Nano Spraybar

[Purrbox]

I'm looking at trying to get some better circulation in my tanks.

Currently none of the tanks have a filter, they've just got waterpumps for circulation and CO2 diffusion. All three tanks have the same basic set up. A ViaAqua 180 pushes the water out of the tank through 1/2" vinyl tubing and through a PVC Inline Reactor and then returns to the other end of the tank through some more 1/2" vinyl tubing.

I was thinking that if I could come up with a way to have the water returned through a spraybar instead of just leaving the open end of the vinyl tubing, it should improve the water circulation and with proper angling improve the gas exchange without gassing off excessive amounts of CO2. I'm looking for help determining the best way to build spray bars for each of the tanks.

2.5 gallon: 12" wide
5.5 gallon: 16" wide
10 gallon: 20" wide

The easiest way to do this would be if I could find an existing spraybar that is the correct length for the tanks or easily moded to fit. My next idea would be to try to make a spraybar out of some PVC by adding a cap to one end and drilling holes along it's length.

This Ehiem Kit 2 looks like it might fit the bill, but I don't see anything about the total length of the kit. Anyone know how long it is and whether it's easily sizable?

Here's a less expensive Spray Bar Kit by Fluval. Anyone know how long it is, whether it's easily sizable, and what size the connections are?

Any other kits/ideas that might work?

 

[theotheragentm]

You seem to have nailed all the options I can think of at this time. An existing product is definitely going to look better, but making one should be easy enough. You should be able to seal an existing bar with silicone if you cut it.

 

[Sicklid]

Purrbox, are you using one of the DIY reactors and ViaAqua Pump on the 2.5 also?

 

[Purrbox]

Purrbox, are you using one of the DIY reactors and ViaAqua Pump on the 2.5 also?

That's correct.

 

[Hara]

I have made pvc spraybars for alot of my tanks. I would think that is the way to go.

 

[Sicklid]

Here is one I am making for my 2.5 gallon, with materials from home depot or lowes... Everything can be found in the irrigation department, and is made by "Toro", called 1/2" funny pipe. It really consists of three parts, and it all comes in black, which I love. The rest (the rubber stopper) I had laying around. The list I have is as follows:

One 24" length of rigid funny pipe that is like $1.50 (enough for a few small tanks)
One package of the little couplers for the 1/4" "bubbler-line", $2 and change
One 90 degree funny pipe elbow, less than $1.00

The thing is, you can cut this pipe with scissors, and the pipe does not need to be drilled. All you need to do is poke it with a sharp pointed tool, such as an awl. The little 1/4" couplers just push into the holes and are water tight, and you can add as many or as few as you like to fine tune your out-flow. The barbed elbows also push in and DO NOT come back off, no gluing necessary. This stuff is cheap, does not break down, and looks semi-professional. I also make DIY sponge filters out of this stuff. (Click the image to enlarge it)

 

[Purrbox]

Sicklid - Thanks for the info and picture. I'd been thinking of something very similar from PVC parts if I'm not able to find what I need from aquarium parts. I'll definitely have to check and see if I can get those parts around here. My one concern is whether or not you would be able to rotate the spraybar at all so that you could adjust the angle of the water output.

 

[Sicklid]

Yes, the pipe rotates on the corner coupler no problem. You just cannot separate the two once the pipe is joined onto the corner piece due to the aggressiveness of the barbs grabbing the inside of the pipe. You can probably make something much similar out of PVC, but the pros of this stuff is it is cheaper, easier to work with with just scissors and common household tools, it is already 1/2" like my filter tubing, and it is black... Some folks may not care about the color, but I hate seeing white plumbing in my tank.

The one thing I also do is to ream or oversize the holes of the 1/4" couplers to increase the flow. With PVC you could just drill holes and you would not need these little parts, but the funny pipe is somewhat soft and when you poke a hole in it, the hole is not a nice clean round hole and will close up a bit, or "contract"... I stick these things in the holes and they really do help to keep it working nicely.

 

[Purrbox]

One more question. Where would you pick up one of those rubber stoppers, if like me, you don't already have one on hand?

 

[Sicklid]

good question... I got mine from a supply store at my college, I believe. You can pick them up at most Lowes, but not home depot... Also, there are some mom and pop hardware stores that will sell them, and they usually cost pennies. I am wracking my brain to think where I have seen them recently, but I am sure there is an alternative... You could just plug the end with silicone, too.

 

[Purrbox]

Well I've been to both Menards and Lowes and they carry the Orbit brand sprinkler parts instead of the Toro brand. Orbit make something called Flex Tubing instead of the Funny Pipe, and I didn't see any Poke-Through Couplings. I may still go this route if I can find the rubber stoppers someplace. I couldn't figure out where to look in the big name stores and it's nearly useless trying to get help from any of the associates, so I'll probably try a Mom and Pop store near me that I like instead.

 

[redswi]

Do you have a Fleet Farm, or Tractor Supply... I saw funny pipe at Fleet Farm yesterday....Not sure but you might be able to heat crimp it.

 

[Purrbox]

We have a Thiesen's (along the same lines as Farm and Fleet) that I actually stopped at just a little bit ago. No sprinkler supplies that I was able to find, but the did have some very nice graduated cylindars with a pour spout and handle in 250ml sizes and up.

The mom and pop Hardware store has the rubber stoppers that I would need. So between it and Menard's I should be able to get all the parts I would need except suction cups to mount it. I'm working out the design in my head if I decide to build it from scratch.

I've still got one more LFS that I want to go to before I make a final decision. With as cold as it was this weekend, I really wasn't feeling up to making the 30 min drive to the next city over. Maybe next weekend.

 

[Sicklid]

SORRY you wasted a trip! OK the funny pipe comes in rolls that are like 50 feet, but they also have 2 foot sections that are semi rigid, and they can bend a bit, but not that much... The orbit brand may not have that short piece. They definitely have the poke through connectors though. They are all black, come in a plastic package and look something like this illustration. They are available in both the orbit and toro brands, but since you will be going to Home Depot for the length of pipe, you may as well get them there. The correct name for them is "micro line" connectors, and they are for connecting 1/4" micro tubing lines to the main 1/2" funny pipe line. Anybody in the irrigation department could point them out to you.

 

[kennef]

i love diy... spray bars for nano... easy source... dollar stores... there are some that carry a lot of sprinkler supplies off season... thats one good place to look. also we have some home improvement stores that specialize in 2nd quality merchandice... something in the water filter section might fill your needs there...

 

[Purrbox]

Well I finally picked up some suction cups, which were the one thing I couldn't get at the hardware stores. I'm planning to finally get this setup sometime next week since my local fish club has it's annual fish show this weekend which is going to keep me rather busy. Plus I've still got to buy the rest of the parts I need from the hardware stores. I finally decided to go completely DIY and won't be using a spraybar kit. Plus I'm also going to be switching over to the mist method at the same time so that I only have to mess with the plumbing once.

 

[Sicklid]

Do you mean the mist method of letting the c02 bubbles mist around the tank by placing them in the outflow of the filter?

 

[Purrbox]

Yes, I mean the CO2 mist method of diffusion. Although generally it's done with a powerhead or waterpump instead of a filter. Which considering I don't have a filter, just a water pump, this will be the case with mine.

 

[Sicklid]

I thought you had inline reactors on all of your systems? What is the reason for the switch?

 

[Purrbox]

Partially because I want to give the mist method a try and see what happens. If I like how it works, it wouldn't take up any more space than the inline reactors in the tank and would be lower maintenance since it would be less work to remove and clean an airstone than to disconnect and clean the inline reactor. I'm completely saticefied with the results that I'm getting from the inline reactors as far as the CO2 levels go.

Looks like not all the parts I need are available at the hardware store. Sigh. They didn't have an elbow with slip fittings on both ends. I'm debating on how to deal with this problem.