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Needle Valve Trouble? / Grey Slime



I'm including both of these topics in one post as they
may be related.  

First, the needle valve.  I have a kegworks.com
regulator (will go with M3 next time - kegworks
employee said I was "pissing him off" when I asked who
if anyone would replace the regulator that UPS lost
(but eventually found)), and a M3 needle valve.  I've
been keeping track of the bubbles by watching them go
down the Eheim inlet line.  Today I noticed that no
bubbles were going down.  I look at the co2 line
showed the gas only reaching halfway down the depth of
the water to the inlet.  Then it started heading back
towards the needle valve.  Both guages on the
regulator have not changed.  Right one set at 15, left
at 8 or 900.
I discovered that I could turn the bubble rate way up
beyond what I want, it stays on.  if I set the knob on
the needle valve to where I want it, the gas doesn't
complete the trip down the line into the Eheim. 
Someone at a local club suggested that water may
somehow have gotten into the needle valve.  I don't
know...I have a one way valve (Tetra) and it doesn't
seem to have any water in it.  What gives?!  It's one
thing after another!  

Second, the slime only came back about 2% today.  I
don't know if it had more to do with the co2 shortage
or the sterilizer doing its job finally.  Thoughts?
I have also switched to potassium phosphate instead of
the Shultz or discus buffer.  I talked to Tom Connors
at our club last night and he said that when he hooks
his UV up to his tank, it kills the slime in 2-3 days.
 We both use Aquanetics 8 watt units.  His is hang on
tank, mine is inline.  Tom, can you find out the GPH
on the powerhead you use on that thing?  I wonder if
the flow rate on my Eheim is too slow to kill the
slime fast enough (or, if it is working, as fast).  

Of course this happened on a weekend.  I guess I can
do a blackout to try to finish off the slime while my
co2 is down.  Oh brother.....

Thanks, Cavan (perplexed, irked, and in need of
advice)    

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