How Do I Adjust The Output Pressure On My CO2 Regulator???

[Tasher80]

I have a Gen-X CO2 regulator by pacific coast imports. It has a solenoid and a needle from MRC http://www.myreefcreations.com/caaccessories.htm at the bottom of the page. Currently the regulator is putting out an output pressure of 25. That is just a touch higher than I want. There isn't any big knobs for the output pressure. On The bottom of the setup there is a round spot with a slot in it for a screw driver. I think that is the output pressure controller. I turned it about a 1/4" of an inch both ways and nothing really changed. I didn't want to turn it too far if that wasn't what I thought it was. Anyone one how to change the output pressure?

[whatevva]

Sometimes if you lower the pressure, you'll have to discharge quite a bit of gas before you'll see the pressure drop. If I lower my output pressure, I have to crank up the bubble count for a few seconds to actually see the new pressure.

[crvz]

What's the reason for the lower pressure? Easier control of slower bubble rate?

[phiberop840]

Here is a picture of mine. The valve on the tank controls the pressure in the left gauge and the black valve in the center is the regulator knob for the gauge on the right and the silver knob on the right is the needle valve that controls the output. I think that your knob for the output side (from the picture in link) is off to the left of the regulator.

The pressure on the output side has to be 15 or higher for me as my check valve will not open unless there is more than 15psi. Thats the case for the metal checkvalves, the plastic ones are around 8-10 from what I hear. I keep my pressure from 16 to 20 and can maintain a good bubble count. If the temp in the room changes alot, then the bubble count changes as well, very sensitive. I think, that having the lower pressure in the output side makes it easier to dial in the needle valve. I have a harder time getting that right if my pressure is to high.

Oh yeah, dont make changes to any of the setting unless you can check it every 45 to 1 hour. it takes time for these things to regulate themselfs after a change, be patient and keep watching. I made a change to the needle valve once and left for the day and wasted a ton of CO2 and saturated my Reactor pretty bad, cause I did not realize that change right away. It changed over time.

Hope this helps.
Mike

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[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by Tasher80

I have a Gen-X CO2 regulator by pacific coast imports. It has a solenoid and a needle from MRC http://www.myreefcreations.com/caaccessories.htm at the bottom of the page. Currently the regulator is putting out an output pressure of 25. That is just a touch higher than I want. There isn't any big knobs for the output pressure. On The bottom of the setup there is a round spot with a slot in it for a screw driver. I think that is the output pressure controller. I turned it about a 1/4" of an inch both ways and nothing really changed. I didn't want to turn it too far if that wasn't what I thought it was. Anyone one how to change the output pressure?

A picture of your actual regulator pleare... evidently there are several revisions of this regulator available.

Good advice from both Butch and Mike re: the changes on the dials and pressure settings.

[tdwyatt]

btw, on the presets, I believe turning clockwise on the preset screw increases the operating presesure, but the needle on the operating pressure dial will only move if going up in operating pressure: you'll need to vent the pressure (open the solenoid by plugging the solenoid lead into regular 110 volts at the wall) to see a downward move on the operating (regulated) pressure dial after dialing down the pressure on the preset screw.


HTH, btw, have you measured your alk in the effluent and the tank yet?

[Tasher80]

I was going to do that tonght. I am going to measure alk in the tank too. If the PSI is 25 should i just leave it or lower it a little?

[Tasher80]

My calcium levels are 400. Alk 10.8. The effluent alk is 23 (high??) and the PH between chamber one and two is 6.85. It fluctuated today between 6.89 and 6.85. Basically during the day it was a little higher since tank PH was a little higher. The drip rate seems to be at a rate of just over 1 per second. What adjustments should I make?

[Tasher80]

Just checked my Alk and Calcium
Alk is 10.4 and Calcium is 400. PH in the reactor is 6.81 and PH in the tank was 8.07.

[tdwyatt]

this is good, leave the reactor running like this and look for n upward trend to tke you to a0 -12 dKH for your alk, just watch for a spike on the lk. OR you cn push you alk up with some bicarb and wtch it from tht point (Ca++ = 400-425 and ak at dKH - 10-12 will be fairly close to balance if S=35 PPT (SG= 1.025-ISH at 80F) and your conse3rvative elements are in close proportionality such that MG++ = 1300 PPM or so.

ep testing efluent, tnk for alk and watch tank pH at 8am and 8 PM remember, trends, not so much the actual numbers are what you're watching now, so make charts of your values.

Do you have auto top off? and do you do regular water changes?


HTH

[Tasher80]

I have an auto top off that goes through a Nilsen Reactor. It is still hooked up and running. My RK2 is hooked to my computer so the PH is logged. My trends are the same as they were before the Reactor went online. On my salifert Alk test kit is says Natural Sea Water has a dKH of 8. You are saying 10-12 is better because it is more in balance correct? My calcium was 400. I added just a touch of turbo calcium to boost it a closer to 425. You want me to keep testing the tank for alk and calcium. You said test the effluent out of the reactor what should I be looking for there other than spikes?

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by Tasher80

I have an auto top off that goes through a Nilsen Reactor. It is still hooked up and running. My RK2 is hooked to my computer so the PH is logged. My trends are the same as they were before the Reactor went online. On my salifert Alk test kit is says Natural Sea Water has a dKH of 8. You are saying 10-12 is better because it is more in balance correct? My calcium was 400. I added just a touch of turbo calcium to boost it a closer to 425. You want me to keep testing the tank for alk and calcium. You said test the effluent out of the reactor what should I be looking for there other than spikes?

Disconnect the nielssen reactor, it will totally throw off the adjustment of your Ca reactor (CO2 and aragonite). With the nielssen running in addition to the CO2-based reactor, you have two sources of ca and alk, and we only want one for now that is controlled by one controller unit. With two running, there is no legit feedback loop in place, so that changes in running the reactor are not reflected in what is going into the tank. You cannot adjust and tune the CO2-aragonite reactor while you're dumping kalkwasser into the tank on an independent controller.

Once the CO2-based reactor has been the only supplement running for solid week, we can begin to adjust based on your tank's response to the reactor effluent: if your trend in the alk is downwrd, then we'll need to adjust, based on things like system pH, your alkalinity , the alk of the effluent, etc., but it is too soon to see trends due to the CO2/aragonite reactor yet. Ideally, you'll adjust your calcium and alk with supplements to be in balance at Ca++= 400-425PPM and alk at 10-12 dKH, then see how the trend goes with the reactor running as it is set up. If we see a general downward trend, and you have good alkalinity in your effluent, and it is running wide open, then we'll need to adjust based on things that will drive up the concentration of alkalinity in the effluent. If the tank shows a general trend upward that is not too sharp, then we'll reduce the effluent flow rate initially, if the increase is sharp, then decrease the effluent flow and cut the bubble rate for the CO2. If your alk concentration in the effluent is low, and/or we see a downward trend in your tank's alk, then we will need to increase the alkalinity in the effluent upward and possibly increase effluent rates.


Much to consider, but this is why you'tre keeping records. Just curious, how did your probe respond to the borax test as it is calibrated now?

[Tasher80]

I got two brand new probes so they calibrated right away. I was going to buy only one but when I tried to calibrate my old one it didn't respond quickly. I just thought better to get two new one. Both calibrated well.

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by Tasher80

I got two brand new probes so they calibrated right away. I was going to buy only one but when I tried to calibrate my old one it didn't respond quickly. I just thought better to get two new one. Both calibrated well.

That is probably a smart thing to do, but what did your (new) probe read (for the controller) when you did the borax text? If you haven't done this yet, it would be smart to test it now with the borax solution to confirm the ability of your probe to read correctly, new or not.

[Tasher80]

I used the calibration solution. The pinpoint 7.0 and 10.0. After it was calibrated I dipped them into each solution and it read correctly. After I calibrated them I had both of them in my sump because I wasn't ready to put it into the calcium reactor yet. They were both reading the same thing.