# Fluval co2 ceramic diffuser, Up aqua atomizer and solenoids



## Antoni (1 Jul 2013)

HI all,

probably has been discussed before, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for. 

I have bought the Fluval ceramic co2 diffuser few months back and installed it on my nano tank. It has been working great and I thought is a great piece of kit, until I decided to use one on my 60 cm tank. The co2 system there has a dupla reg and solenoid. I have attached the diffuser and set the bubble rate at about 2 bps. Everything was looking great, until next day...when the timer switched the co2 back on, it took about 3 hours for the first bubbles to break through and the bubble rate was as low as 30 bubbles per minute... I have adjusted it again, but on the next morning I had the same problem. 
So I increased the pressure to 3 bars, but there was no change at all. I ended up readjusting the bubble rate every morning. I have checked for leaks and there were none. I have even changed the co2 tubing with a new one...no improvement 

So I bought a new diffuser, in case the old one was clogged or defective, but no difference. 
The solution was to run the co2 constantly 24/7 at really low rate at about 45 bubbles per minute. It works ok, the bubble rate is constant, but the consumption of co2 is a lot higher. 

I was thinking of getting the up aqua atomizer, but as the membrane is similar to the disk of the Fluval diffuser and as I have read about similar problems with solenoid, wanted to ask you guys, if you use the fluval or up aqua diffuser/atomizer with solenoid, have you have experienced similar problem and what way did you find around this?

Thanks in advance!


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## pepedopolous (1 Jul 2013)

Hi. Have you thought about the length of the CO2 tube? If you can make it shorter then maybe it will take less time for the pressure to be high enough at the diffuser end?


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## Antoni (1 Jul 2013)

Thanks for the advice, pepedopolous! It is the shortest I can go, but this does not explain, the drop in the bubble rate....


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## Andy Thurston (1 Jul 2013)

Read this bertie just had problems with his up inline

Here we go Again! | UK Aquatic Plant Society

He's running at 4 bar pressure now but others have no problems at 2.5bar. Its pretty strange really and i can only put it down to issues with the manufacturing process and quality control or fake units


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## Antoni (1 Jul 2013)

Thanks Andy! I was thinking about increasing it, but in the manual of my reg its written, that the maximum working pressure should be 3 bars... I don't know if I increase it, would it affect the reg or the worst would be that the hose blows off somewhere along the line....


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## Andy Thurston (1 Jul 2013)

When you adjust a reg you apply tension to a spring. going more than 3 bar will possibly damage spring by taking it past its design limit. It would be ok to see if you need more pressure, but long term a better reg would be needed. Also too much pressure could blow diffuser off pipework which could be a pain if it smashes against hardscape in your tank.


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## NattyAntlers (1 Jul 2013)

I run the Fluval diffuser at only 1 bar with no problems.
You might try taking the solenoid out of the system and see if it makes any difference, likewise any one way valves just for the purpose of testing.


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## Antoni (1 Jul 2013)

Thanks guys!



Big clown said:


> When you adjust a reg you apply tension to a spring. going more than 3 bar will possibly damage spring by taking it past its design limit. It would be ok to see if you need more pressure, but long term a better reg would be needed. Also too much pressure could blow diffuser off pipework which could be a pain if it smashes against hardscape in your tank.


 
That is why I don't want to go higher than 3 bars.

The reg is very good and stable with any other diffuser. Being using this brand for more than 6 years now.



NattyAntlers said:


> I run the Fluval diffuser at only 1 bar with no problems.
> You might try taking the solenoid out of the system and see if it makes any difference, likewise any one way valves just for the purpose of testing.


 
It works when the system is on 24/7, I have tried by setting up the timer on for 24 hours, but does not work, if it switches off.


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## bogwood (1 Jul 2013)

I have two fluval diffusers, i bought following favourable comments on here
They run at  1 bar, through a solenoid, and i can have the bubble rate at whatever i want.
My regulator has twin gauges with solenoid, and are german made.


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## Antoni (1 Jul 2013)

That is strange... my reg is Dupla, 3 months old German build....could be the diffusers or ....I don't really now


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## NattyAntlers (2 Jul 2013)

Antoni said:


> It works when the system is on 24/7, I have tried by setting up the timer on for 24 hours, but does not work, if it switches off.


 

So the only change is the solenoid closing and opening and then it doesn't work, is it possible the solenoid is not opening fully?


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## Antoni (3 Jul 2013)

HI mate,

it opens and it works with any other diffuser, just need to adjust the pressure with the needle valve every timet...though I will try with different one to test.


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## Antoni (17 Sep 2013)

Probably the hose will blow off. However I have fixed the problem by  installing 2 new check valves - one near the co2 botle (where the original one was) and one 40 cm away from the diffuser ( outside of the tank) and so far no problems. It keeps constant pressure and the bubbles start coming out of the disk almost immediately after the solenoid switches on.


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