# In line Atomizer



## foxfish (17 Nov 2010)

Anyone using one of these?
I installed one a few weeks back, it seemed to need a lot of pressure to get going but worked very well in deed - however I have to keep adjusting my needle valve to keep it consistent.
I assume the device is getting clogged but how do you clean it?


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## GHNelson (17 Nov 2010)

Hi
Where have you got it placed?
Also it needs 1.7 bar and above to operate.
hoggie


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## foxfish (17 Nov 2010)

I have fitted it directly above my sump pump outlet, so the water & gas mix then go up to the tank & out through a spray bar, fitted mid water.
like i say works well - maybe it is just settling down - certainly a test for c02 air line leaks & joints!
I had a few problems sealing my bubble counter & had to fit a different design in the end.


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## GHNelson (17 Nov 2010)

Hi Foxfish
I have the same atomiser never had any problems regarding...... clogging.
I think this is a sealed unit..... so the inside cant be manually cleaned as such.
Try turning your needle valve up slightly then switch your solenoid off then switch it on again this may help your Co2 bubble counter rate settle down.
Regards
hoggie


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## foxfish (17 Nov 2010)

OK thanks mate...


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## Themuleous (17 Nov 2010)

Lots of people rave about these diffusers.  I've got the other cheapo inline type and personally I think they are by far the best for Co2.  It gets the diffuser out of the tank and you get very good diffusion.

Sam


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## foxfish (18 Nov 2010)

What does "the other cheapo inline type" look like then?


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## Themuleous (18 Nov 2010)

This one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aquarium-Marine-F ... 5d298c35fa

It not supposed to be as efficient as the UP one, but I always found it to go a good enough job.

One tip if you get this one, put the co2 tubing on first and then the filter tubing, as its a right sod doing it around the other way!

Sam


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## RudeDogg1 (18 Nov 2010)

Thing is tho that's only about Â£3 - 4 cheaper than the up one so your not really saving much anyway


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## bogwood (18 Nov 2010)

Hi.
I think you will find its more like Â£8 plus dearer.
When i sourced my 2 UP in line i could only find them outside the uk, and the postage pushed them up to Â£17each.
If you have seen them in the UK, i would be interested who stocks them.


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## foxfish (18 Nov 2010)

I paid Â£18.30 from Hong Kong.....So what about a quality bubble counter, something that really hold the tube in place, any recommendations?


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## GHNelson (18 Nov 2010)

Hi 
The JBL bubble counters are better than most as they have 4 small suckers that attach to the glass.
Look here http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/ ... -3188.html 
That's a great price cost me about Â£12.00 a couple of years back.
hoggie


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## RudeDogg1 (18 Nov 2010)

i must of got lucky then mine was about 12


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## foxfish (18 Nov 2010)

How about this bubble counter - looks pretty robust?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aquarium-CO2-Bubb ... 3f04a85f71


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## Themuleous (19 Nov 2010)

Not used one myself, but thats a very good bubble coounter by all accounts.

Sam


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## squiggley (19 Nov 2010)

After 12 months of use I've just taken my boyu off and gone back to a Rhinox diffuser. Think it must have become blocked  and wasn't diffusing co2 properly. Couldn't DC passed dark green anywhere in the tank.


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## Themuleous (19 Nov 2010)

I think that is the biggest flaw of inline diffusers -> cleaning them.  I did soak one in 50:50 bleach once but its impossible to know if its had the desired effect as you cant see into it!

Sam


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## Mark Evans (19 Nov 2010)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> I think that is the biggest flaw of inline diffusers ->



Mine's not been cleaned in over 6 months. It's not even dirty. do they get dirty?


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## bogwood (19 Nov 2010)

Mark Evans said:
			
		

> Themuleous said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



With mine ive simply pulled the eheim cleaning brush through, when cleaning the filter hoses.
However, as im having BBA problems i went one further and took it out and soaked in bleach.
If im honest, no noticable differance in the "mist"
Maybe, the ceramic! does not get dirty, who knows. :!: 

Cheers


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## gollum456 (21 Nov 2010)

yeah i ran a pipe cleaning brush through mine, before i built my own reactor!


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## Johnzz (23 Nov 2010)

foxfish said:
			
		

> Anyone using one of these?
> I installed one a few weeks back, it seemed to need a lot of pressure to get going but worked very well in deed - however I have to keep adjusting my needle valve to keep it consistent.
> I assume the device is getting clogged but how do you clean it?



I installed mine last week.

My JBL ProFloral regulator is pre-set to 1.5 bars, which I don't think is sufficient.  I also had problems initially setting the CO2 flow.

When first set up, I had the fine mist coming out.  However the next day, after the solenoid turned off and on again, it no longer produced the mist (i.e. not enough pressure to push back through the membrane).  I had to open my fine needle valve even more (almost full blast) just to get the mist to remain constant after turning off and on again.

It's now working fine, but Iâ€™m looking to manually adjust the regulators pressure to 3 bars (if I can figure out howâ€¦ lol).

I also had the JBL bubble counter, but it just couldnâ€™t cope with the higher pressure, so I had to ditch it.


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## foxfish (23 Nov 2010)

Sounds about right  :? 
I have ordered what looks like a very robust BC & also some high pressure - low expansion C02 line however all seems ok at the moment....
I superglued some PVC airline to a little clear plastic BC I had & that also seems to be holding at the moment.
Interestingly my drop checker is not particularly yellow it is just bordering on the green (usual for my tank) but, my plants are pearling away like no tomorrow   
Whether or not I stick with the device I dont know but, if it keeps working like is then thats great, incidentally I am not seeing much mist at all. That might be because I have fitted the diffuser straight after my sump pupm & it has about 1.5mts of pipe to travel up before it reaches the spray bar - perhaps the gas has time to dissolve?


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## bogwood (23 Nov 2010)

My two have been running fine for six months now.

Initially when i was using cheap/questionable CO2 tubing i had the tubing popping off.

Went over to D&D, and JBL Co2 tubing, all is great.


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