How to make a spray bar to replace the AGA overflow nozzle

[ejmeier]

I actually have a piece of 3/4" schedule 80 pipe that is pretty thick, so I think I'll give the angled thing a shot. At worst, it would behave exactly like a regular spraybar.

 

[electric130]

I actually have a piece of 3/4" schedule 80 pipe that is pretty thick, so I think I'll give the angled thing a shot. At worst, it would behave exactly like a regular spraybar.

true. try it and let me know how it works. would be good info to know.

 

[ejmeier]

I'll TRY to remember.

But knowing me I'll forget..... So I'll just say for the sake of this thread that IF this were to work, you can get schd. 80 pipe from:http://www.mcmaster.com/
A five foot section of 3/4" schd. 80 PVC is going for $2.21 right now. It is a dark grey (almost black) so it should blend in pretty well with the background too. (Except for my propagtion tank, which will probably have a white background to reflect more light, in which case it will stick out like a sore thumb....)

 

[goat19]

i really like the spray bar idea in this thread. what do you guys think of doing a closed loop returned through a SCWD alternating between two spray bars...one for each half of the tank?

 

[electric130]

i really like the spray bar idea in this thread. what do you guys think of doing a closed loop returned through a SCWD alternating between two spray bars...one for each half of the tank?

it would work great. i've gotten better flow out of this one spraybar than i did with any combination of single outputs and power heads. with a closed loop, you won't have to worry about siphon breaks either.

 

[hollywd]

goat19,

I have done this, except it's on my return, not a closed loop. I have a mag12 going to a SCWD, and it splits into two returns (we ran the pipes one inside the other to minimize space, until it gets into the overflow). I have one spraybar along the top, which then curves around and ends in an output on the right side of the tank, and the other is 3/4 of the way down the tank on the back wall, and also splits and ends in an output on the left side of the tank.

I know by having the outputs on the ends it slows the flow down coming out of the holes in the spraybar, but I was ok with that. Seems to work pretty well for me.

 

[LPG]

i really like the spray bar idea in this thread. what do you guys think of doing a closed loop returned through a SCWD alternating between two spray bars...one for each half of the tank?

Hey goat19,
Did you ever do this? I was looking around for closed loop ideas and found this thread. JR, Thanks for the updates! Anyhow, I'm diggin this idea and was just wondering if you had tried the SCWD spraybar thing.

Steven

 

[electric130]

Hey goat19,
Did you ever do this? I was looking around for closed loop ideas and found this thread. JR, Thanks for the updates! Anyhow, I'm diggin this idea and was just wondering if you had tried the SCWD spraybar thing.

Steven

i don't see why it wouldn't work. i just set up a 125 for my father in law and we did two spray bars on his system from one return. just came into the tank, put a 'T' in, ran one bar across the top, ran some pipe down lower and then ran another pipe across the lower middle of the tank behind the rocks. he has great flow with it.

 

[LPG]

J.R.,
What pump is your father-in-law running? How far down from the upper bar is the second (mid-way? lower?)? Any worries about servicing the lower bar in the long-term?

I might convert my return as well.
Thanks.

 

[goat19]

i haven't done it yet. just ran across an awesome deal on metal halides (wasn't planning on them right now, but Merry Christmas to me!) and so i'm dealing with that right now. they'll be here today!

i am still planning on doing the alternating spraybar idea though...in the future

 

[electric130]

J.R.,
What pump is your father-in-law running?

it's a GEN-X/MAK4 equivalent to an Iwaki 55RLT.

How far down from the upper bar is the second (mid-way? lower?)?

it's about 12" lower, about 8" above the sand bed.

Any worries about servicing the lower bar in the long-term?

not really. anything small enough to get into the intake of the pump would be small enough to get through the holes of the spraybar. after about a year of running mine, i've never had to service it. doesn't get plugged or anything since my modifications from original plans. i don't see the need to service it. worse case scenario for my father in laws would be that the holes become partially blocked by coraline, but the water would still be able to get out of the top spray bar which is fully accessible. bigger holes could be drilled if needed. no worries really. there's a way to fix or get around just about anything that might come up.

 

[LPG]

Exxxxcellent - hard to spell it like Mr. Burns would say it.

Thanks for the info. If you're ever the Greensboro way give me a shout. I'm stevengso on the ncfrag group.

Steven

 

[electric130]

i'll actually probably be going up there soon to get some of James Urq's phytoplankton. good stuff and cheap too. have you tried it yet? probably be getting some corals and lighting from Carolina Corals in Durham also.

 

[LPG]

i'll actually probably be going up there soon to get some of James Urq's phytoplankton. good stuff and cheap too. have you tried it yet?

Nope. Never have. My phyto demand are a little on the low side these days. I've never been to Carolina Corals - good shop?

Steven

 

[heavensent58]

Very nice !!!! I am pretty sure of the answer BUT this will work with a external overflow and a external return correct ? (single return to a 55)

thanks
todd

 

[electric130]

Very nice !!!! I am pretty sure of the answer BUT this will work with a external overflow and a external return correct ? (single return to a 55)

thanks
todd

yes. the 125 i just set up has the return coming from over the back. i have pics at home. i need to get them up on a websever to show people other ways to do it. the main goal of this thread was to show people that they didn't need to waste their money on the overpriced plumbing kit from AGA, but it's also general info about spraybars too.

 

[esmith]

electric130, thanks for starting this thread. I am getting ready to plumb a sump for my 30 gallon and after reading all of this have decided to use the spray bar.
One question though, do yu have the bar attached to the edge of the tank in any way? I am not sure if the pipe will stay up on it's own since I am plumbing mine externally, I was thinking of maybe drilling some holes to attach the bar with zip ties.

Eliyah

 

[electric130]

electric130, thanks for starting this thread. I am getting ready to plumb a sump for my 30 gallon and after reading all of this have decided to use the spray bar.
One question though, do yu have the bar attached to the edge of the tank in any way? I am not sure if the pipe will stay up on it's own since I am plumbing mine externally, I was thinking of maybe drilling some holes to attach the bar with zip ties.

Eliyah

on both my tank and the 125 i just set up (external return) there is nothing holding the pipes up. the plastic is less dense than water (the siloflex is anyway), therefore, it wants to float. if anything, you might want a bracket to hold it down.

 

[esmith]

Thanks, I figured it would float, just wasn't sure about keeping it in one place.

 

[gumbybc]

if running an external return, like I will be, the lbrackets should be enough to hold the bar in place, right? also, another question, a little off topic, is an external closed loop system possible? my 29g is already up and running, doubt I would need a closed loop, as i will have enough flow with the return, but I was trying to figure out if it was possible or not. thanks.