Pearling...Solenoid Valves...Needle Valves

[pankakelovers]

Hello all,

1) I marvel at the benefits my CO2 system has given our tank, however, I never see any pearling.
Is this something to strive for, or is this just marketing?
FYI: To get our drop checker to stay medium green, we have the bubble counter on 35 bubbles per minute (230 liter or 60 gal tank).

2) Currently we have the CO2 running at all hours.
I am thinking about using the solenoid to switch it on and off placed on a timer.
Has anyone heard of reliability problems with the solenoid on the JBL ProFlora u001 regulator?

3) Everyone mentions the importance of a having a high quality needle valve.
The needle valve on the JBL ProFlora u001 seems to work just fine, or am I missing something? Is there a known problem with this possibly please?

Thank you.

[Curtis]

I seldom see pearling. It is just an over saturation of CO2 and O2. It looks pretty though.

I leave my CO2 on 24/7 - there is less pH change this way. Less fiddling with it on my part as well.

If you can adjust your needle valve to get 60 bubbles per minute or slightly less then you are probably OK. In larger aquariums you might want as much as 120 bubble per minute.

[pankakelovers]

Thank you very much Curtis...This helps me settle my thoughts.