MA957 Milwaukee CO2 regulator

[fort384]

Ok! So my new regulator got here today. I have it all hooked up, and it seems like it is dialed in ok the way I have it set but...

On the high pressure side, gauge is only reading ~60. On the low pressure side, it is reading ~7. If I attempt to close off the pressure regulator knob anymore than I already have it set, then it starts to "dump" CO2 out of what I am assuming is some kind of safety valve.

First, are the numbers I have showing on the gauges "normal" or is my CO2 tank not completely full?

Second, because the pressure regulator knob is out as far as it is, (and I can't screw it in further because of CO2 dump), the needle valve is EXTREMELY sensitive. I am talking like 1/4 turn is the difference between 1 BPS and a straight flow of gas through the bubble counter.

If anyone out there is using one of these setups and can give me some insight, it would be much appreciated!!

 

[rkilling1]

The high pressure side should read around 750 - 800#'s.

Here is a little article that should help you:

Setting up a CO2 system

Look at the bottom of the article.

 

[fort384]

Ok beautiful, that is right where I am at. I figured out the Low Pressure side too, it is now reading around 10 psi. I was reading the wrong set of numbers on the gauge... and I am a pilot - kind of scary.

 

[neilanh]

Wow - haha

It's not odd to have that sensitivity on your needle valve, that's what mine does too. And like said above, you should be reading above 800psi on the high side indicating a full tank. You wont see this number move until the tank is really getting close to getting empty.

I run my low side at around 24, but you can find what works best for you. Also, you'll want to check it daily for a week or two, as it breaks in you will need to tweak it until it stabilizes.

 

[fort384]

Curious about how long you all run your injection systems. I have not yet invested in a pH controller, but I may down the road.

As of right now, I have it hooked into the time that controls my lights, so during lighting cycle, CO2 will run. Will that be sufficient?

Also, with my DIY system, I was running a bubble wall at night to gas off extra CO2, curious as to whether or not I should kill this now that my selenoid will shutoff during dark hrs.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[jrp1588]

well, tying it to the light, you'll have the problem of no CO2 for the first couple hours of your light cycle. This can encourage algae

 

[neilanh]

yes and no, depends on how much lighting you're running on your tank.

I run my 1/2 my lighting with the CO2, then a few hours later the other 1/2 of lighting comes on.

Also, no need to offgas the CO2 at night with an airstone, it's not needed.

 

[fort384]

I run my 1/2 my lighting with the CO2, then a few hours later the other 1/2 of lighting comes on.

hmmm I like that idea.

I am running 2X24 Watt T5HO (1 6700K 1 10000K) and 2XT5 13 Watt (both 6500K), for a grand total of 74W or 2.6 WPG.

Thinking I could run the 2X13W T5s ½ hr longer on each end, this would simulate "dawn" and "dusk", and hook the CO2 up to this timer so that it has some time to catch up before the T5HOs start blasting the tank.

Any benefit to this, or is it just cool sounding because it is closer to "natural"?
So, it sounds like I may need to get a second digital timer.

 

[jrp1588]

that sounds good to me.

 

[fort384]

Ok, so the basic timing of system I am looking at is:

So, I will need 1 more digital timer power strip I guess. Anyone have a good recommendation for 1? The 1 I currently have is a coralife Digital Power Center. It is ok, but as my aquarium gets more complicated it has become inadequate anyway. PROs, it switches between 2 "day" outlets, to 2 "night" outlets, instead of switching all 4 (2 modes in other words). CONs, it only has the 2X2 switched outlets. The other 4 outlets on the strip are always on. Would like an all-in-one that will allow multiple timers for multiple outlets, if "they" make 1...

 

[neilanh]

Coralife makes a dual timer power strip which I use on 2 different tanks. It's not sophisticated, and it works. Basically it just has 2 sets of 2 switched plugs with a seperate timer for each, then the moonlight feature is still there too, and then 2 unswitched plugs.

Also, you may want to consider a few things with your timing schedule. 1) Space out the time between each set of lights by another at least 30 min, maybe 90 min. Also, have lighting set 1 turn on, then set 2 turn on, then set 1 turn off, then set 2 turn off. This basically makes it so that your bulbs have equal burn time each day, so one set doesn't wear out faster than the other.

 

[czcz]

neilanh's suggestion with overlapping bulbs, also known as "noon burst" (I remember it as the way the lotus tank/Old Chinese Garden guy grows plants) is also a good way to control light. In nature red plants don't need 10 or even 8 hours of super bright light to stay red... why not say 3 hours? Is 4 better? Why not 2? How much can we limit growth?

FWIW via timer I start my CO2 a half hour before lighting starts (around 8:00 right now -- I have direct sunlight from an open window) to let it build up. I turn it off maybe 15 minutes after sundown because when home I notice my plants still stay open and pearl or stream during that time, though when I come home from work an hour or so later the leaves are always closed. I just use the solenoid too, no bubbler at night. Outside the suggestion of even limiting T5HO more once out of your growout and into your maintenance period, I think your schedule is great.

I have the same regulator and swear I cannot adjust either knob in such a way that the needle valve side reads with any usable or logical pressure, though when turning off it still drops back to zero. At some point I released the CO2 tank side pretty hard though and I wonder if I broke the thing. I can still count and adjust from 30is to reasonable (100-170 with maybe three increments inbetween, even when using a wrench to increase usable turning area with the Clippard) to way too many bpm and also pass the soapy water test. I got a little paranoid and got the Fabco valve from Rex and tried it inline with the thought of replacing the barbs with threads and replacing the Clippard, and the second dial still reads high. (I am afraid of the tank dump horror stories, where near the end of a tank CO2 will just flush out at an extreme rate.) I'm not using it inline anymore and have not gotten around to replacing the Clippard, though.

I especially love that the bubble counter acts as a one way check valve and the redundant collar.

 

[fort384]

Thanks czcz. Sage advice as always...

 

[bottom feeder]

MA957 Bubble Flow

I've had my pressurized CO2 running now for about 12 days, and I'm still having difficulty each morning with the consistency of my bubbles. I find myself adjusting the control knob several times in the first hour before the bubbles release at a consistent rate, and even then it seems I have irregular results when I return home 8 hours later. Any suggestions?

 

[neilanh]

The reg and needle valve just need to break in. Once they do, it'll be near rock solid. First thing in the morning when they come on, they have to overcome the backpressure that has built up over night, so it sometimes will take it an hour or so to build back up the positive pressure in the tubing so that it can flow freely. This is normal.

 

[fort384]

What are you running the low side at? When I was running it down around 10, it required twice daily adjustment. I cranked it up to ~24psi and now I haven't touched the needle valve in 4 or 5 days.

 

[neilanh]

I run my low side at around 25.