# Bubble counter



## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

In theory couldn't you just take off the bubble counter after the bubble count is to you liking and you won't fiddle with it anymore? I know it is a precaution to leave it on but is it possible?


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

turtlehead said:


> In theory couldn't you just take off the bubble counter after the bubble count is to you liking and you won't fiddle with it anymore? I know it is a precaution to leave it on but is it possible?


I'd say it's good practice to remove any bubble counter once you've dialed in the needle valve. The bubble counter introduces multiple places for a CO2 leak which is never a good thing. Use a Sharpie felt tip pen and make a mark on both the knob and the body of the needle valve at the top where you can see it after you have it set where you want it. If the setting drifts a little later, or you accidentally knock it around, the mark will be close enough to restart without the bubble counter.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I like to keep a visual check on the bubble rate, either with a bubble counter or with some of the diffusers/reactors, which let you see the bubbles. Without that the CO2 ppm could drop without you having any idea the bubble rate had dropped.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

The only possible reasons I can think of for co2 ppm to drop is if I accidentally change it or it bottoms out. Am I correct? I am using a glass bubble counter btw.


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

Over a certain aquarium size you can't really -count- bubbles in a bubblecounter anyway, you can just see that the CO2 is flowing. So it's just as well to place the outlet of the CO2 in the tank and watch that. But I don't like seeing -any- equipment in the tank no matter how ridiculously expensive or exquisitely glassblown it may be. So now the Sweetwater stone is in the sump inside the filter intake and I'll just watch the plants and the gauges.

When did this hobby get so messed up?


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

I've had the same problem. The reason for this thread is because I'm being cheap and don't want to get another bubble counter for my second presurized system, hopefully I don't mess anything up when I take off the bubble counter and use it for my other tank.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You don't really count bubbles, or I don't, but you do see the bubble stream and get used to how it looks, so a change is obvious. I have found that the rate can creep down over a long period of time, but I use the Milwaukee all in one regulator, which isn't exactly expensive. Also, when I set up the bubble rate, I have to watch it for a few days to see if I need to raise the pressure setting on the regulator to keep it steady - shutting off the CO2 at night can lead to variations in bubble rate when it restarts until I get the pressure just high enough to hold it the same each restart.

But, I agree that a bubble counter is a device of questionable utility. My Barr Internal venturi reactor also serves as a bubble counter, so I don't need one at all now, and may remove mine.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

TWood said:


> When did this hobby get so messed up?


I feel the same way sometimes. There is a lot to be said for watching the plants and fish, keeping things simple, and having time to sit back and watch it all.

Spending tons of money on the currently popular etherial-wispy-cloud-zen rock, finding driftwood collected from the deepest jungles at the the source of the Nile, trying to grow some ridiculously temperamental species of plant, and conforming to someone else's idea of what a perfect scape looks like gets kind of old after a while.

Sometimes what fascinates us the most is a mayonnaise jar full of minnows from the creek behind the house.

Don't ask me where all that came from...... Back on topic.... 

Remove the bubble counter if you want..... or don't. Just make sure you have some way to judge how much CO2 is actually going in.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Alright will do. When it comes to spending my money let people do whatever with their money... Some people prefer their '89 Honda Accords while other prefer their top of the line 2007 BMWs. Just personal taste. I have both.


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

guaiac_boy said:


> Spending tons of money on the currently popular etherial-wispy-cloud-zen rock, finding driftwood collected from the deepest jungles at the the source of the Nile, trying to grow some ridiculously temperamental species of plant, and conforming to someone else's idea of what a perfect scape looks like gets kind of old after a while.


"They" did a study some time back on the warning signs that led to the collapse of past civilizations. In every case the art of those civilizations devolved into obsession with decorative details rather than maintaining talented technique. I think this hobby has crossed into that realm and is ripe for a reformation. Ironically, Amano is responsible for both the most recent reformation, and the current devolution.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

With a clearer mind this a.m. it occurs to me that the conversation has drifted quite far from turtlehead's original question. The debate about current trends, expensive equipment, and such is one that I find very interesting, and it should take place in another dedicated thread.

When it comes to bubble-counters, I see no real need to have one. Personally, I'd be nervous if I didn't have some way to see how much gas was going into the system, but there isn't any harm in leaving it out.


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