# CO2 Tank Dump



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've heard of it, I know what it is, but I'm still interested in seeing who has had a tank dump catastrophe. Any comments?

For those who don't know what tank dump is, it is a phenomenon when 80%-90% of the CO2 in a pressurized system is used up and the remaining 20%-10% causes pressure fluctuations. Some regulators will fail and "dump" large amounts of gas into your aquarium, damaging the regulators themselves and killing your fish from anoxia.

I ask because I scared myself the other day with a CO2 system leak. I watched my tank drop 400 psi (from 1200 psi to 800 psi) in a month and was worried about it, so until I get the time and new equipment (bubble counter) I shut off the system completely and de-pressurized the regulator. Soon I will break everything down, re-seal everything with teflon tape, soap-bubble test it, and get the system back up and running.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I have heard of that before, but never heard what the system setup was on those that it happened to. I use needle valves and solenoids on all my systems. If it is powered up, always wondered how the air got passed the needle valve? Maybe you can blow it out? I dunno.

In your other post about your CO2 sys, I replied and said I got a bubble counter for you if you're interested. For less than half of what I paid for it.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> I have heard of that before, but never heard what the system setup was on those that it happened to. If it is powered up, always wondered how the air got passed the needle valve? Maybe you can blow it out? I dunno.


From my understanding, if additional pressure is applied to the upstream end of a needle valve, it will increase the amount flowing past the valve into the tank to a higher bps rate. I don't think a tank dump will ruin a solenoid or a needle valve, but the articles I have read refer to tank dumps damaging the diaphragm of a high-pressure regulator and killing fish with the increased CO2 "dump" into the tank.


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