Re: [APD] CO2 System: What you wish you knew

[Donald Hellen <donhellen at horizonview_net>]

On Sun, 2 Jul 2006 13:50:38 -0700 (PDT), Steve B
<habubak at yahoo_com> wrote:

>  What is the one or two (or more) things you wish you had known about pressurized CO2 systems before you committed to purchasing one?  What do you wish you knew then that you know now, either through research or finding out "the hard way?"

I haven't used CO2 for my aquariums (they're all
natural setups, low tech, low light), but I did use CO2
in my homebrewing hobby to charge the kegs for
carbonation. 

I learned this through experience: check carefully for
leaks and consider avoiding the use of any quick
disconnects. 

I lost 20 lbs. of CO2 in a few days because of a slow
leak at a quick disconnect fitting. It's best to not
trust any fittings or connections until you've
certified them with a leak test. Then you can, and as
we say in the homebrewing hobby, relax and have a
homebrew. :-)

I don't know about the quality differences in
regulators, but I bought a 2-stage regulator for less
than $50 that has served me well. The 2-stage, I was
told, is less likely to be problematic and is easier to
adjust and stay on the target pressure. It should not
be sensitive to temperature changes like a single stage
regulator might be (at least in theory, anyway). It
also gives you an idea of how much is left in the tank
since you can read the high pressure side with the
second gauge. 

There are some 2-stage regulators on ebay for less than
$50 including shipping. You will find it easier to
adjust it if you buy one with a knob instead of a screw
adjustment. You can even get dual output regulators
(separate regulators for both outputs) if you for some
reason want a different pressure going to two different
tanks. (I don't know if that would be useful or not for
a CO2 aquarium setup.)

Donald
--------------------------------
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
   -Albert Einstein

_______________________________________________
Aquatic-Plants mailing list
Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants