• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Do I need to increase bubble rate or be patient?

Andy D

Member
Joined
27 Apr 2013
Messages
1,461
Hi All,

I have just set up a FECO2 system and I currently have it set to 1bps. At the moment there is water in the ceramic diffuser and this also runs about 6inches up the tubing.

At the moment there is no CO2 coming out of the diffuser. Do I just need to be patient and wait for enough pressure to build so that the CO2 forces its way through or should I up the bubble rate and therefore increase the pressure? (Although this may end up providing too much CO2). The CO2 has been running for at least an hour now and the water does not seem to have shifted.

All help gratefully received. :)
 
Patience and leaks. You need one and not the other in my experience.
 
It could be a faulty diffuser andy as glass diffusers dont require any high pressure to work. Does your reg have an adjustable working pressure or just a needle valve to control bubble rate if it has adjustable working pressure you could turn that up a little.
If theres water backing up the pipe it could be a possible leak too. Theres lots of places they can leak from. Bubble counter, non return valves or cheap non return valves sticking at low pressure.
Water in the glass bit of the diffuser itself is normal ive found

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
 
Only control is via the needle valve.

I will check again for leaks. In theory I could remove the diffuser and the gas should just come out of the end of the tube but it does not even seem to be moving the water.

The gas will almost likely come straight out of the tube if you take the diffuser off as there is little resistance against it. That's usually how you can tell you have a leak due to the force required to push the gas through the diffuser being high, the gas will find an easier route out via leaking connections etc if there are any.

Ps are you using air line tubing or high pressure co2 tubing

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
 
Hi Alastair,

First off I am using CO2 tubing. It is part of a kit I got of AE.

Good news (of sorts) is I have found the leak! There is a leak in the bubble counter. I have patched it up for now and have sent an email to Richard to see if he can send out a replacement.

Thanks for the assistance guys!

Ps - I have another question which I will ask here but will probably need to start a new thread. The tank the CO2 is linked to is currently suffering from green dust algae. James' algae guide suggests to stop dosing CO2 and ferts and let it run its course. Before I was dosing liquid carbon but now I have the gas so should I do as the guide says or push on now I can use actual CO2? Logically I should do as the guide says. :)
 
Back
Top