Damn solenoid, a lesson in assumptions about CO2

[Tom Barr]

I've had a 120 Gal go well, then get a little algae off and on for a few months. Ever since I moved.
I knew it was CO2, the other tanks have all done well, but not this one.

I switched out some of the CO2 items, the reg and solenoid. Then added a good pair of ideal needle valves. Still issues here and there. I think I'd be very tempted to think it was nutrients, or maybe magic.......but I know that issue well and also know my other 4 tanks have the same nutrients/water changes etc.

I'd had the CO2 being fed into the reactor below, so I could not see it coming on/off much, just what was in the tank itself via plant growth/algae. I'd look here and there, but figured it was all new stuff, could not the problem.

Tank did better when I'd leave for a week etc, and it went limiting.........

So........

What was the issue? Damn solenoid would stick open and close a few hours before switch on or off.
I spotted it last night, the bubbles still where on when I look under the tank at the reactor. I checked AM, and it was off, but then came on after 2-3 hours after the lights where on.

I pulled it out, replaced the solenoid, it's working right now.
It's also easier to gas fish when this happens.

I'm not inexperienced with issues about CO2, but it gets me every now and then too.
And if gets me, and gets the Amano, and anyone/everyone else a few times, do not feel bad if you think it's something else, but it turns out to be CO2 after all.

Importantly, do not give up looking for the issue. Some do and then claim nutrients are "the key". Nutrients can be ruled out and with other reference tanks (which I have, but some do not, nor enough experience to tell one way or the other) as well as light(I have a PAR meter and can adjust each tank to be identical by height adjustment). Certain species of algae are also indicative, and they can be added to other tanks and not persist like they did in this tank.

How long should a person look at CO2 and adjust, before giving up and trying something else?
Well, if the other options, lower light, sediment ferts, good water changes/dosing, clean filters, good high current, and they still cannot get a decent CO2...........I think those folks are rare.

But there are some that cannot, then they can go to the PO4 limiting method, but..........with the knowledge that CO2 is still a monkey on their back, they chose not to address. We can fix many things indirectly, but this does not address the root. Ultimately, most can, and this provides the higher level of wiggle room and better growth than limiting nutrients. But a few will never get some of these things right and it can be hard to resolve over the web.

I would had never caught about 20% of the issues I've seen in person for example about CO2.

FYI............

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Oreo]

In my profession I have come to understand that equipment, especially mechanical equipment should never be trusted. Systems should be designed with multiple back-ups & fail-safes when ever possible but when it gets down to brass tacks you watch things closely and you trust your own eyes and intuition above all else no matter what the gauges say. Good on you Tom for figuring out that tricky problem. It's a testament to your ability. A lot of people, even with plenty of experience, just aren't good at trouble-shooting and may have never caught that.

[Whiskey]

Good call! Glad you caught it before something really bad happened.

You know? I've never found a CO2 solenoid I can rely on I've had 3 of them, and had trouble with them all sticking open at some point for some reason. One of them was on a CA reactor for my 180 gallon SPS reef while I was on vacation,.. melted the media down, and I had heavy losses right after I won a photo contest with the tank and got it on the front page of a board actually.

My current one on my 30G has stuck open twice, and the tank hasn't even been up that long! Plus it stuck closed when I was in Utah a few weeks ago. I've tried a few times to fix it - using Vaseline,.. making the spring a little stronger,.. cleaning it really good of course, everything has helped, but nothing has solved it.

I never thought I'd say this when I was drooling over this equipment and then looking at my empty bank account,.. but it sometimes seems that it was easier without it.

Whiskey

[Oreo]

You know, if you really, really want to make a fail-proof system you could use a set of four solenoids for one aquarium. Two parallel sets of two in series. Use one timer for each valve. In this way, if any one valve or timer fails either open or closed the entire system still functions as normal. I would think the CO2 tank, regulator, and metering valve are all much less of a concern and probably don't need to be redundant.

Costly, yes. But if it absolutely must be 100% reliable, that would be the way.

[Tom Barr]

In my profession I have come to understand that equipment, especially mechanical equipment should never be trusted. Systems should be designed with multiple back-ups & fail-safes when ever possible but when it gets down to brass tacks you watch things closely and you trust your own eyes and intuition above all else no matter what the gauges say. Good on you Tom for figuring out that tricky problem. It's a testament to your ability. A lot of people, even with plenty of experience, just aren't good at trouble-shooting and may have never caught that.

It's more a testament to having issues potentially even when you think everything should be workign correctly.
I get nailed on this stuff as well. Even with a good reference and observations, I know something is not right.

Redundancy is a huge thing with Airplane systems and space flight.

I think we do see a few folks in the hobby, for one reason or another............have issues they cannot solve easily.
There's 1001 ways to mess a method up, but only a few ways to do it right. So potential error is NOT WITH THE METHOD, RATHER, THE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE USER.
WE FAIL, NOT THE METHOD.

There's not one method that's fool proof, someone cannot get for whatever reason... if you think so, we can certainly a fool that will mess it up

I was at fault, not EI, not the nice dual stage reg, or the ideal valves, light, Sediment............or general care etc.........

I have read so many who want to blame others, a method, anything but themselves. It's a scapegoating culture almost, rather than aaceptance, humility to say they are doign somethign wrong and the tenacity to keep trying different things till they figure it out.

I knew it was CO2 the entire time..........what specifically was the real mystery.
I've been checking it.

Now there is awlays a silver lining with a path of pain and algae woe.
You can isolate and know what CO2 issues look like, youi learn more ways to mess a CO2 system up, you can recall what happened and help others who, while rare, have a simialr issue.

I also had a similar issue with an Azoo diffuser disc that took about 1-2 hours to start bubbling, it was really clogged and looked clean etc, it was the damn check valve, the other ones I used did not have a sticking Check valve.
Little crap like this can really bother a hobbyist, they think they are doing everything right, I look at the tank and tell them "you got a CO2 problem", a dozen others say the same, then they pull their hair in frustrtaion, gas their fish with CO2 etc trying desperately to rectify the issue.
They do not believe you much based on their results.

Without a data logging CO2 meter, it's tough to say much.



Regards,
Tom Barr

[Tom Barr]

Good call! Glad you caught it before something really bad happened.

You know? I've never found a CO2 solenoid I can rely on I've had 3 of them, and had trouble with them all sticking open at some point for some reason. One of them was on a CA reactor for my 180 gallon SPS reef while I was on vacation,.. melted the media down, and I had heavy losses right after I won a photo contest with the tank and got it on the front page of a board actually.

My current one on my 30G has stuck open twice, and the tank hasn't even been up that long! Plus it stuck closed when I was in Utah a few weeks ago. I've tried a few times to fix it - using Vaseline,.. making the spring a little stronger,.. cleaning it really good of course, everything has helped, but nothing has solved it.

I never thought I'd say this when I was drooling over this equipment and then looking at my empty bank account,.. but it sometimes seems that it was easier without it.

Whiskey

Ahhh damn.............I'd kill someone if I mauled an SPS tank. I'd want some heads on the block.
I think this really goes back to LeftC's manta: go high grade stuff on CO2.

Check valves
Dual stage Regs
High grade high flow diffusion methods that have stable flow through(needle wheels seem the best to me)
Visual cues to make sure things are working and adding gas etc
High grade gas tubing lines
High grade needle valves with a vernier handle(or add a DIY tick marks so you can see where the flow was set at)
Good surface current
Stable degassing rates
Good connections and soapy water leak checks
And ............high grade good solenoids.

BTW, it was a cliappard, I've fired 4 over the years, the Milkwaukee? About 12!!!
I would never suggest or use one of those.

There's a lot lot more to CO2 than most folks give it credit for and far more ways to louse it up.
The only way I know this is from exprience and also, by simply ruling everything else out as a cause(measure light and nutrients, those are easy to do).
Measuring CO2 is also a PITA.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Tom Barr]

You know, if you really, really want to make a fail-proof system you could use a set of four solenoids for one aquarium. Two parallel sets of two in series. Use one timer for each valve. In this way, if any one valve or timer fails either open or closed the entire system still functions as normal. I would think the CO2 tank, regulator, and metering valve are all much less of a concern and probably don't need to be redundant.

Costly, yes. But if it absolutely must be 100% reliable, that would be the way.

Yep, thought about a few times in the past.
Too lazy or not willing to address the risk this way..........have not learn enough lessons I suppose

Regards,
Tom Barr

[shoggoth43]

So what would be a high quality recommended solenoid?

-
S

[Left C]

Have you guys had any experience with Bürkert solenoids?

I've been using a 00456786 6011 brass Bürkert solenoid for a while now. It's seals are made from FKM and the coil is 4 watts. I've never read anything bad about them or any complaints of failure. It's a mechanical device, so ....

Their 6011A model is made for analytical use.

6011 pdf: http://us.burkert.com/products_data/...dard-US-EN.pdf

AquariumPlants.com has a 6011 for sale too: http://www.aquariumplants.com/Burker...1_p/bu6011.htm

[Tom Barr]

Yes, I have one. Decent.

I think we might want to look around more for a good high grade no sticking version.

From there, a simple list of CO2 key critical parts and a resource.
Not just regs, or valves, but all the pieces from start to finish.

Regards,
Tom Barr