# Fluval 306 Spray Bar - Step by Step Guide



## Demigod

I've read through other posts about spray bars and gathered the information I need to make a spray bar for the Fluval 306 canister. A lot of other posts have descriptions and partial photos of the process, but mostly just photos of the end result. I plan to document everything here step by step with a video of the end result.

My inspiration for this spray bar comes from 13razorbackfan in this post. Here is the list of items you'll need:



13razorbackfan said:


> 1 - 10' stick of 3/4" PVC
> 6 - 90 degree elbows 3/4"....if you store has the sweeping elbows these are better as they allow for a more gradual turn inside the elbow if not the standard will work fine
> 1 - 3/4" endcap
> 1 - length of 1" vinyl braided hose(it is clear with the braided reinforcement inside looks like a mesh) and length is dependent on how far the filter is away from the spray bar itself so just cut to fit after installing the spray bar on the tank.
> 3 - metal hose clamps. Make sure they are big enough to fit around the vinyl hose
> 1 - can of Krylon Fusion black spray paint
> 1 - small container of PVC cement
> 
> All the above parts should be between $20-25 depending on where you buy and what part of the country.


For reasons I can't explain, I purchased 8' of the hose instead of 4'. I guess I'll probably go back to the store and buy a few more elbows and make a new intake hanger to match the spray bar. Either way, the parts cost me about $43 here in Spokane, WA.

Dawg2012 put these pieces together in a CAD drawing. He did a great job and I see no reason to recreate them for this post:



Dawg2012 said:


>


I did purchase an item that is not on the previous list. I purchased a 3/4" adapter with barbs for the end of the spray bar where the hose will attach. Not really needed I suppose, but it was there, staring at me, so I bought it. Because of that, I also had to purchase a threaded adapter for the CPVP to screw the barbed adapter to, and some plumbers tape since it has threads and won't be glued.

I plan on taping the entire thing together before gluing to test fit it into the aquarium. At $43 for the spray bar I really don't want to make a single mistake. Once glued, this thing will have to be completely replaced if I make a mistake.

After I have the correct pieces cut I will glue everything together except for the main spray bar itself. I want to use electrical tape to secure it to both ends and actually hook it up and see what position I want the holes before making it permanent. Again, if I drill the holes and glue everything together and the angle of the holes and flow is all wrong, its too late.

So that's about it. Photos of all the materials coming right up!


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## Demigod

I always like a visual breakdown of the parts. Here they are:


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## Demigod

Forgot to post shots of the adapters:


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## Demigod

Now for the assembly!

Cut the length of pipe you want for your hose to connect to, 9" works best for my tank:

















Then cut the smaller pieces to connect the elbows. All of the connector pieces on my spray bar were 1.5":

















































Now you need to put the 2 end pieces on your tank and decide how long you want your spray bar to be. Keep in mind that up to 3/4" of it will fit inside the elbows so measure between each elbow, and add 1.5". I have an AC70 on the left end of my tank with the intake in the left hand corner. I'm going to put the Fluval 306 intake on the right in the corner, with the spray bar in the middle. Mine ended up being 33" (including the .5" on either end in the elbows).

Then put it all together!

























Next up, cementing the elbows together, minus the actual spray bar (remember, we should test it first!).


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## Demigod

Cement the pieces together according to the manufacturers directions.

Put primer on both ends first, then cement. Then fit together, giving at least a 1/4 turn twist. Hold together for 30 seconds or the parts might repel each other and you'll have a bad fit. I pushed them together, and held them on a flat surface to make sure I had reasonably correct 90 degree angles.

Make sure you have the angles firm in your mind as you do this since there are no seconds chances. You don't want to end up with 2 right ends or 2 left ends.

















Next up: Drilling holes and testing the flow!


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## Demigod

So.. I let the pieces dry about 30 minutes, then I hooked them up to a hose and ran water through them for about 1.5 hours. I couldn't smell anything in the tubes after that and that's good enough for me!

I test fit the bar and put it in the tank. WOW. What a difference in surface disturbance and tank turbulence! I made sure to MARK THE SPOT on the bar so it could get glued in the exact spot. I got it cemented and it's now drying. I'll probably put the first coat or two of Krylon on it later tonight so I can make sure to get it done tomorrow and let it sit for a few days while I'm out of town Sun/Mon (fishing the Snake river for catfish!).

Up next: Shots of the semi-finished product + 2 bonus holes I drilled to make sure there was current in the corners.


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## Demigod

Put the spray bar next to the remaining tube (I taped it together so it wouldn't move) and run a pencil down it to get a straight line:









Put it next to a level/ruler and make a mark every 2":









I used a 7/64 bit and found it to work perfectly:









Not glued yet, but pretty much complete:









I attempted to build a spray bar last week without following these steps and used a 1/8" bit, spaced them every 2" facing front, and every 4" facing slightly upwards, and found that the 306 was lacking in pressure to work properly with a spray bar. The change to a 7/64 bit with 16 holes pointing slightly upwards was just the thing it needed to work. The surface disturbance is amazing, and the loop/current created by it will keep everything in my tank churning until it hits one of the corners where the AC70 or 306 intake will grab it.

Oh, and the "special" holes I put in the the elbows pointing slightly out and down to give the sides some action:









Next up: Painting!


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## ratbones86

Looking good but i have a question. What is the benefit of having the end of the spray bar go back over the tank? Wouldn't it cut back a bit on the flow? Or is it just an easier way to hold it in the tank?


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## Demigod

Can't say for sure, I have nothing to compare to but if I had to guess, I would say it doesn't affect the flow at all. This spray bar has more than enough flow, perhaps too much at this point. I'll have to finish it and use it for awhile to know if I need more holes, but I doubt it. It makes a very convenient hanger for the spray bar though. My last attempt was using a suction cup and clip and it was difficult to make stay level. This one will always be level.


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## Demigod

I gave it about 3 or 4 coats of black Krylon Fusion. The can said wait 15 minutes between each coat but I gave it about 20-30 minutes each.

I'm not sure how long I should let it cure before using it... this is my first time painting something that I'm going to put in my tank. I'll do some research OR someone that has used it can chimne in with some advice...

And without further delay, the finished spray bar:



















The hole towards the top of the elbow is the hole I drilled to give the sides some movement. This hole will point to the left into the flow of the AC70, or just a bit under it actually. The other end has a very similar hole. I drilled these last 2 holes AFTER I tested it... so I actually have no idea what will happen. Wish me luck!


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## skins4431

ratbones86 said:


> Looking good but i have a question. What is the benefit of having the end of the spray bar go back over the tank? Wouldn't it cut back a bit on the flow? Or is it just an easier way to hold it in the tank?


I just built mine with the same design for my 90 gallon tank. I had it almost spraying like a fountain out if the water and it was still carving holes in my sand. I had to turn my flow back on my fx5 so it would stop. If it does affect the flow it doesn't matter at all.


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## Demigod

One of the last things I need to do is get my intake hose and tube setup. I want to make the intake black but am having problems figuring out how to do that. The stock hose adapter is white rubber. That needs to go! if I replace the hose I can use a black intake tube I already have, or make/paint a new one. Either way it poses the same issues with the "look".

The stock adapter is white and probably won't like being painted since it stretches. If I do away with the stock ribbed hose and replace it with the new hose I bought I'll have to use a hose clamp which is also unattractive to me. I need some way to adapt the intake that is all black....

What have others done for their intake?

I suppose I could build another U shaped piece like I did on the spray bar and connect it behind the tank where nobody can see. I could cut another tube and put a cap on it and drill a ton of tiny holes in it and make the entire intake myself.. but I already have 2 of them! Someone throw me a good idea...


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## 13razorbackfan

Awesome thread....I am going to save it. Thanks for the edits and merge.


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## Demigod

Couldn't wait any longer! I Googled for how long to wait after painting with Krylon and found a wide range of results... from 1 hour to 1 week. Decided that 15 hours was good enough.

I needed to do a water change today so there is quite a bit of stuff in the water, which is good! You can see the circular flow that is created and the nice surface agitation.

Final install:


























The default Fluval rubber hose adapter fit on my barbed adapter perfectly so I didn't have to change out the hose.

Here is the video of the surface and some floating stuff getting caught in the flow. If you crank up the resolution you can see the fine particles moving around and around:






I've watched the sides of the tank and the 2 extra holes I made in the elbows work great. Everything that finds its was to the side of the tank gets an extra push and ends up in the back, and up the intake. The flow is strong enough that it even circulates inside the rock piles. I watch a piece of plant root go in the front and come out the back 2 or 3 times before finding the intake.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.


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## joemomma

How is the noise with the spray bar? My tank is in my living room, and when the water level gets a little low the surface agitation from the return "churning" the water makes a good bit of noise - just enough to be irritating.


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## Demigod

The only noise coming from my tank is the Fluval itself, which is 95% noiseless. I can't stand letting the water in my tanks fall below the bottom of the plastic trim. It leaves water marks on the glass and doesn't look good... there probably would be noise... but I imagine the noise from the AC70 flowing back into the tank would be louder.


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## joemomma

Thanks for the info...yes, low water is unsightly plus noisy. Do you use glass tops on your tank? I'm thinking about doing a spray bar for my Fluval 305. Since I added a 3D background, I've had to run my intake/return to the side of the tank - looks terrible. I neglected to build in a recess or anything for the plumbing - lesson learned. With a spray bar, I could modify the top "length" to accomodate the additional thickness of the background. I'd just have to trim out the plastic on the tops I think.


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## Demigod

I use plastic tops with a glass window (24"x4") that my lights sit on, with a plastic lid in the front and cutouts for the intake/filters on the back. Modifying the top of the background seems like a fine idea to me. Take before/after photos!


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## rgr4475

Nice write up. Thank you AaronB for taking the time to do this with lots of pictures. :thumb:


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## joemomma

I was thinking about just modifying the "cross over" piece of the spray bar, if that makes sense. The straight part between the two 90 elbows. I think that will be easier than messing with the background at this point. I had a terrible time with the background installation.


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## Demigod

You could always extend the 1.5" pieces between the front and back elbows which would put the spray bar further into your tank, perhaps at the front edge of your background. Then paint the bar to match the background instead of painting it black. I think that would work just fine and help to camouflage the bar.


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## joemomma

Excellent idea with the paint. I'd possibly have to modify the plastic portion of the back side of the glass tops, but that isn't a big deal by any means.


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## Demigod

If you do get around to making one be sure to take a few photos of your modifications and post them here! It will be helpful to others that have a similar setup.


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## shelbynjakesdad

Great thread, I'm going to make one of these for my fluval 406 on my 55 gallon tank. I get pretty good surface agitation just using the stock output, but hopefully this will help prevent debris from collecting on the substrate. I thought about adding a powerhead, but I'd like to keep the amount of equipment in the tank to a minimum.


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## Demigod

Good call on opting for this method instead of a power head. With the 306 alone I get great flow throughout the tank and everything that isn't deposited inside the rocks goes up the intake. When I do a water change I fill with a hose and stick it inside the rocks and blow it all out, and most if not all of it goes up the intake then. Let me know if you have any questions.


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## shelbynjakesdad

I've been thinking about a slight modification... what about adding an extension on one side (tube sticking out toward the front of the tank) to create a bit of a flow from right to left across the tank (toward the intake)? I'd probably drill the holes facing 45 degrees down so as not to interfere with the water coming across the surface. All it would take would be a "90 degree tee" instead of one of the elbows, more straight PVC, and another end cap. I might try this first without gluing it to see how it works...


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## Demigod

Sounds like a great idea. I current have another spray bar on my 60g tank, also on a 306. It's been in place for a week or so now without being glued. All of the elbows are, but the main spray bar is just pressed together and the pressure from the 306 isn't enough to push them apart. You could do the same with your 406 and run it for a day or two to see how it works.


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## fc2turbomss

AaronB said:


> Sounds like a great idea. I current have another spray bar on my 60g tank, also on a 306. It's been in place for a week or so now without being glued. All of the elbows are, but the main spray bar is just pressed together and the pressure from the 306 isn't enough to push them apart. You could do the same with your 406 and run it for a day or two to see how it works.


I was gonna ask, do you think if you didn't glue this portion, could you adjust the angle of the holes? So...can you adjust the angle on your 60g spray bar?


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## Demigod

Yes, it is adjustable. It's been running for quite awhile now without glue...not sure I'll ever actually glue it.


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## shelbynjakesdad

shelbynjakesdad said:


> I've been thinking about a slight modification... what about adding an extension on one side (tube sticking out toward the front of the tank) to create a bit of a flow from right to left across the tank (toward the intake)? I'd probably drill the holes facing 45 degrees down so as not to interfere with the water coming across the surface. All it would take would be a "90 degree tee" instead of one of the elbows, more straight PVC, and another end cap. I might try this first without gluing it to see how it works...


So I built the spraybar this weekend with the modification... it didn't work out as I had hoped. I wasn't getting much current flowing across the tank. My 406 just doesn't have the power to work the spraybar AND create cross flow. I also didn't like how it looked, so I ended up changing it back to the original design, and it works pretty good. Now it just needs a few coats of paint.

I glued all the elbows (don't want to chance any leaks on the outside of the tank), but I didn't glue the spraybar itself. That way I can adjust the angle and even shorten or lengthen the bar if I want to in the future. I'm sure there is not even close to enough pressure to push it apart. I hooked it up to my garden hose at full power and it held together just fine, spraying 10+ feet in the air. My kids thought I was building them a sprinkler to run through... lol.


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## shelbynjakesdad

I installed the spraybar last weekend and I've got to say, I'm not that impressed. It does a great job of surface agitation, but I'm seeing about the same amount of waste on the bottom as I did with the stock fluval output. I'm not getting much current at all at the bottom of the tank. Not quite sure what I did differently, the holes are about the same size and the length is only a couple inches longer than the one posted by Demigod. I'm back to considering a powerhead or adding another filter to help get more flow down to the substrate.


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## Demigod

I had a similar problem with my first DIY bar. I had made the holes too large (1 drill bit size too large makes a world of difference), and made too many of them (my current bar has 1/2 the amount of my first try), and I don't think I had it angled correctly. I have 2 of these now and they both work exactly the same... which is to say they both keep about 95% of the waste in constant movement until it arrives at the intake.


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## shelbynjakesdad

Well, I do have enough of the PVC left over to re-make the bar with the holes, and since I didn't glue it, it will be easy to try out. I guess I go a little smaller with the holes and see what happens. If it still doesn't work, maybe I'll buy another fluval...  Sometimes I think MFS (Multi Filter Syndrome) is just as out of control as MTS in this hobby...


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## Demigod

It's not only the holes, adjust the angle of the spray bar too and let it sit for a day or so to see the difference. Sometimes it takes the fish stirring things up a bit to get the tank clean. Also, depending on your tank decorations, you could be blocking the flow. I have large rocks in the middle of my tank with room around them on all sides, and the intake in the corner about 2" from the bottom. Good luck.


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## Filet O Fish

Hey Demigod, thanks for the write up and for the others who started these. I just finished a 38 incher for my standard 75 gallon and Marineland C530. The only difference in mine is the adapter. I used a 1" by 3/4" Hose barb and a 3/4" Female PVC adapter.




























Just wondering how long you let everything cure before the installation. I primed, glued then moments later put my first coat of paint on and finished with 3 (coats).

Wish me luck, I'm a DIY mess.


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## Demigod

I let mine dry for just a few hours before tossing it in. Once the paint wasn't tacky anymore I figured it was good to go.


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## Filet O Fish

Cool, thank you. It's evening here in Chicago, I'm going to wait till the mid-morning tomorrow to install after a blow out with my garden hose. I don't trust my spray painting.


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## Demigod

Whatever makes you feel better I suppose.. I didn't know how long to wait either so I searched using Google and found 100s of opinions ranging from 15 minutes to 1 week. My only real criteria was that I could manhandle it without leaving fingerprints on it.


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## Filet O Fish

I'd _like _to actually wait a week, but I can't stand all the poop on the bottom! But better me be safe than sorry. The cement should be ok too, right?


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## Demigod

Well.. the method I've used on 3 bars is to glue them, wait a short amount of time, hook up a hose and run water through them for 30 minutes or so, them smell the air in the bar.. if it smells like glue, its not ready. Then paint it.. and when not tacky, put it in the tank. It's really about the smell. If it's not letting off gasses anymore then you're good to go.. waiting a week is extreme overkill.You won't harm your fish... assuming you used the same stuff I used.


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## Filet O Fish

Cool, I used Oatey Purple prime and cement. Probably the same thing. OK, will post when I get the thing going. Thanks for your help DG!


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## Filet O Fish

Well, I finally got it going, have to say I'm very happy I did this. Not only for the obvious benefits, But I was able to ditch my noisy, PITA, Aquaclear 110 and now have less (carp) in the tank.


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## Filet O Fish

Actually meant to post this one....


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## dredgesclone

2 questions,
first I assume this would be the same for a fluval 406 and I use eheim 5/8" tubing, fits right on my fluval so it should work for this too right?

Second, what would happen if you hooked it up with a canister on both ends instead of a plug, I'm running a eheim 2229 and a fluval 406


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## Demigod

I imagine it would work just fine, as long as you make allowances for the increased water pressure. I would start with 50% more holes than we're using and work up from there if you still have too much pressure.


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## dredgesclone

hmm I went to home depot and started fiddling around just making a cap for my eheim spraybars because they were both missing and ended up buying all the parts to make 2 / 2 foot spray bars but mine are going to be capped and I bought 1/2" pipes and parts instead. Maybe I should return it and go with the 3/4" parts, I was just trying to match my eheim spray bar that is 1/2 " , am I going to have too much pressure?


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## Demigod

The 1/2" pipes are probably fine, provided that you put 2x the amount of holes to let the pressure out. Just pretend you're melding 2 spray bars into one... you don't need 2x the diameter, you just need to allow 2x the water to escape from the bar.

Then again, you are in untested territory here... but I'm liking the idea. Let us know how it goes!


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## dredgesclone

If I go with the 3/4 inch pipe and fittings will my eheim tubing work?
It's 5/8 but it has thinner walls than normal tubes


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## Demigod

I have no idea if it will fit. If it doesn't, go get a fitting attachment for the end of the pipes to make it fit.


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## dredgesclone

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/1-sp ... ers.26781/

I like how this guy connected his in the middle with a cork to make it look like 1 long spraybar.

The problem is one of my canisters is that eheim 2229 wet dry eb and flow style and it doesn't have constant flow rate so I'm worried pushing back flow on it would be a bad idea. Since it literally trickels some of the time I think maybe I should stack 2- 4 foot spraybars rather than connecting them to get even flow across the whole tank


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## shelbynjakesdad

I ended up with 2 spray bars on my 55. One of them is fed by a fluval 406, and the other is fed by a fluval 305. I put both intakes on one side of my tank, with the fluval 305 spraybar on that half (since it was shorter to make room for the intakes). The 406 spraybar is on the other half of the tank. I just drilled the same number of holes as the full size spraybar, but spaced them closer together because of the shorter length. It seems to work great... the surface of my tank looks like a river!

I used 1/2" CPVPC for my final design because I liked the size better. It also doesn't hang down into the tank as far, so it provides better surface agitation, and it is less noticeable than the larger 3/4" pipe. I don't think you will notice a difference in flow because the inside diameter of the adapter where the 5/8" hose connects to the PVC (and the fluval filters) is smaller than the inside diameter of the 1/2" CPVC.


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## dredgesclone

I sealed it off in the middle with a rubber washer.
I figure this gives me room to tuck the intakes behind the spraybar

I also figure 7/64th bit = 33 holes
or
1/8 bit = 20 holes

look sound?

of course I haven't glued, painted or drilled anything yet


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## Demigod

Looks sound to me! I've run all of mine for a bit without sealing them and they're just fine... in fact I have one that is still not sealed and it's been running for 6 months without an issue... and by not sealed I mean everything is glued except the spraybar part. That allows me to adjust the angle and let it run for a bit to find the perfect setting before gluing.


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## thabigo

So quick question instead of making the long 9 inch extention and adding all the these adaptors for tubing can't you just use the stock fluval white rubber adaptor and stick it directly into a 90 degree 1/2 PVC pipe?

Like so. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwox0m ... cslist_api


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## Demigod

Whatever works! If it's a tight fit that you feel won't work itself loose over time then you're all set.


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