#1   Report Post  
Old 10-04-2003, 09:08 PM
WhiskerFish
 
Posts: n/a
Default CO2 system components

Hello All

I have a 2 1/2 Watt per gallon planted 55 gal tank . I have
been researching and starting to put together a CO2 injection system
and am looking for some pointers/ do's and don't do's.

I am very fortunate to have a Swagelok distributer just a few
miles down the road. I have settled on the Swagelok B-SS2 metering
Valve. I am not sure yet but am leaning toward the Swagelok PFA
Tubing. It is supposed to be resistent to CO2 and Carbonic Acid.
Have any of you used this??

Next is a Anti-Siphon/ Check valve. Swagelok sells a few but
I am concerned about the cracking pressures. With a flow rate so low
it can be measured by bubbles per minute will the tube have enough
pressure to maintain the cracking pressure or would it cycle every few
minutes as it builds up pressure and then dump into the tank?? The
lowest I see in the catalouge is 1/3 of a PSI. I have the charts but
I am just not knowledgable enough in these things to figure it out!
If this will not work are there any recommendations??

Also I am looking for recommendations on a reactor/ chamber.

I hate throwing away money so thanks for any info anyone cares to
share!

WF
  #2   Report Post  
Old 10-04-2003, 11:44 PM
Bob Alston
 
Posts: n/a
Default CO2 system components

Be sure you know how you want to connect the valve. If you want to connect
directly to your regulator, you may want the B-SS4 with 1/4-inch NPT threads
to go directly into your regulator.

Next you have to get the adaptor to connect your tubing. I think you have
two options:
1) One user uses a B-405-3 insert to connect aquarium tubing directly
into the valve.
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plant.../msg00095.html

See p.52 of catalog:

http://www.swagelok.com/downloads/we.../MS-01-140.pdf



2) Option two would be a adaptor from 1/4-inch NPT to 1/8-inch hose
bard.

Here are some comments I found on the web on the Swagelok S-series valve:

"The valve is fantastic, allowing me total extremely fine control over my
CO2 flow rate. I can wind the rate from about 1 bubble every 5 minutes, to
about 4-5 bubbles a second, linearly, if the inlet pressure remains
constant. Changing the inlet pressure allows me a greater control range."

http://www.frii.com/~gbooth/AquaticC...Co2/valves.htm



"I can say that the Swagelok S has a control rate of 1 bubble/second/turn"

http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.c...12&f=399606081
2&m=1326034082&r=7996026882#7996026882





I use just plain old aquarium tubing.

I am very happy with the following reactor:
CO2 Reactor

Plant Guild Power Reactor

http://www.familychest.com/plantguil..._reactors.html

Note some online aquarium stores now carry the larger version of this, which
is what I have.



Also, I would highly recommend the following:



CO2 Level Monitor

Dupla monitor - Dupla CO2 Dauertest

http://www.dupla.com/start_e.htm

--
Bob Alston


"WhiskerFish" wrote in message
...
Hello All

I have a 2 1/2 Watt per gallon planted 55 gal tank . I have
been researching and starting to put together a CO2 injection system
and am looking for some pointers/ do's and don't do's.

I am very fortunate to have a Swagelok distributer just a few
miles down the road. I have settled on the Swagelok B-SS2 metering
Valve. I am not sure yet but am leaning toward the Swagelok PFA
Tubing. It is supposed to be resistent to CO2 and Carbonic Acid.
Have any of you used this??

Next is a Anti-Siphon/ Check valve. Swagelok sells a few but
I am concerned about the cracking pressures. With a flow rate so low
it can be measured by bubbles per minute will the tube have enough
pressure to maintain the cracking pressure or would it cycle every few
minutes as it builds up pressure and then dump into the tank?? The
lowest I see in the catalouge is 1/3 of a PSI. I have the charts but
I am just not knowledgable enough in these things to figure it out!
If this will not work are there any recommendations??

Also I am looking for recommendations on a reactor/ chamber.

I hate throwing away money so thanks for any info anyone cares to
share!

WF



  #3   Report Post  
Old 11-04-2003, 03:20 AM
WhiskerFish
 
Posts: n/a
Default CO2 system components

The lady down at the Swagelok outlet was very helpfull. I went in
there with the regulator and she worked up the connections to the
valve from the cataloges. The smallest adapter the weld shop had was
for a 1/4" ID tube. We adapted that down to a 1/8 ID then down to a
1/8 OD then into the valve. The outlet line will be 1/8th" OD. I
have a old cheap needle valve and that sucks. Can not control rate
hardly at all. Looking foward to having something of quality. Parts
should arrive next week. I am still worried about the cracking
presure of the check valve. For these flow rates 1/3 of a psi seems a
lot for cracking pressure. Thanks for the info and the link for the
reactor. That looks very interesting! Definetly makes the short
list!

WF

On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 21:44:02 GMT, "Bob Alston"
wrote:

Be sure you know how you want to connect the valve. If you want to connect
directly to your regulator, you may want the B-SS4 with 1/4-inch NPT threads
to go directly into your regulator.

Next you have to get the adaptor to connect your tubing. I think you have
two options:
1) One user uses a B-405-3 insert to connect aquarium tubing directly
into the valve.
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plant.../msg00095.html

See p.52 of catalog:

http://www.swagelok.com/downloads/we.../MS-01-140.pdf



2) Option two would be a adaptor from 1/4-inch NPT to 1/8-inch hose
bard.

Here are some comments I found on the web on the Swagelok S-series valve:

"The valve is fantastic, allowing me total extremely fine control over my
CO2 flow rate. I can wind the rate from about 1 bubble every 5 minutes, to
about 4-5 bubbles a second, linearly, if the inlet pressure remains
constant. Changing the inlet pressure allows me a greater control range."

http://www.frii.com/~gbooth/AquaticC...Co2/valves.htm



"I can say that the Swagelok S has a control rate of 1 bubble/second/turn"

http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.c...12&f=399606081
2&m=1326034082&r=7996026882#7996026882





I use just plain old aquarium tubing.

I am very happy with the following reactor:
CO2 Reactor

Plant Guild Power Reactor

http://www.familychest.com/plantguil..._reactors.html

Note some online aquarium stores now carry the larger version of this, which
is what I have.



Also, I would highly recommend the following:



CO2 Level Monitor

Dupla monitor - Dupla CO2 Dauertest

http://www.dupla.com/start_e.htm


  #4   Report Post  
Old 11-04-2003, 05:20 AM
 
Posts: n/a
Default CO2 system components

I have settled on the Swagelok B-SS2 metering
Valve. I am not sure yet but am leaning toward the Swagelok PFA
Tubing. It is supposed to be resistent to CO2 and Carbonic Acid.
Have any of you used this??


Sure, so is silicone tubing.

Next is a Anti-Siphon/ Check valve. Swagelok sells a few but
I am concerned about the cracking pressures. With a flow rate so low
it can be measured by bubbles per minute will the tube have enough
pressure to maintain the cracking pressure or would it cycle every few
minutes as it builds up pressure and then dump into the tank?? The
lowest I see in the catalouge is 1/3 of a PSI. I have the charts but
I am just not knowledgable enough in these things to figure it out!
If this will not work are there any recommendations??


Well if you use a check valve, best to place it after the regulator
and before the needle valve.

I have never used a check valve on a single system I have set up for
others or my own.
I never will either.

There's no need if your reactor of system is creating postive suction.
There's never any backpressure so there's never any chance for
backflow.

Even when the gas tank runs out. If the gas is fed into the
pump's/filter's intake, you never need a check valve. Check valves
stick and fail.
Postive suction can fail also if the pump gets stuck but then there's
no pressure at all except positive unless both the pump gets stuck and
the gas tank runs out. I've set this up to see if any backflow
ocurrs......it did not but I put and top loop in the CO2 line so it
has to come up at least 2-3 inches to back into the line(then it has
to come up the height of the tank on the other end and fill the entire
tubing length somehow)

Also I am looking for recommendations on a reactor/ chamber.


See he
http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

I hate throwing away money so thanks for any info anyone cares to
share!
WF


Give us your money, we will see to it that it is not thrown away:-)
Regards,
Tom Barr
  #5   Report Post  
Old 11-04-2003, 11:32 AM
WhiskerFish
 
Posts: n/a
Default CO2 system components

Tom
Thanks very much. Still reading and looking!! I was not aware that
Silicon was safe for CO2. As for the check valve it may as you
describe with the line loop instead. I do noit have a external
canister so I will have to think on that some more. (been thinking on
getting one but not just yet when the Penguinn is doing a adequate
job)
WF


On 10 Apr 2003 20:13:21 -0700,
) wrote:

I have settled on the Swagelok B-SS2 metering
Valve. I am not sure yet but am leaning toward the Swagelok PFA
Tubing. It is supposed to be resistent to CO2 and Carbonic Acid.
Have any of you used this??


Sure, so is silicone tubing.

Next is a Anti-Siphon/ Check valve. Swagelok sells a few but
I am concerned about the cracking pressures. With a flow rate so low
it can be measured by bubbles per minute will the tube have enough
pressure to maintain the cracking pressure or would it cycle every few
minutes as it builds up pressure and then dump into the tank?? The
lowest I see in the catalouge is 1/3 of a PSI. I have the charts but
I am just not knowledgable enough in these things to figure it out!
If this will not work are there any recommendations??


Well if you use a check valve, best to place it after the regulator
and before the needle valve.

I have never used a check valve on a single system I have set up for
others or my own.
I never will either.

There's no need if your reactor of system is creating postive suction.
There's never any backpressure so there's never any chance for
backflow.

Even when the gas tank runs out. If the gas is fed into the
pump's/filter's intake, you never need a check valve. Check valves
stick and fail.
Postive suction can fail also if the pump gets stuck but then there's
no pressure at all except positive unless both the pump gets stuck and
the gas tank runs out. I've set this up to see if any backflow
ocurrs......it did not but I put and top loop in the CO2 line so it
has to come up at least 2-3 inches to back into the line(then it has
to come up the height of the tank on the other end and fill the entire
tubing length somehow)

Also I am looking for recommendations on a reactor/ chamber.


See he
http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

I hate throwing away money so thanks for any info anyone cares to
share!
WF


Give us your money, we will see to it that it is not thrown away:-)
Regards,
Tom Barr


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