Close call with CO2 (Milwaukee equipment)

T

thadius65

AC Members
Jul 30, 2006
82
0
6
Wow... Close one.

Got home tonight. Was getting ready to feed my fish and gave everything the usual once over. Noticed that my SMS122 PH controller was in an off state (PH was 6.1 and was set at 6.4). But yet, my bubbler was still going. Unplugged the solenoid plug and PH controller plug and it still was going. Plugged all back in, PH controller still in off state, still bubbling. Moved controller dial to 6.0 and it flashed alert (on state), turned it off (turned dial back to 6.4) and heard the solenoid click off and bubbles stop.

Had I not looked, this would have continued all through the night. My thought is that the solenoid was stuck in an on position. Checking my tank gauges, I read 700lbs on the tank pressure side and (embarassed to say I think) 100lbs on the output side. Could this high pressure on the solenoid side caused the stuck open state?

Note that I have had this running for two weeks and it tested fine and ran fan the whole time. The output (high side?) pressure has not changed.

I did lower the output side to 25lbs now... Is that okay?

Thoughts?

Ted
 
Yea, I'd keep it at 25 now. Check it every so often to make sure the solenoid isn't still stuck.
 
Ted that has never happened to me before. Be careful. If you keep your bubble count steady and have an airstone turn on at night when lights go out, you will be pretty safe against catastrophies. Unfortunately, when we rely heavily on automated machinery to run things, this can happen. Think of how many times you had a computer crash....Glad you caught it. If it continues, contact Milwaukee. Their customer service is great.
 
Per Milwaukee Customer Support:

Open needle valve all the way. Adjust big knob until desired bubble count. If it cannot be achieved with big knob than use the needle for micro adjustments.

They also indicated excercising about 16-18 times to ensure no burrs could be causing a stick, but highly suspected the 100lbs caused the issue... Such a newby.. :duh:
 
lol did everyone survive?
 
Still okay. I will be installing a DiabloCanine CO2 reactor Saturday. That should get me going.

Something just isn't balanced. I guess I will wait til CO2 reactor is up for a few weeks, but I am on week 2 of Greg Watson ferts and some things look okay, and others... eh, okay. Green algae, BBA (on the way out) and some brown algae down on the glass under substrate.

That H Balsa plant you sent is shooting roots out all sides of the stem, top to bottom. The lower half is kinda getting wilted though, but mid to high looks real good. Must be lack of light at the bottom. I took my red ludwigia that is growing like a weed, cut it off at the top and (just testing) layed it on its side and partially burried. It is laying horizontal, but growing new shoots vertical. Cool stuff.

Still struggling with getting substrate. Should know next week.

Ted
 
once the CO2 reactor is set and efficiently delivering CO2, your algae problems should subside. Clean off whatever visible algae you see and spot treat with excel. As for the H balsamica, you can pinch off the healthy tops and just shove it in the substrate and throw out the ratty bottom. You can't kill the stuff....lol
Once your CO2 is in order the fun can begin.... :)
 
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