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

[Dragonmaster]

Very nice, I like that idea and might give it a try on one of my systems!

 

[Navymedic]

sorry it this has been talked about, but i haven't read the whold thread.... I currently have a spraybar in my tank, and it works great. Now I was wondering if I added a scwd and plumbed two spray bars, one by the surface of each side, do you think that would make a difference for sps type flow? I was trying to think of a way to have switching current without getting rid of the spraybar. I have overflows on each side of my tank, so I could pretty much hide these spray bars, especially with siloflex.

:eek2: :eek1: I was just thinking about doing this! I read this thread from the very bigining and a whole lot of ideas popped into my head My problem is my tank is not drilled so I have to figure how to run the spraybar around (maybe behind?) the overflow
Otherwise a great thread thanks!!

Mike

 

[Homebrew]

As mentioned, Sil-O-Flex comes in various sizes. Our local Lowes had 5' lengths of 1/2", 3/4", 1" and rolls of those plus bigger sizes. In a different isle (WHY DO THEY DO THIS?!), are schedule 80 (gray PVC) barbs that convert it to standard threads.

So it should be easy to incorporate Sil-O-Flex pipe as your spraybar in a drilled or non-drilled tank, since it will adapt to any PVC return pipe.

Sil-O-Flex really does blend well. It is nearly invisible, unlike the AGA nozzle that used to be in my tank. You can't even see it in my tank unless you look hard for it. I had to actually show my wife where it was. I am SO glad I found this thread before I went ahead with my original plan for a PVC spraybar! I would have never thought to use Sil-O-Flex instead. Thanks again Electric130.

 

[thrlride]

Now just convince the wife you need the pump.

 

[Homebrew]

Yup... she's my sugar momma now that I'm Mr. Mom. I guess I could just order it since I'll be the one home to receive it when it arrives.... hmmmmm.

I am getting a little motion on top now. I'm sure it's enough to keep any "skin" or other junk forming, but it's still really not enough turbulance. C'mon... daddy needs a new return pump!

 

[electric130]

sorry it this has been talked about, but i haven't read the whold thread.... I currently have a spraybar in my tank, and it works great. Now I was wondering if I added a scwd and plumbed two spray bars, one by the surface of each side, do you think that would make a difference for sps type flow? I was trying to think of a way to have switching current without getting rid of the spraybar. I have overflows on each side of my tank, so I could pretty much hide these spray bars, especially with siloflex.

i'm pretty sure that has been covered here. i've lost track since this thread is about 2 years old now! :lol: it can definitely be done. just keep in mind that SCWD's absolutely butcher your pump's output. i'd say they take 200-300 gph's off the rated flow if not more. i'm helping to install a tank for a friend. they put 2 spraybars on the SCWD's output and the flow was really low. we thought the spraybars were killing the flow so we took them off. even without the spraybars, the flow was really low. we took the scwd out and ran the pump to the 2 spray bars and flow was great. flow out of both bars was higher when driven from the pump than the flow from one spraybar off the scwd (make sense?) HTH.

 

[electric130]

:eek2: :eek1: I was just thinking about doing this! I read this thread from the very bigining and a whole lot of ideas popped into my head My problem is my tank is not drilled so I have to figure how to run the spraybar around (maybe behind?) the overflow
Otherwise a great thread thanks!!

Mike

my brother in law's 90 only has one hole in the overflow for a drain, so he was forced to come up over the back rim and down into the tank. to minimize head pressure from the fittings, he used 1.25" 90deg elbows to come up, over, down, and to the side (3 elbows) then adapted it down to 3/4" siloflex. he used sch 80 PVC (dark grey stuff) so it wasn't as noticible. on the other end, he did pretty much the same thing but just capped off the end once it got over the tank. so 6 elbows is all it took to make it work. make sense? let me know if you have questions.

 

[electric130]

Sil-O-Flex really does blend well. It is nearly invisible, unlike the AGA nozzle that used to be in my tank. You can't even see it in my tank unless you look hard for it. I had to actually show my wife where it was. I am SO glad I found this thread before I went ahead with my original plan for a PVC spraybar! I would have never thought to use Sil-O-Flex instead. Thanks again Electric130.

i'm glad you're so happy with your setup. that's the most rewarding part of being on here is helping other people and hearing them report back with success and happiness. i think i'll go get a cold one now! :beer:

 

[electric130]

1. Tell my wonderful wife that I now MUST purchase the Pan World 50 PXX pump at 1110 GPH and get more flow through my FO tank.

2. Go back to Lowes and spend another $2 and drill smaller and/or fewer holes.

Thoughts anyone?

Greg

what did you decide to do with this? i wouldn't make the holes any smaller, i'd just drill fewer.

 

[thrlride]

i'm glad you're so happy with your setup. that's the most rewarding part of being on here is helping other people and hearing them report back with success and happiness. i think i'll go get a cold one now! :beer:

Save one for me! That was an excellent cold one the other night.

 

[Homebrew]

JR & Ryan... you guys will have to come down here for some real beer... If you fish, there are 8lb. LM bass in my backyard (not flopping around on the ground... there is a real big pond out there!). MMMM fishing, beer, RC cars screaming around the place (you would supply those)... oh yeah, you guys work. Well maybe some weekend.

Anyway, I think I'm going to get a PW 50PXX pump and double my output. It has been a while since I've bought anything substantial for the tank, so... But seriously, this gives me the opportunity to add a LOT more flow without blasting the wet pets. I have been VERY pleased with my PanWorld pumps and I think I can move my 50x to run the skimmer instead of the MAG, but I'm going to check with Jason at AquaC before I do that. I guess I've got to get ordering.

Greg

 

[kindafun]

I'm new here, just setting up a tank. Being able to tap the experience and ideas is so valuable.

Thanks electric for the good idea, I'm going to use it on my tank.

Dan

 

[electric130]

JR & Ryan... you guys will have to come down here for some real beer... If you fish, there are 8lb. LM bass in my backyard (not flopping around on the ground... there is a real big pond out there!). MMMM fishing, beer, RC cars screaming around the place (you would supply those)... oh yeah, you guys work. Well maybe some weekend.

Ryan is also into RC. he's got a few of them too. he bought my old Monster Truck off me. that thing is great for backyard bashing. it will go anywhere. my buggy does okay in grass if it's short enough (under 2" tall) but you get it on the dirt and it's an animal! i haven't been fishing in who knows how many years. i definitely like the beer aspect too. i'm a light beer man most of the time though. haven't gotten into the heavy tasting ones yet. :beer:

 

[electric130]

I'm new here, just setting up a tank. Being able to tap the experience and ideas is so valuable.

Thanks electric for the good idea, I'm going to use it on my tank.

Dan

you're welcome. if you have any questions at all along the way, please feel free to ask. have fun! :thumbsup:

 

[Homebrew]

i'm a light beer man most of the time though. haven't gotten into the heavy tasting ones yet.

OK, sorry for taking this so off course, but I'll just quickly say that I'll break out my light ale recipe. Most people who drink the domestic stuff like this one, yet it still has enough flavor that it is worth making. I come from the Great NW where we love the heavy beers!

Just to get back on track now... I plan on ordering the 1110 GPH pump today.... YIPPEEE! Double the flow with a simple spraybar!

 

[electric130]

Just to get back on track now... I plan on ordering the 1110 GPH pump today.... YIPPEEE! Double the flow with a simple spraybar!

awesome. keep us updated how it goes. and thanks for the lighter beer (whenever i actually get to try it)

 

[Lowredranger]

ok i just read the entire thread and am thrilled that the idea that i decided to use is this good. i figured i would check out spray bars since i was in the process of hooking one up. Ok so a couple of quesitons. i have a little giant 4mdqx it is rated at like 1380 but i will have like 1100gph going through my spray bar. it is a 35g hex tank with the spray bar going around the top inside of the tank. i am using 1/2" pipe on the inside of the tank which is going down from the 1" that is coming out of the pump. i needed the smaller size because the tank is not that big and could not have a pipe coming an 1-1.5" into the tank all the way around. my question is i was going to start out with 4 holes per side so 24 holes at a 1/4" with the rock built up like a cone in the tank with mainly sps coral. do you think this would be a good flow rate or should i start off with more holes to begin with since it is a larger pump and more pressure since it is half the size pipe coming out of the pump and i dont want to blow the tissue off of the coral and i thought about getting a maxijet and scwd for the back of the tank for a little disturbance. thanks for the reply
Jason

 

[electric130]

always start with fewer holes. it's easy to drill more later. it's a pain to have to replace the whole thing cause you drilled too many. could you use 3/4" pipe instead of 1/2"?

 

[Lowredranger]

i could if i had to it would just stick further into the tank which i was trying to avoid. that is why i figured i could increase the number of holes because the pressure would be greater. my main problem is that the tank is not very big at the top being a hex and is deep. a t comes into the back and goes to the spray bars one goes all the way around on the right the other all the way around on the left but they are not connected. thanks for the info let me know if there is anything else i should look at. thanks again
Jason

 

[Fonchy]

Suggestion: Why dont you make one closed to the bottom of the tank and one on the top this way all the preassure wont be concentrated at the top. One thing, when you make your spray bar do not use glue. Bad mojo if something hapens and you have to take it out.