Normal to lose pressure overnight?

[Tom]

Hi all,

I've recently started using the 2 gauge UP regulator with solenoid valve on my FE at about 1 bubble per 3 seconds (20bpm). I've noticed that overnight when the solenoid switches on, the pressure in the silicon tubing completely drops and it takes a couple of hours to build up again in the morning. Is this normal, or could I be leaking somewhere? Could it just be that I'm injecting at such a low rate that it just takes a while to get going again? I've got a non-return valve below the bubble counter, which I would have thought should keep the pressure up.

Tom

 

[Dan Crawford]

To my knowledge, normal airline or silicone tubing allows CO2 to pass through the walls of the tube. When the solenoid is on you're trying to "hold" pressure within the tube and airline tubing isn't designed to do and can't do it. CO2 tubing from someone like AE will probably work better. I don't use a solenoid so can't really offer previous experience, just my understand on the matter.

 

[Tom]

This is from AE - I can't remember the brand but it was Chinese - Maybe Boyu Silicon "CO2" tubing, but it definitely said for CO2. I can't get the AE website to work at the moment to check. If that's all it is it's not a massive problem as I will just turn the CO2 on an hour earlier than I am now. If it was an actual leak I'd be more worried.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Tom]

The packet just says Aquarium Accessories and then some Chinese writing, but it was definitely labelled as CO2

 

[Dan Crawford]

That's interesting, is it hard?

 

[Tom]

Well it kept popping off my diffuser, however it is very slightly harder and less stretchy than my JBL black CO2 tubing. I'm having to use the JBL tube to connect the bubble counter and the diffuser so it stays attached, which is annoying as it's black whereas the Chinese stuff is translucent/clear-ish

 

[chump54]

don't know if it applies here, but I had a pressure drop over night when I had a leaking bubble counter and non return valve... 2 different instances. might be worth checking for leaks.

Chris

 

[Tom]

Cheers, it's the cheapy non return valve I'm most worried about, so might swap it to the JBL one

 

[chump54]

yeah mine was a cheap one too... got a great brass one from AE ages ago

 

[Tom]

I've sorted the problem why it took so long to build up again. One of the non-return valves was so stiff that it was backing up the pressure.

The CO2 had supposedly been on for 3 hours already this morning (lights not on till 11) but I was still lucky to get 2 bubbles per minute. I removed this non-return valve, and I immediately had about 5bps! In the bin it goes

 

[nry]

It will take a while to build up the pressure again, mine does with an inline Boyu, probably 15-30 mins without actually timing it.

 

[Tom]

Yeah that's more what I would expect, but the way it was going with this valve, I don't think it would ever have got up to speed! Each morning I've had to give it a blast of CO2 then settle it back down to the rate I wanted. Should be better now.