there is a little hose clamp thing on the end of the efffluant hose

there is a knob on the cylinder and then a knob on the regulator.. the guage closest to the cylinder is at 5, which i suspect is the psi

This is the one I use:
http://www.automatedaquariums.com/mw_ma957.htm (just picked a site that had a good picture of it, I got mine from one of the usual MO suspects in Canada :) )

Anyhow on mine the black knob is the outlet pressure setting, the brass knob is for fine tuning the bubble rate. The throat valve on the cylinder is just open all the way when you have a regulator, and then you close it for transport or storing...

It sort of sounds like you might not have a needle valve? (You'll definitely need one if you don't). I realize this is sort of inconvenient but think you could snap a quick picture of the cylinder and regulator just so I can visualize what you've got going on there?

which part in that pic is the needle valve? i'll go take a picture

1st guage tank pressure
2nd guage supply pressure
then the soleniod
then it looks like the needle valve.....for gas input to the reactor
there should be a clamp of sorts on the in flow line from aquarium to the reactor...this regulates water input

thanks. right now the tank pressure is just over 5 MPa which would be 750psi if i'm right. its a 10 pound tank. 1 MPa = 150psi, the other gauge i had about 0.1 which is 15psi. so i just need to adjust the needle valve then. think i have it figured out

hmmm guage says 0.2 and there are absolutely no bubbles... am i leaking co2?

My discharge pressure is 20 psi. Your soleniod might be the problem. Open up the needle valve a little more to see if you can get it to bubble in the chamber

I'm inclined to think solenoid valve too at this point..

Dumb question....is the soleniod plugged in.....sorry had to ask