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Need a better Regulator than this...UP A165 reg/sol

Go for the Up brand not only do they have built in check valve but they also have tube securing nuts ensuring that the tubing will not pop off under pressure.
 
I've mine set at 2.5bar with a glass bubblecounter with no problems. Solenoid works fine for stable co2. I use an UP atomiser in the tank which makes tiny bubbles. I find it easy to adjust, you have to remember to give it a minute for the bubble count to change and not rush it. You could have the bubble counter below in the cabinet. I use a metal check valve purchased on ebay from HK seller. It is in the cabinet.

I had a CO2 supermarket reg/solenoid(2 infact) Which felt cheap and couldn't run the atomiser I'd chosen due to pressure being too low. I got the up-A165 from tankscape.
 
Troi said:
I have this reg and it is fine. If you are going to use it with an atomizer the working pressure needs to be set to around 3.0 - 4.0 kg/cm. That pressure will provide the consistency you need. Also it maybe worth mentioning here that atomizers often leave the factory covered in manufacturing residue and therefore need to be soaked in a solution of 1:1 bleach and water for at least 30 mins before they will work properly. I use limescale bleach, that rids the atomizer of both organic and inorganic material. I brought my reg from Tankscape similar price to the HK dealers on eBay but delivered in a few days, and if anything goes wrong replaceable in about the same
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I saw this Troi on one of your previous posts...

"Hi faizal

I've been using it for a couple of weeks in combo with an up-aqua inline atomizer. I eventually managed to calibrate it to my liking (working pressure on 2kg/cm) delivering about 2 bubbles of CO2/sec, and then for some reason it went haywire on me and started to deliver 4 bubbles/sec. So I had to readjust the needle valve and start re-calibrating it all over again. Seems alright at the moment, but I'm keeping a weather eye on it.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had a similar experience, with this model or any other CO2 regulator.

Tim"

Did the bubble count settle down then? Or is it still being irratic.
 
Hi, I have to confess that was fairly early days and I eventually settled on 3.75kg/cm. That pressure seems to prevent the atomizer getting clogged with organic and inorganic debris and keep it working at a consistent bubble rate for weeks without maintenance. As we all know keeping CO2 saturation optimized is one of the key factors in attaining a successful planted tank. But I think that each and everyone's parameters will be different so it's about finding what works for you.

So in short it's fine now; less about the reliability of the equipment and more about how we choose to use it.
 
I have had the CO2 supermarket one running for just on a month now. On a fire extinguisher, and a cheapo inline check. Plugged into the timer from day one now its set and forget. Glass diffuser and combined bubble counter. I dont really count bubbles as the rate I need is too fast so I use the plants and fish as my first guide and the drop checker as confirmation that things are OK. So far so good
 
Yeh ordered the pressure adjustable one now my setup is getting larger. Ordered it a few days ago now but only got eBay seller dispatched notification yesterday so may have to wait till the end of next week. Will keep you posted.
 
Which ebay seller did you buy from?

I bought it from a guy in Shenzen, China. It came broken and he was unwillingly to refund me. I shipped it back to him and he claim he did not receive it. After 1 month+, the item was finally returned back to me from China Post.

Worst, I found out that I have a local distributor and it cost less. Am waiting for the stock to arrive by end of the month.
 
Ordered it from lu_cytime2008 there is a load of sellers on there selling the same stock TBH. Yeh saw TankScape selling it and took the risk to save a few quid as that pays for my new bubble counter some suction cups and still leaves change. Fingers crossed it will land and be fine.
 
cheekycharly said:
Ordered it from lu_cytime2008 there is a load of sellers on there selling the same stock TBH. Yeh saw TankScape selling it and took the risk to save a few quid as that pays for my new bubble counter some suction cups and still leaves change. Fingers crossed it will land and be fine.
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I bought it from the same seller.


He offered to refund me 5 USD and I didn't accept it. Eventually, he agreed to refund me the full amount if I ship the item back to him. See this thread: Working guage for UP A-165 | UK Aquatic Plant Society


In hindsight, I should have opened a dispute with Paypal as soon I knew something is going to go wrong even while I was in the process of negotiation. I think you have to file a dispute within 45 days, otherwise Paypal is not going to help. I should have opened the dispute immediately when I got the faulty item, regardless of the outcome.




cheekycharly said:
What did it cost you to return the item to China via RoyalMail?
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I'm not from UK and it cost me about SGD $29.60 from Singapore using AirMail + Registered Mail. Locally, my LFS was selling it for < $100.
 
I too would like to replace the regulator I have.
Already have a remote solenoid and needle valve so really only need a regulator
Would this one be suitable? one problem is how would you connect the co2 line to it?
For a 2 stage its seems a reasonable price compared to what appears to be quite a mark up on single stage regulators made for the aquatic market.

CALOR GAS CO2 TWO STAGE TWO GAUGE REGULATOR | eBay
 
ltsai said:
Which ebay seller did you buy from?

I bought it from a guy in Shenzen, China. It came broken and he was unwillingly to refund me. I shipped it back to him and he claim he did not receive it. After 1 month+, the item was finally returned back to me from China Post.

Worst, I found out that I have a local distributor and it cost less. Am waiting for the stock to arrive by end of the month.
Click to expand...

And mine arrives today faulty! The right hand gauge has a bend in the foil that shows you working psi and the needle does not sit at 0.

What was your fault? I had the same problem with my old regulator where the foil was bent and that was ordered from HK 3years ago but I'm not putting up with it again.
 
Did you manage to open it and get the pressure gauge reading bit to flatten down? I'm guessing opening that up would ruin the pressure in it anyway?? Not sure.
 
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