Reply With Quote
Search for 'solenoid' and 'regulator'.
what's the name of the gadget that I can attach to my CO2 tank so that it will not dose when the lights are not on ?
I think one extreme is to get those who monitor KH and PH, and dose accordingly, but I am just looking for a cheaper alternative where I tie the dosing to the timing of my lights (via the timer thing).
where to buy ? what's that call ?
Search for 'solenoid' and 'regulator'.
how many red notes ? and which shop can get good price ? fit onto any CO2 tank with manual bubble counter ?
Its called a solenoid. Different brands, different prices.... try the marketplace for 2nd hand ones.
It varies quite a bit.
For cheaper alternatives, you should go an get a 2nd hand solenoid in the marketplace, it would come with the tank as well (usually).
For a new one, you can go look at aquatic.com for a reasonable priced one. No tank though.
You need to go to any LFS and get one. I usually go for the smaller one for easy of placement (2-3L)
thanks, so for me with a new tank, I can just buy a solenoid and it will fit ? I will go ask around. tks!
No lah.
I suggest that you go to a LFS or look around in the marketplace.
Need a tank, Solenoid (manual one cheaper but need to manually control - of course), then you need a bubble counter, a check valve (for back flow control), then the tubings and of course your diffuser (many types).
If you have a bigger tank can use the ball type that is driven by a power head or preferably a canister - it is the most efficient (my opinioin) but takes up some space and does not look too good if you do not know how to hide it.
how much is one new solenoid in mkt now?
I got it around 120. Price should be average. I hope
Depending on the brand, German brand will be >$100 and Taiwan brand <$90
I called PMart to check, they say 100, but I did not check what brand.
Wah... Then mine is expensive.
Got both mine at around 120...
Well now I know...
I know HK sells at a cheaper rate at around 90.
120 is considered cheap if it is german brand
ya... I guess yours could be german made.
just another qn, is it right to say that the ctrl of the output for co2 is more precise in a solenoid compared to a regulator ?
this is becos, for my regulator, i need to readjust almost everyday... the knob is somewhat loose i presume.
Will that happen to a solenoid too ?
You need something call needle valve. I'm not sure if you can fix manual regulator with needle valve though.
I have a manual and a solenoid and I do not fine a problem with both on the control.
But I am not very particular, 2 or 4 bps I am also ok. I did try to get better resolution on the manual but is a bit more difficult as the knob is harder to control than the one on the solenoid.
It is just a hobby and I do not think a 2 bps vs a 4bps is going to hurt the tank or your pocket too much.
I hope that is the case !!!!
Anyway, on the kiasu side, I also dope with excel ..... really overkill i think.
Alex
How big is your tank? and how dense is your plants? and lastly how efficient is your reactor or diffusior? Because even if you have 10bps and you are not using anything, meaning just a air pipe to the water, then you just end up wasting CO2, only small raction of the CO2 will disolve into the water. So it depend, bps does not tell you the ppm of CO2 in the water.
Yeap, you are right.
But I am a trial and error person.
At first, "stingy" so only < 1 bps with a standard diffuser/reactor. Then plants not doing so well. So went to 2bps with excel and plants doing well now. Quitely densely populated. Mosses mainly (went to get a chiller for them to do better)
So setup another tank now (cube tank) and playing with ceramic diffuser. This one use manual regulator. Not as efficient "but looks nicer", so went on to 3bps. Still observing. This tank is lightly planted. When the carpet grows, then have to see the need of the plants.
May go more scientific and get the ppm of C02 but it is fun now to look and tune.
Now starting a 3rd tank that is heavily planted with standard diffuser and without the excel. See when I would get the CO2 right. Looking at maybe 3ps first for 8 hrs.
Regards
Alex
so this needle valve is an external thingy? or is it suppose to be inside the manual regulator / solenoid ?Originally Posted by Shadow
cos i need to adjust my ctrl everyday...
i can adjust to maybe 1-2 bps but next day go see again, output = nil...
and if i adjust to maybe 3-4 bps, next day go might become like 6-8 bps...
i cant achieve consistency with my current set... think there's something wrong with my knob or something
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks