CO2 Regulators

[jda]

I have used Tunze, AquaTek, m3, carbondoser and others. Also have a SS liquid filled dual stage Victor with some other fancy stuff on it that was over $1000 that I got used from a guy getting out. None of them have ever dumped on me and the only real difference is the quality and ease of the needle valve. I have run out of gas for 20 years about 2-3 times per year on each tank.

I have a few extras laying around, but if I was buying new, I would just get a Tunze... nice blend of price and performance.

 

[enb141]

I have used Tunze, AquaTek, m3, carbondoser and others. Also have a SS liquid filled dual stage Victor with some other fancy stuff on it that was over $1000 that I got used from a guy getting out. None of them have ever dumped on me and the only real difference is the quality and ease of the needle valve. I have run out of gas for 20 years about 2-3 times per year on each tank.

I have a few extras laying around, but if I was buying new, I would just get a Tunze... nice blend of price and performance.

I have a Tunze for my planted tank, which I don't like, the needle valve is crappy and also since that one is a single stage (dual gauge), after my tank is about to get empty, pretty much all the CO2 gets out in a few days/hours.

 

[ReefLab]

My GLA single stage did well on my planted tank. Didn't dump when it emptied once or twice (and even if a tank does dump you'll have a co2 controller on it so it won't matter).
I'd still go with a single stage with what I know now. especially with that controller

 

[enb141]

My GLA single stage did well on my planted tank. Didn't dump when it emptied once or twice (and even if a tank does dump you'll have a co2 controller on it so it won't matter).
I'd still go with a single stage with what I know now. especially with that controller

Your GLA was easy to setup and didn't dump air when adjusting the needle valve?

 

[ReefLab]

Your GLA was easy to setup and didn't dump air when adjusting the needle valve?

Super easy. The “dump” people talk about happens when there is only a small amount of CO2 left but it all dumps at one time. that didn’t happen and I let it run empty at least once.

 

[X-37B]

Take a look at these.
This is where I got mine.
They are quality and worth every penny.
Nice price too!

Dual Stage Stainless CO2 Regulator, CGA320, CARx, Planted Aquarium, Swagelok | eBay

This custom build is made with quality components and designed to last decades. Add your own CO2 tank, 1/4” tubing, bubble counter, check valve, CARx or CO2 reactor/diffuser. This system is perfect for all CO2 systems: Calcium Reactor, Freshwater reactor, diffuser or atomizer systems (DIY, Rex...

www.ebay.com

Dual Stage 0-50 PSI CO2 Regulator, CGA320, CARx, Planted Aquarium, Swagelok | eBay

This custom build is made with quality components and designed to last decades. Add your own CO2 tank, 1/4” tubing, bubble counter, check valve, CARx or CO2 reactor/diffuser. Reach out if you would rather this system include 1/4” flexible poly tubing for planted aquarium use.

www.ebay.com

 

[enb141]

Take a look at these.
This is where I got mine.
They are quality and worth every penny.
Nice price too!

Dual Stage Stainless CO2 Regulator, CGA320, CARx, Planted Aquarium, Swagelok | eBay

This custom build is made with quality components and designed to last decades. Add your own CO2 tank, 1/4” tubing, bubble counter, check valve, CARx or CO2 reactor/diffuser. This system is perfect for all CO2 systems: Calcium Reactor, Freshwater reactor, diffuser or atomizer systems (DIY, Rex...

www.ebay.com

Dual Stage 0-50 PSI CO2 Regulator, CGA320, CARx, Planted Aquarium, Swagelok | eBay

This custom build is made with quality components and designed to last decades. Add your own CO2 tank, 1/4” tubing, bubble counter, check valve, CARx or CO2 reactor/diffuser. Reach out if you would rather this system include 1/4” flexible poly tubing for planted aquarium use.

www.ebay.com

I'm not saying that are overpriced, they are pretty good, high quality ones, the problem is that right now, due to COVID I'm starving, I won't be able to afford them in the foreseeable future, so meanwhile I need something cheap that works, Tunze didn't work to me, so I'm looking for something else.

 

[X-37B]

I'm not saying that are overpriced, they are pretty good, high quality ones, the problem is that right now, due to COVID I'm starving, I won't be able to afford them in the foreseeable future, so meanwhile I need something cheap that works, Tunze didn't work to me, so I'm looking for something else.

I understand but this is not a compoment you want to go cheap on.
Why not just replace the needle valve with a better high quality one?
You could ask Roger at Tunze here.

 

[enb141]

I understand but this is not a compoment you want to go cheap on.
Why not just replace the needle valve with a better high quality one?
You could ask Roger at Tunze here.

Is not just the Needle Valve, it also has the "dump" issue, if it had only the Needle Valve issue, then I would be buying just the Needle Valve and problem solved but the "dump" issue can't be fixed because is single stage, in a reef tank for Calcium Reactor doesn't matter that much because the controller can sort of fix it but in my planted tank is annoying to be checking it pretty much every day.

I need a second unit because I need a second one for my reef tank, I wanna build a DIY calcium reactor and the most expensive part is the CO2 Regulator, I was thinking to use the crappy Tunze, since I'm gonna use a DIY controller, the dump wouldn't be so bad, but I still will need a second one for my planted tank.

 

[X-37B]

Is not just the Needle Valve, it also has the "dump" issue, if it had only the Needle Valve issue, then I would be buying just the Needle Valve and problem solved but the "dump" issue can't be fixed because is single stage, in a reef tank for Calcium Reactor doesn't matter that much because the controller can sort of fix it but in my planted tank is annoying to be checking it pretty much every day.

I need a second unit because I need a second one for my reef tank, I wanna build a DIY calcium reactor and the most expensive part is the CO2 Regulator, I was thinking to use the crappy Tunze, since I'm gonna use a DIY controller, the dump wouldn't be so bad, but I still will need a second one for my planted tank.

Got it! Also, you dont need a controller to run a carx. I dont use one and its the way to go, imo.

 

[enb141]

Got it! Also, you dont need a controller to run a carx. I dont use one and its the way to go, imo.

I bet you got a pretty good and stable CO2 regulator, without that, specially with my crappy Tunze regulator, definitively I will need a controller.

Let's say the controller is your insurance.

 

[jda]

What you are describing is not a dump and just what happens between the time that the last tiny droplet of co2 goes from liquid to gas... the tank just does not last long after that. The same thing happens with a dual stage regulator.

Dump is when the regulator cannot handle the pressure of the tank and lets in too much gas slip by without control. This is not possible with the end of tank since the pressure instantly goes down when there is no more liquid co2 in the tank.

Again, in 20 years of running single stage (and dual stage) regulators, there has never been an issue with this when the tank gets empty.

Send me a PM if you want to get rid of you crappy tunze and I will use it for a decade or two.

I use all of the crappy single stage regulators that I listed above and I have no controller. You could not pay me to use a pH controller on a Calcium Reactor... just makes them less efficient and less reliable and I have to pay extra for both of these things.

 

[X-37B]

I bet you got a pretty good and stable CO2 regulator, without that, specially with my crappy Tunze regulator, definitively I will need a controller.

Let's say the controller is your insurance.

Yea here is my regulator that I trust above any controller which have their own issues.
It is the heart of my system.

 

[enb141]

What you are describing is not a dump and just what happens between the time that the last tiny droplet of co2 goes from liquid to gas... the tank just does not last long after that. The same thing happens with a dual stage regulator.

Dump is when the regulator cannot handle the pressure of the tank and lets in too much gas slip by without control. This is not possible with the end of tank since the pressure instantly goes down when there is no more liquid co2 in the tank.

Again, in 20 years of running single stage (and dual stage) regulators, there has never been an issue with this when the tank gets empty.

Send me a PM if you want to get rid of you crappy tunze and I will use it for a decade or two.

I use all of the crappy single stage regulators that I listed above and I have no controller. You could not pay me to use a pH controller on a Calcium Reactor... just makes them less efficient and less reliable and I have to pay extra for both of these things.

Ok, then I'll explain what happens to my Tunze, for the first days you need to graduate it because it can release too much CO2 or too little, after that stays stable for about 3/4 months, then it becomes unstable, instead of releasing 3 bubbles per second, it releases a steam (30 or more bubbles) per second.

I would sell it but I live in Guatemala, so the shipping costs would be prohibitive expensive.

 

[enb141]

Yea here is my regulator that I trust above any controller which have their own issues.
It is the heart of my system.

Nice Beauty, so if you don't use a controller, at least you need to check the ph internally.

 

[X-37B]

Nice Beauty, so if you don't use a controller, at least you need to check the ph internally.

No I never check the internal ph of my reactor.
Set bubble count and effluent flow to achive 20+ dkh and thats about it.
It is the simplest way to run a carx.
I did check effluent ph once and it was 6.5.
I also run manmade media and not coral bones.

 

[enb141]

No I never check the internal ph of my reactor.
Set bubble count and effluent flow to achive 20+ dkh and thats about it.
It is the simplest way to run a carx.
I did check effluent ph once and it was 6.5.
I also run manmade media and not coral bones.

AFAIK manmade media doesn't contains trace elements, only basic Calcium and Alkalinity.

On other threads and videos that I've read/watch, people say that you have to change your effluent or change your internal ph in order to make it to work, for example if your consumption increases, then you need a higher effluent but keeping the same ph, and also another guy from (rc) says that the best way for him to get a stable system was by using a continuous dosing pump (kamoer for example), keep always the same ph and then only change the effluent according to the demand of your tank.

As far as I understood, your method is to check the effluent dkh and that's it?

 

[X-37B]

AFAIK manmade media doesn't contains trace elements, only basic Calcium and Alkalinity.

On other threads and videos that I've read/watch, people say that you have to change your effluent or change your internal ph in order to make it to work, for example if your consumption increases, then you need a higher effluent but keeping the same ph, and also another guy from (rc) says that the best way for him to get a stable system was by using a continuous dosing pump (kamoer for example), keep always the same ph and then only change the effluent according to the demand of your tank.

As far as I understood, your method is to check the effluent dkh and that's it?

Yes but not exactly.
I target 7-7.5 dkh.
I run Tunze media.
Currently my bpm, bubbles per minute is 50 and efflient is 40ml a minute a d this keeps my dkh in range.
I measure effleuent with a graduated cylinder.
I run a Tunze carx. It has no feed pump and you adjust the effluent to achieve the ml per minute you want.
Checkout the person you quoted above, jda, he has many posts that explains how to setup a carx this way.
He does not run manmade media but the process is the same.
A hand tuned carx will not affect your tanks ph at all.
Also I dose trace elements.

Changing the amoumt of bubbles changes the ph you just dont need to monitor it as you control it from the needle valve.

 

[jda]

There is a document on my signature about how to tune a reactor by hand. Even if you are going to use a controller, learn how first so that you can undo any issues that come about.

 

[enb141]

There is a document on my signature about how to tune a reactor by hand. Even if you are going to use a controller, learn how first so that you can undo any issues that come about.

Thanks I read your document, and from what I've watch/read somewhere else they say that you shouldn't push water to the Carx, instead you should "swallow" from the effluent in order to void clogging / leaking.

In order to do what you do, at least in my case, I would need a good "stable" CO2 Regulator, at least from my experience, I can't trust the Tunze for a carx, I don't wanna wake up one morning and see all the mud in the whole tank because my tunze decided to release 200 bubbles per minute overnight (it does that right now in my planted tank when the CO2 tank has 30% left of CO2).