wtb co2 regulator
- Thread starter mathewkofalk
- Start date
When I first started my planted tank I had a cheap regulator. My wife took my daughter and dog for a 45 minute walk. In this time the regulator failed and the co2 was just flooded into the tank. My pH dropped from 6.8 to 4.8 in 45 minutes. Killed everything except the plants that were in heaven.
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You cannot really do this to a marine tank since the CO2 is added to a calcium reactor that will shut down or just let the CO2 into the air. It is nearly impossible to crash a tank with a calcium reactor - I only say nearly because I am sure that anything is possible even though I have never heard of it actually happening when the equipment was used right. You can melt media if the regulator fails, but more commonly, it will just be VERY hard to tune and you will end up hating it.
One more thing to consider is a single vs dual stage regulator. The quality single stage regulators are reliable...but the common issue with them is that when the pressure of CO2 gets below the threshold of the regulators diaphragm, you run the risk of a large volume of CO2 being evacuated all at once. "End of tank dump" only happens if you don't keep an eye on your gauges...so just be sure you keep that tank filled if you use a single stage reactor. I understand that the reactor and solenoid with a controller offer multiple fail safes...and it may not be a priority to invest in a dual stage regulator, but they do at least offer another safety mechanism to avoid that scenario by using 2 diaphragms.
Also...even though you can technically use the regulator's dial to adjust the flow of CO2 on a good model...you really shouldn't be. They should be full open or full closed...use a needle valve to adjust the flow, it's safer and WAY more accurate to tune that way.
Also...even though you can technically use the regulator's dial to adjust the flow of CO2 on a good model...you really shouldn't be. They should be full open or full closed...use a needle valve to adjust the flow, it's safer and WAY more accurate to tune that way.
Yea...I was definitely talking about the bad ones. Don't want to scare people away from saving coin...but there are issues with cheap regulators that people are completely unaware of.
I agree that a dual stage regulator might be overkill...and a needle valve isn't 100% necessary, but they do help. If you're not using a high quality steel diaphragm regulator there's a good chance you will be adjusting the flow on occasion...a 40 dollar needle valve can save some headaches, especially if you are using a cheaper regulator. Admittedly the needle valve is less important with a reactor being controlled by a pH probe and solenoid vs a FW planted system, I just always liked the ability to set it and forget it.
I agree that a dual stage regulator might be overkill...and a needle valve isn't 100% necessary, but they do help. If you're not using a high quality steel diaphragm regulator there's a good chance you will be adjusting the flow on occasion...a 40 dollar needle valve can save some headaches, especially if you are using a cheaper regulator. Admittedly the needle valve is less important with a reactor being controlled by a pH probe and solenoid vs a FW planted system, I just always liked the ability to set it and forget it.
Try ebay. I picked up a dual stage Concoa barstock body regulator for 40 bucks, and they go for several hundred new. As long as the regulator was used for inert gas (like medical grade oxygen), you can usually buy one used at a fraction of the cost of a used CO2 regulator since the demand for them is much lower. All you'd have to do is swap out the CGA fitting for about 10 dollars and you're in business.