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

electric130,i set up spray bars on my 65 about 6 months ago.They're aesome,i used 1/2 pvc and a suction cup on the far end to hold it against the tank wall.They're hard to see now they get covered in coaline quickly.I made mine with a piece of clear hose where the spray bar connects to the elbow comming into the tank,I can turn the spray bar to flow to break the water surface or flow straight down.I have to keep cleaning the holes out,they get clogged with coraline after awhile.I'm making a closed loop with spray bars,they work great
 
heres a pic
39306Spraybar_top.jpg
 
down the side to get flow to the bottom.I just changed out the pvc becaused it was clogged up with coraline
39306Spraybar_side.jpg

I olny have holes in the bottom section of the pvc to get flow just above the sand on the back of the tank
 
What is the best way to prevent the water from siphoning back up through the return if you want to make a few spray bars for deeper in your tank? Kinda like something in the picture above?
 
a drain line just barely beneath the surface will break the siphon use two 1/8" holes to be sure in case a snail happens to be chilling on one.. I'm going to try and post pics of my spraybar setup tonight
 
yeah, what he said. just drill a small hole that is barely below the water line so that when the pump shuts off, it will be exposed to air so it can break the siphon.
 
Yup thats how my spray bar that goes across the top is setup.One hole is a little higher then the rest and it breaks the siphon great.Just keep it clean
 
Like the idea of the spraybar but have the new Megaflow overflow on a 75 gal tank. Since the Megaflow is not in the corner, has anyone tried attahing a spraybar fed by a tee off the top of the return tube and going through both cutouts in the Megalfow in order to spray on both sides of the overflow? Does the Durso standpipe interfere with doing this?
 
Spraybar for new 75 gal Megaflow

Spraybar for new 75 gal Megaflow

Just a follow up. Starting plumbing my new 75 gal Megaflow for the spraybar. Finished one side (the long side) off of the Megalfow by changing the elbow at the top of the return tube to a T. The Durso is a bit in the way of a straight run for a spray bar to the "short" side of the megaflow, so I've ordered a couple elbow inserts (one for the T and one for the edge of the Megaflow where the short piece of spray bar will attach) and will attach whese with a short piece of black vinyl tubing snaked around the Durso. This keeps all plumbing below the top of the tank. Don't know what effect will be on head pressure so I'll have to experiment with hole placement and pump size.

Also, electric 130, couldn't get short pieces of sil-o-flex in my area so ending up buying so cut pieces from a roll. Used warm atwer to straighten it, but still a little bent. What I ended up doing is using the threaded end cap at the end of the apraybar as a "brace" against the far glass to keep it straight (by twisting the end cap). I'll see how this holds up.

Ready to drill some holes. Looking at about a little less than 1/4" daimeter holes at about 1.5 inches on center? Sound about right for say 600 gph flow? (Will supplement in tank flow with a Tunze stream or RIO Seios - haven't decided yet). Or, do you think I could skip the Tunze or Seios for my FOWLR?
 
i used to run 3 MJ1200's on my 90 before i did the spraybar. now, there's just a massive, even flow throughout the tank that i got rid of the powerheads. it's personal preference. if you could up the flow of the return a couple more hundred GPH, and go with 1/4" holes, i don't think you'll need any supplemental flow. unless you want something on a timer that will add some changing current, but that's personal preference.
 
Electric 130,

So you're saying go with something like 800 gph through the spraybar with 1/4" holes and I may not need any supplemental circulation in the tank (i.e., powerheads, Tunze or Seios)? Sounds great to me!!!

To get 800 gph I think I may need at least a Mag 18 given about a 4 foot vertical distance from the sump, the T (2 feet head), and the 2 elbows to snake the short spraybar (4 feet head) = total 10 feet head ( Mag 18 at 10' = 850 gph). Seems like a big pump for this size tank?

Do you feel running that much flow through the sump creates any problems (microbubbles. etc.)? Don't really have a feel for this kind of flow through a sump. What has been your experience with the Megaflow on the AGA - will I have to widen the slots to get 800 gph through? (AGA says 600 gph)

Thanks again for your help and suggestions - great thread on this spraybar idea!!!
 
i would widen the slots, or at least the tops like i did. i run about 900GPH through my AGA overflow (style before the megaflow) and don't have a problem. for the pump, go external if you have the room. i'll never use submersible return pumps again. the big ones just put off too much heat. a little giant 3-MDQX-SC would be plenty for your 75. i run that on my 90 and it's enough flow. it won't rip the tissue off corals or anything, but it will circulate the tank well. i'm pushing about 1600GPH across my sump. both my return and my skimmer pumps pull from the right and return to the left. i have one set of baffles and the first chamber is full of bioballs to reduce bubbles. i have found this to work very well. if you were only running about 800GPH through your sump, you shouldn't have any bubbles, depending on the size of the sump. i'd use at least a 25 gallon or larger sump.
 
How do you know (even roughly) that you are running 900GPH across the overflow? I would like to know so I can improve my circulation.

Do the holes in the bar restrict [added resistance] your possible max flow from the return pump?

[I have a 75gal RR galss tank with a CAP 2200 pump which came with my sump]


Also my sump can not accomodate an external pump unless I drill it, do you recommend that [I believe it is acrylic]?
 
I hate to ask what seems to be answered already but by widening the teeth on the megaflow can increase the gph the overflow can handle? I wanted to get a bigger pump to replace my mag 7 but I read the gph on the megaflow was 600 so I just left it alone.

You think a spray bar would help with cyano issues if due to dead areas of flow? I have always hated having the big return outlet shooting water in one place. This spray bar looks like a good idea even on a smaller 75 gal tank.
 
This is awesome!!!! I'm setting up a sump in the next few days. I gotta set this up!!! This is the first time that I can tell my wife that I am only going to spend $5 on an upgrade and really mean it!!!!!
 
This is awesome!!!! I'm setting up a sump in the next few days. I gotta set this up!!! This is the first time that I can tell my wife that I am only going to spend $5 on an upgrade and really mean it!!!!!
 
cypres said:
This is awesome!!!! I'm setting up a sump in the next few days. I gotta set this up!!! This is the first time that I can tell my wife that I am only going to spend $5 on an upgrade and really mean it!!!!!
Click to expand...
not even $5, only was $3 for me! :lol:
 
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