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CO2 system working pressure

Joao Marujo

Joao Marujo

Member
Joined
23 Jul 2013
Messages
44
Location
Setúbal (Portugal)
Good morning!

I have been doing some tests between my two CO2 pressured systems with FE regarding working pressure.

In one, i have the working pressure set to 2 bar and the other one with 1 bar. The ceramic diffusers that i am using are not equal so the results are not conclusive. What i have been notice is that the system with 1 bar send bigger bubbles to the aquarium. Does this make sense? Should i have both systems with 2 bar?

Thanks in advanced for your help!

Best regards
 
The thing to understand is if the difference is due to the working pressure or the diffusers.
Suggest you swap them over and see whether the larger bubbles move with the diffuser or not.
 
thank your for your replies. So its better to have both systems at 2 bar, right? And the bubble rate will stay the same or should be reduced? Sometimes, there is no logic but the logic answer is that the bubble rate should be reduced because with more working pressure, the bubbles will be smaller and therefor, the CO2 dissolution should be higher.
 
Muse said:
thank your for your replies. So its better to have both systems at 2 bar, right? And the bubble rate will stay the same or should be reduced? Sometimes, there is no logic but the logic answer is that the bubble rate should be reduced because with more working pressure, the bubbles will be smaller and therefor, the CO2 dissolution should be higher.
Click to expand...


I'd advise running at 3 bar where possible. Nice and misty!
Smaller bubbles = better dilution rate of co2 in water ( preventing bubbles wasted by popping on surface) so therefore should allow you to maintain 30ppm with a lower 'bubble rate', so to speak.

You'll need a nice diffuser / atomiser to mist efficiently too. With a little time spent getting it right, I'm currently running one of these and it seems to have done the trick. They are better options though. Co2 art do a few atomisers / inlines that will be better. BUT to use these, you need to be hitting around 3 bar.
 
i never had any of my pressure regulated to those pressures! Both of them have the "red line" at 2 bar. Isnt dangerous to overpass that line?
 
Apologies for the thread necromancy but can I clarify that it is OK to run 3 bar on a standard in tank ceramic diffuser? I installed a neutro 200 in tank from AE yesterday and the bubbles seem rather big and moving to the surface at an alarming rate. At the same time my DC (and I know I shouldn't rely on these things), which is in the same place with the co2 coming on at the same time, and going off at the same time, is now showing a mid to dark green where previously it was verging on the yellow. Same bubble rate obviously (actually slightly higher). Flow in the tank is now quite a lot higher than it was too.

I was thinking, as per this thread, that if I increase pressure but kept bubble rate the same I might get finer bubbles as the pressure would force the co2 through smaller holes. At the moment they are not coming out of the whole of the disc, just round the edges. Currently running at 1.5 bar.

My JBL reg can do up to 4 bar. How high can I run it on an in tank ceramic diffuser. Or is the diffuser not the limiting factor but rather the reg?
 
The highest i dared go with my ceramic in tank diffuser was 2.5bar. I did this for the same reason as you because of big bubbles but found it made very little difference. If it had made the bubbles significantly smaller i might have been tempted to push it further. Have you tried cleaning the diffuser?
 
Nathaniel Whiteside said:
Is it a bazooka type? If so mines running on 3-3.5 bar on an intense Reg.
Excellent bits of kit.
Click to expand...

Nah. Standard large in tank ceramic glass number.

I was just reading about these bazookas on another thread and am considering buying one. They need some kind of special stop valve, no?

However, I've got to say that I'm uncomfortable running on very high pressures as I think it contributes to big fluctuations when my bottle runs low. Crappy JBL reg.
 
Yeah, ditch the Jbl.

I've got one of these to replace. At 2.5bar jbl seems to back up and leak from the needle valve. Just not intended for the pressures.

This one was £90 from co2art with solenoid, is far superior to jbl build quality, has HAND TIGHTENING (so easy!) and will run upto 6bar.
 
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