Barliman
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi all,
I'm new to the world of pressurized CO2 and need some advice.
Yesterday I set up a paintball CO2 system with the following configuration:
24 oz. jar (Amazon)
Paintball regulator with solenoid (GLA)
Bubble counter (GLA)
Tubing (GLA)
Drop-checker (GLA/Cal Aqua)
Diffuser (Some Chinese glass one from my LFS)
Following the directions and the advice from GLA (very fast responders), I set the working pressure to 10 PSI and a bubble count of one bubble every 1-2 seconds as a start. But I've run into a problem...
The bubble count keeps going down fairly rapidly. For example, I set it to 1 bubble per second (Boy, are those needle valves sensitive), but then the bubble rate declines to one every few seconds over about a half hour. (The output pressure seems to stay steady at 8 after setting the bubble rate.)
Is this normal breaking in/adjusting, or is it indicative of a problem, such as a leak? If a leak, where might it be? The regulator or the input to the bubble counter? This doesn't feel like a leak to me, though.
Anyway, I've shut it off for the night. (It's on a timer, but I don't want it running while I'm away at work until I get this sorted out.) Any help or advice is appreciated.
I'm new to the world of pressurized CO2 and need some advice.
Yesterday I set up a paintball CO2 system with the following configuration:
24 oz. jar (Amazon)
Paintball regulator with solenoid (GLA)
Bubble counter (GLA)
Tubing (GLA)
Drop-checker (GLA/Cal Aqua)
Diffuser (Some Chinese glass one from my LFS)
Following the directions and the advice from GLA (very fast responders), I set the working pressure to 10 PSI and a bubble count of one bubble every 1-2 seconds as a start. But I've run into a problem...
The bubble count keeps going down fairly rapidly. For example, I set it to 1 bubble per second (Boy, are those needle valves sensitive), but then the bubble rate declines to one every few seconds over about a half hour. (The output pressure seems to stay steady at 8 after setting the bubble rate.)
Is this normal breaking in/adjusting, or is it indicative of a problem, such as a leak? If a leak, where might it be? The regulator or the input to the bubble counter? This doesn't feel like a leak to me, though.
Anyway, I've shut it off for the night. (It's on a timer, but I don't want it running while I'm away at work until I get this sorted out.) Any help or advice is appreciated.