View Full Version : Do you use bubble counter fluid??
coach_z
06-13-2009, 1:50 PM
i was wondering if anybody with a pressurized system uses bubble counter fluid and if you like its advantages over regular water?
-chris
mdk635
06-13-2009, 2:41 PM
and i have to refill FREQUENTLY!! anyone know why? just blow through? guaranteed not leaking...
The bubble counter fluid is mineral oil, and yes I use it.
You never have to refill it, unless it leaks, and it also slows down the speed of the bubbles too.
bkw1982
06-13-2009, 7:26 PM
would any other oil wrk? like baby oil?
would any other oil wrk? like baby oil?
I wouldnt try it, baby oil has other things in it besides oil, such as fragrances.
coach_z
06-15-2009, 8:53 AM
mineral oil huh? to the local convenience store i go!
247Plants
06-15-2009, 1:31 PM
I got my bottle of mineral oil at Target for like 2 bucks and its still mostly full. I think in the past 3 or 4 years I have filled it twice.......
Mineral oil is the only oil I would use since its safe even for human consumption.
coach_z
06-15-2009, 1:34 PM
I got my bottle of mineral oil at Target for like 2 bucks and its still mostly full. I think in the past 3 or 4 years I have filled it twice.......
Mineral oil is the only oil I would use since its safe even for human consumption.
haha yes it is safe for human consumption....BUT!...its intended uses and causes for use are less than desirable
angyles
06-15-2009, 3:10 PM
I use mineral oil but what I noticed is you have to take the changes into account. When people say that it 'slows the bubbles down' what I noticed is it actually makes the bubbles bigger because of the thickness. Say you're trying to get 2 bubbles per second. 2 bubbles per second with mineral oil might be more like 3 bubbles per second with water. The scale is different so it really comes down to what your drop checker reads more than your bubbles.
I use mineral oil but what I noticed is you have to take the changes into account. When people say that it 'slows the bubbles down' what I noticed is it actually makes the bubbles bigger because of the thickness. Say you're trying to get 2 bubbles per second. 2 bubbles per second with mineral oil might be more like 3 bubbles per second with water. The scale is different so it really comes down to what your drop checker reads more than your bubbles.
Yeah thats the point I was making, it makes subtle changes easier to see because of that property. In a large tank, this is a godsend.