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Re: Copper tubing & swords

Lennart Eden <le.e at privat_utfors.se> wrote:
> Subject: Copper tubing & swords
> Is copper tubing a good alternative for delivering CO2 from a
> regulator to the tank? With a piece of silicone hose going into
> the water. I've got quite a distance, and a concrete wall, between
> where I want to put the CO2 bottle and where the tanks are. I
> intend to have separate needle valves and bubble counters for each
> tank but I'm not sure what would be the best place to put them.
> Close to the bottle or close to the tank? If I place the needle
> valves and bubble counters close to the bottle, will the CO2 and
> water from the bubble counter verdigrise the copper tubing and
> bring copper into the tank?

Alec had a good point with the carbonic acid corroding the tubing 
via condensation, aquarium water, etc. 

Sometimes, as in my case, I had no choice but to use copper 
tubing. I have it running from the regulator to the needle valve. It's 
only about 2 foot long. From the needle valve to the tank is straight 
silicone tubing with a glass "J" end feeding into my filter intake. I've 
never noticed any condensation, or any other liquid, in the copper 
tubing. I've also not noticed any Cu levels higher than 0.010ppm in 
my tank. It's been running in the present configuration for nearly 
three years now. 

If you do use the tubing, it might be worth it to wrap the tubing with 
insulation of some type to prevent condensation, especially if 
you're storing the CO2 tank/regulator in a different temperature 
room than the aquarium is in. Luckily, my tank is right next to the 
aquarium.

Polypropylene tubing is pretty tough stuff and it's mostly inert. It 
may work to alleviate any worries. 

As where to put the valves, I think closer to the tank may be more 
convienent. As long as you have positive pressure on the system, 
there shouldn't be any water creeping back into the needle valve. 
For my system, there's only enough pressure from the valve to 
cause a bubble every second. If the valve was further away, like in 
another room, as in your case, tweeking the valve may be a little 
more difficult because of the distance.

Jamie    <"\\\><  Aquatic plants, water chemistry, and cichlids
                  http://www.ais-gwd.com/~jjirons