Calcium Reactor and CO2 pressure
- Thread starter solitude127
- Start date
Set that pressure to help to dial in you bubble rate. Every system is different so there is no set pressure. Your feed pump strength, Proximity and height of reactor (head pressure), drip rate and other factors can change the pressure at your reactor chamber. The co2 needs to be high enough pressure to make the gas flow into the bubble counter. Too high and it will just rush in. If my needle valve is too sensitive then I lower co2 pressure. It my needle valve is not responding well, raising co2 pressure may help. Once i have it set, I don't mess with it until the bottle starts to go empty.
Basically keeping the pressure around the 15 to 20 psi helps your metering valve work more efficiently since your metering valve (I assume you got it from alin le) is a low flow valve and it'll help you tune it better. Raising the psi won't do anything except cause you to tinker with the valve a bit more. They recommend setting it at 15 to 20 to prevent end tank dumping and it should give you enough time to replace your co2 tank
It really comes down to your needle valve and your bubble count.
Your pressure regulator is just to let you know how much the regulator is opened.
A dual stage regulator is always best for co2, but really, not absolutely necessary,as it will show you pressure from the tank ,and pressure out, and make* a more steady stream, even as the tank empties.
Your pressure regulator is just to let you know how much the regulator is opened.
A dual stage regulator is always best for co2, but really, not absolutely necessary,as it will show you pressure from the tank ,and pressure out, and make* a more steady stream, even as the tank empties.
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Not exactly. You have the tank pressure reduced by the needle valve after it leaves the tank. That is where you adjust bubble count or pressure going into the reactor. The needle valve is the gateway that has pressure of 20+lbs of Co2 on input and then lets out bubbles of Co2 at a very low pressure. In my setup I don't use a bubble counter, although one is in line. I have a PH probe in my reactor which acts as a safety device that will turn the solenoid on or off depending on my preset PH value in the reactor. By viewing the PH inside the reactor I know several things without even looking at the bubble count.
