CO2, is that the newly filled bottle is extremely cold, and remains cold for several hours. As it warms up it apparently loosens the connection to the regulator. So, our routine procedure needs to be to retighten that big nut at least every day for 3 or 4 days after we install the newly filled tank.

I had already discovered that the CO2 bubble rate will not stabilize for that long, probably due to the cold, so I routinely readjust it for a few days now.

Like most everything in this hobby, there is always something new to learn.

Great Info! I just swapped out my 2 tanks last week. Just checked them now and added a Good Half-Turn+ to each one!

Wondering if it has something to do with the compression of the washers.......?

Thanx!
 

Pockets

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Mar 13, 2007
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VaughnH;16516 said:
So, our routine procedure needs to be to retighten that big nut at least every day for 3 or 4 days after we install the newly filled tank.

.... the CO2 bubble rate will not stabilize for that long, probably due to the cold, so I routinely readjust it for a few days now.

Thanks, thats great info for a n00b at Co2 like myself. Its always nice to know what to expect on ones first experiance of using something like this "Co2 injection stuff"!
 

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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Never use a freshly fill CO2 tank!

Give them 1-2 days at least.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

sherry

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Feb 23, 2006
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is that because they won't stay tight or is there another reason to avoid fresly filled tanks -- I've got one.. so I've been guilty of this three times.
 

VaughnH

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I always hook up my freshly filled tank as soon as I get it. It is very, very cold at the time. But, then I have to retighten the connection between the tank and regulator every few hours as it slowly warms up, for two days. Also, the bubble rate drops back to zero in about an hour each time I set it for a couple of days. So, I have to readjust it every hour or so. Actually, it is the regulator output pressure that is dropping, so I just crank it back up to 20+ psi every hour or so. After two days it stays very constant, and the connection to the tank remains very tight.