DIY - Projects & Ideas • DIY FX5 spraybar question

[GTZ]

GTZ, what size are your holes and how far apart are they?

I think they're 1/8, however every other hole was smaller than that, I don't remember what size. Also about an inch apart roughly, I just eyeballed it while drilling.

[toyster17]

Ok so the first video is of the spraybar over the water. It's pretty distorted because I started recording (sister's iPod touch) holding it vertically and then switched horizontally. I can email you the video razerback if you wish. I had quite the accident at first try, water all over my living room

View My Video

Second video of it in action; submerged. There's definitely more pressure on the far side of the spraybar, it's also moving my substrate around a bit (noise in background is not from tank). Was thinking of maybe drilling a little bigger on the left third of the bar, thoughts?

View My Video

This video is a bit better in showing my substrate being moved around. It's more obvious in person, stuck with crappy quality video.

View My Video

[13razorbackfan]

Ok so the first video is of the spraybar over the water. It's pretty distorted because I started recording (sister's iPod touch) holding it vertically and then switched horizontally. I can email you the video razerback if you wish. I had quite the accident at first try, water all over my living room

View My Video

Second video of it in action; submerged. There's definitely more pressure on the far side of the spraybar, it's also moving my substrate around a bit (noise in background is not from tank). Was thinking of maybe drilling a little bigger on the left third of the bar, thoughts?

View My Video

This video is a bit better in showing my substrate being moved around. It's more obvious in person, stuck with crappy quality video.

View My Video

Wow...awesome flow. Thanks for the videos!!

[toyster17]

I went out, came home at 3am to find half the tank water all over the living room and kitchen. The vinyl tubing slipped off the spraybar end. I don't know how it happened, it was on tight, maybe because I painted the end where the tubing connected? It was fine all day, my younger sister apparently went to bed around midnight at everything was fine then. So it happened between midnight and 3am. I'm exhausted now.

The filter was completely empty, no water, I'm scared all my bacteria is gone and that I'll have to start all over with the fishless cycle. I set it up with the nozzle that came with the fx5 and have it running now. Don't know if I'm willing to try the spraybar again. Ugh, what a shame.

[GTZ]

Sorry to hear about the hose coming off, I'm sure it was quite a mess. On both ends of my hose, I used teflon tape along with PVC cement to ensure that there would be no leaks, I actually had to glue the spray bar fitting, slip the hose on, wait for it to cure and then add more glue around the hose to seal between the hose and PVC, otherwise there was a very slow leak.
Both ends are clamped as well of course.

[Deeda]

I would recommend using a hose clamp to secure the hose to the spraybar as insurance to prevent that from happening again. I use clamps on ALL my hose to pipe connections.

One other thing to consider when making your own spraybar is the size and number of holes you drill. You will want the total drilled hole size to equal the inside diameter of the original equipment so that you are still getting the original GPH of the filter's output without restricting the flow.

If you want to reduce the velocity of the water coming out of the spraybar, you will need to enlarge the holes. That will virtually eliminate the substrate being moved by the water stream.

I also found it helpful to have smaller holes (1/8") at the beginning of the spraybar and larger holes (3/16") toward the end of the spraybar. This will help equal out the flow along the entire length of the spraybar.

Hope this helps.

[toyster17]

Sorry to hear about the hose coming off, I'm sure it was quite a mess. On both ends of my hose, I used teflon tape along with PVC cement to ensure that there would be no leaks, I actually had to glue the spray bar fitting, slip the hose on, wait for it to cure and then add more glue around the hose to seal between the hose and PVC, otherwise there was a very slow leak.
Both ends are clamped as well of course.

Hmmm, I might just do that with the pvc cement and add it where the hose and spraybar fitting meet. I had mine clamped as well but it looks like it slipped out slowly but surely. Do you have any pictures of your connections?

[toyster17]

I would recommend using a hose clamp to secure the hose to the spraybar as insurance to prevent that from happening again. I use clamps on ALL my hose to pipe connections.

One other thing to consider when making your own spraybar is the size and number of holes you drill. You will want the total drilled hole size to equal the inside diameter of the original equipment so that you are still getting the original GPH of the filter's output without restricting the flow.

If you want to reduce the velocity of the water coming out of the spraybar, you will need to enlarge the holes. That will virtually eliminate the substrate being moved by the water stream.

I also found it helpful to have smaller holes (1/8") at the beginning of the spraybar and larger holes (3/16") toward the end of the spraybar. This will help equal out the flow along the entire length of the spraybar.

Hope this helps.

Actually I did have it clamped down on both ends. I was sure I put it on real tight, but I don't know now.

After posting those videos yesterday I actually enlarged the first 7 holes or so on the left side and then every other hole, it definitely helped with the velocity.

[GTZ]

Do you have any pictures of your connections?

I'll post pics tomorrow night.

[toyster17]

Do you have any pictures of your connections?

I'll post pics tomorrow night.

Thanks!

[theoryguru]

:lol:

I went out, came home at 3am to find half the tank water all over the living room and kitchen. The vinyl tubing slipped off the spraybar end. I don't know how it happened, it was on tight, maybe because I painted the end where the tubing connected? It was fine all day, my younger sister apparently went to bed around midnight at everything was fine then. So it happened between midnight and 3am. I'm exhausted now.

The filter was completely empty, no water, I'm scared all my bacteria is gone and that I'll have to start all over with the fishless cycle. I set it up with the nozzle that came with the fx5 and have it running now. Don't know if I'm willing to try the spraybar again. Ugh, what a shame.

Bummer. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

I used clear 1" clear vinyl hoses attached to PVC pipes going in my tank then secured them with hose clamps.
I was able to push 1.5" the hose onto the PVC, it was a tight fit. I wasn't happy so I took it off and heated the hose end with a lighter to warm it up and managed to get 3" on the PVC end then clamped it. It cooled tightly onto the PVC end and with hose clamp i hope to avoid any possibility of it coming apart.

To hack the thread..
I was going to make a new spraybar (I made a 14" spraybar 5/16 holes 1" apart at the top end of my tank) because I found all my fish stayed on one side and I thought the H20 flow might be too strong. However, I increased the holes to 3/4" and my fish aren't hindered to one side as much

[theoryguru]

:lol:

I went out, came home at 3am to find half the tank water all over the living room and kitchen. The vinyl tubing slipped off the spraybar end. I don't know how it happened, it was on tight, maybe because I painted the end where the tubing connected? It was fine all day, my younger sister apparently went to bed around midnight at everything was fine then. So it happened between midnight and 3am. I'm exhausted now.

The filter was completely empty, no water, I'm scared all my bacteria is gone and that I'll have to start all over with the fishless cycle. I set it up with the nozzle that came with the fx5 and have it running now. Don't know if I'm willing to try the spraybar again. Ugh, what a shame.

Bummer. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

I used clear 1" clear vinyl hoses attached to PVC pipes going in my tank then secured them with hose clamps.
I was able to push 1.5" the hose onto the PVC, it was a tight fit. I wasn't happy so I took it off and heated the hose end with a lighter to warm it up and managed to get 3" on the PVC end then clamped it. It cooled tightly onto the PVC end and with hose clamp i hope to avoid any possibility of it coming apart.

To hack the thread..
I was going to make a new spraybar (I made a 14" spraybar 5/16 holes 1" apart at the top end of my tank) because I found all my fish stayed on one side and I thought the H20 flow might be too strong. However, I increased the holes to 3/4" and my fish aren't hindered to one side as much

EDIT: I increased the holes to 5/8" with my step drill bit not 3/4"

[toyster17]

:lol:

I went out, came home at 3am to find half the tank water all over the living room and kitchen. The vinyl tubing slipped off the spraybar end. I don't know how it happened, it was on tight, maybe because I painted the end where the tubing connected? It was fine all day, my younger sister apparently went to bed around midnight at everything was fine then. So it happened between midnight and 3am. I'm exhausted now.

The filter was completely empty, no water, I'm scared all my bacteria is gone and that I'll have to start all over with the fishless cycle. I set it up with the nozzle that came with the fx5 and have it running now. Don't know if I'm willing to try the spraybar again. Ugh, what a shame.

Bummer. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

I used clear 1" clear vinyl hoses attached to PVC pipes going in my tank then secured them with hose clamps.
I was able to push 1.5" the hose onto the PVC, it was a tight fit. I wasn't happy so I took it off and heated the hose end with a lighter to warm it up and managed to get 3" on the PVC end then clamped it. It cooled tightly onto the PVC end and with hose clamp i hope to avoid any possibility of it coming apart.

To hack the thread..
I was going to make a new spraybar (I made a 14" spraybar 5/16 holes 1" apart at the top end of my tank) because I found all my fish stayed on one side and I thought the H20 flow might be too strong. However, I increased the holes to 3/4" and my fish aren't hindered to one side as much

I had used a street elbow/slip end (I believe it's called) which only gave me about 3/4" to push the vinyl hose in, I was thinking of putting a regular 90 degree elbow so I can slip in maybe a 2" piece of pvc which would give me a good amount to push in the hose. Maybe it'll also give me enough room to attach two hose clamps to be on the safe side.

[Deeda]

The hose needs to go on the outside of the pipe and not into the pipe, based on your above post.

[toyster17]

The hose needs to go on the outside of the pipe and not into the pipe, based on your above post.

That's what I meant. Didn't describe it well