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What exactly causes BBA?

With the SMC 'precision' needle valve I find that getting a high bubble count is mainly dependent on the regulator working pressure, and that adjusting the needle valve itself has little effect.

P
 
With the SMC 'precision' needle valve I find that getting a high bubble count is mainly dependent on the regulator working pressure, and that adjusting the needle valve itself has little effect.

P

Yup i'm totaly with that :) The needle valve has a static opening, it cant close nor open by itself. So it must be unstable presure in front of the valve creating a deviant bubblecount. Co2 is very temperature sensitive as well. To get a much more stable bubblecount you could put the bottle in a cabin under or next to the tank. Isolate the cabin sides with tempex. Buy a cheap Banggood $ 3,- 12 volt elektronic thermostat (they are very accurate to a 0.1 degree c) and a 12 volt 30 to 60 watt lightbulb or a 12 volt 10 watt heater pad. Put it in the cabin run it with the thermostat and the temperature will always be constant in there. Your bubble count stability will be better. :)
 
Yup i'm totaly with that :) The needle valve has a static opening, it cant close nor open by itself. So it must be unstable presure in front of the valve creating a deviant bubblecount.

I had that line of thinking myself, and replaced almost every co2 component trying to sort out my fluctuating BPS. Swapped it for the camozzi and since then it's been rock solid.

Can't understand it myself either, my only guess is that there is somehow movement (upper end of allowed tolerances in the threads or something) inside the valve, or a small leak under some circumstances. :hungover:
 
I had that line of thinking myself, and replaced almost every co2 component trying to sort out my fluctuating BPS. Swapped it for the camozzi and since then it's been rock solid.

Really glad to hear this. I got my new camozzi yesterday and set up was a charm. Will see if it stays constant throughout the days. Ive noticed that valves are not great for dialling in the co2. But the camozzi is a flow controller which makes sense really. Sorry to have thrown the thread in this direction. Hopefully we'll keep it about BBA.
 
I would like to open that thing and look. My only guess as somebody with a technical background and seeing that Cammazoni outside construction is that it possibly something like a springvalve/membrane. :) Then i could function as a extra 2th stage mini low presure regulator. (about the same as the big one on the bottle works)
The spindel pushes the sprig the spring pushes the valve and regulates the gass counterpressure.

Just a pointed needle on a spindle in a hole is static and regulates nothing just creates a bottle neck. :)
 
I had that line of thinking myself, and replaced almost every co2 component trying to sort out my fluctuating BPS. Swapped it for the camozzi and since then it's been rock solid.

Can't understand it myself either, my only guess is that there is somehow movement (upper end of allowed tolerances in the threads or something) inside the valve, or a small leak under some circumstances. :hungover:


Hi, I didn't mean that my bubble count is fluctuating- only that turning the needle valve doesn't seem to have much effect. I have to increase the regulator working pressure to increase the BPS and vice versa.

P
 
Hi, I didn't mean that my bubble count is fluctuating- only that turning the needle valve doesn't seem to have much effect. I have to increase the regulator working pressure to increase the BPS and vice versa.

P

What's your starting point work pressure? That might be to high. I'm using around 0.5 bar / 7 psi with over 5bps and still can go higher if i fully open it the water bubbles out of the tank.. I only have to look at my needle valve to change the bps so to speak.. :)
 
What's your starting point work pressure? That might be to high. I'm using around 0.5 bar / 7 psi with over 5bps and still can go higher if i fully open it the water bubbles out of the tank.. I only have to look at my needle valve to change the bps so to speak.. :)

I'm using 2-2.5 bar as I have an inline atomiser. If I completely shut off the needle valve, I can stop the bubbles entirely, open it a bit and I can get 1 BPS, however, a few more turns and it's 3+BPS. If I need more than this I need to increase the working pressure, even opening the needle valve fully, doesn't achieve a higher BPS.

P
 
Sounds like the wrong needle valve for such a high working pressure. I was thinking about going in line but solved it like this, it's behind the plants anyway.. No bubble is reaching the surface all goes in line now into the filter. :)
I haven't seen any algea growing on the leaves anymore since my last trimming party last week.. Hope it stays that way.

HbQBUeH.jpg
 
I'm using 2-2.5 bar as I have an inline atomiser. If I completely shut off the needle valve, I can stop the bubbles entirely, open it a bit and I can get 1 BPS, however, a few more turns and it's 3+BPS. If I need more than this I need to increase the working pressure, even opening the needle valve fully, doesn't achieve a higher BPS.

You need to say if you have a double gauge regulator and if its output preassure can be adjusted. Sounds like youve achieved the maximum flow and that you have a fixed output preassure on your regulator. That BPS is probably as high as it goes.
 
All co2 equipment I have is from them. Im normally very happy with them. The only thing is theyr needle valves are sometimes hard to tune in or a bit unstable. But theyve also got a solution for that which I´ll be trying out this week.
http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections/splitters-manifolds-valves/products/advance-co2-flow-controller
Anyone using these atm

How do you connect this? I've got a co2art regulator which is well built. I need to split to 2 diffusers. So do I need 2 of these flow controllers?
 
How do you connect this? I've got a co2art regulator which is well built. I need to split to 2 diffusers. So do I need 2 of these flow controllers?

I would think so if you really want to fine tune both of them separately. Dont have experience with this really.
 
You need to say if you have a double gauge regulator and if its output preassure can be adjusted. Sounds like youve achieved the maximum flow and that you have a fixed output preassure on your regulator. That BPS is probably as high as it goes.
Nope, it's the dual stage. I can fully adjust the working pressure.

P
 
The branched algae on the picture is definitely not BBA (lat. Audouinella), but rather Staghorn (lat. Compsopogon).
You can compare it with my microscopic pictures here: http://www.prirodni-akvarium.cz/en/rasyAtlas
It definitily is this one.. :) also find the spherical spores (i guess that is)
rasy_atlas_Compsopogon_40x_2.jpg

In early development it suspicously looks like BBA..
 
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I thought those "spherical spores" are actually air bubbles.
I mean the thik one in the mid right side of the pic.. If you look closer (more mag) you see cellular structure.. So i guess they are spores or something else. But i found several of them always around the algae and not in other samples.. I look again.. :) Nope definitily not an air bubble.. The skin has a structure and there is something in it containing different bodies. :) Nice such a microscope, you could get scared of your own aquarium. Saw a creeper as well..
 
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Hey guys. Time for my BBA update for those who've read enough(too much) of this thread :)
My BBA is not just not growing anymore, it's disappearing and it's hardly seen around. My anubias is flourishing compared to before and maybe it will reach adulthood again(60cm) :) I think my problem was definitely overstocking and lack of micros, specifically iron(and possibly too much organic macros). Good luck on your BBA journeys......:p
 
Hey guys. Time for my BBA update for those who've read enough(too much) of this thread :)
My BBA is not just not growing anymore, it's disappearing and it's hardly seen around. My anubias is flourishing compared to before and maybe it will reach adulthood again(60cm) :) I think my problem was definitely overstocking and lack of micros, specifically iron(and possibly too much organic macros). Good luck on your BBA journeys......:p

Congrats!

The same for me, the Staghorn is gone.. What only confused me a bit is there's no name for Staghorn in Dutch, it falls under the category (Red) Beard Algea. That's how i ended up in this topic with that one, but it isn't black even if it looks like it. I did fight it off with h2o2 treatment to kill the hotspots, trimming like a gardener on steroids, a more steady co2 supply a better mix of firts (profito, tropica pg and a pinch of rizhotonic). Letting the surface vegitation of duckweed and salvina take over the game to lower the light intensity and did reduced the day time period for 2 hours. added 10 more shrimps in there did also helped a lot. Not only the staghorn, but also the clado and the regular green algae on the hardware is gone for over 90% with in 3 weeks time. Even the algae on the glass stoped growing. It melted as snow in the sun and the plants are rocking and rolling again. Nice feeling to finaly scape trim and replant instead of algae trim and dispose.. :)
 
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