# Clear pipe water bridge???



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Has anyone here used clear pvc as a water bridge?

I just aquired an all glass 265 84"x30"x26" and am thinking of connecting my 800 to the 265 and then connecting those two to my 240 and would like to use a section of clear 6" pipe in the middle of the water bridge. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced problems with the pipes getting dirtier than dirty...

This attempt at connecting all three tanks won't be for quite some time as the back pane of glass on the 265 is broken and will need repaired first. So don't get exctited..... yet... :lol:


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## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

where would you find 6"clear pvc pipe at? *** only seen solid colored(white)


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## jcollette3 (Sep 7, 2005)

I've seen this done somewhere before. Very interesting and playful concept - If I were a fish, I think I'd like it alot!

Found it - its called an aquarium water-bridge.









http://www.bio-elite.com/waterbridge.htm


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

Where are you going to put that new tank? Wouldn"t that be quite a stretch between the 800 and the 240?


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## Tezr (Sep 12, 2006)

http://web.archive.org/web/200605290155 ... ghway.com/

take em all the way across the room...


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## Sammich Bite (Mar 23, 2007)

Tezr said:


> http://web.archive.org/web/20060529015518/http://www.fishighway.com/
> 
> take em all the way across the room...


interesting and all but what about down the road when you get all kinds of algae in there? you cant clean it :?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Sammich Bite said:


> Tezr said:
> 
> 
> > http://web.archive.org/web/20060529015518/http://www.fishighway.com/
> ...


Chances are you won't leave it up long enough to get algae. The water inside the tube does not circulate and gradually becomes anoxic. Fish who swim in, pass out and if they are not rescued in time, they suffocate to death. These were on the market over twenty years ago and were soon pulled off most pet shop shelves. What you have to do is link a filter between the tanks so that water must flow through the tube. Most people don't take that step.


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## Tezr (Sep 12, 2006)

you can put a pump on either side and push or pull the water though the bridge that will eliminate the stagnate water.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

A while back there was a very similar discussion. *Chefkeith* has several water bridges going (or atleast had at the time of the thread) They seemed to be going well.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=108973&highlight=water+bridge


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## balz2dwall (Jun 14, 2004)

TheeMon said:


> where would you find 6"clear pvc pipe at? I've only seen solid colored(white)


It exists, but for more than $51/ft . . . I'm not sure it's really economical in any sense. 
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/7010/cid/1859

I guess the only things one would need to worry about is:
A) The top of both tanks are nearly at the same level
B) Using some siphon action to keep the water flowing through the bridge
C) Having enough storage volume in the downstream tank to handle water due to siphon equalization in the event of a power failure
D) Making sure the lighting levels near the tube are low enough as not to cause nuisance algae

I say go for it . . . :thumb:


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

Try McMaster-Carr. They have a bunch of FDA approved clear pipe, but depending on the size and material it can be spendy. The cheapest that I found was polycarbonate 6" O.D. $32/LF.

Why not fabricate one out of acrylic in either a square or triangle and drill it for bulkheads? Or you could get a wood or metal cylander that is the diameter you want and use a heat gun to wrap acrylic around the cylander and weld the joint with solvent. If you put the joint at the bottom, you probably won't notice it.

If you made a box, it would be easy to plumb it for circulation and if you were crafty/handy with acrylic, you could make it openable for cleaning.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok, apparently I didn't click the "watch this thread" button :lol: Sorry for the delay in responses 

A few things... To do this and do it right is going to take a lot of work and a little $$ The work I'm not afraid of... the money... well it comes and goes.

Chefkeiths tanks are xactly where I got the idea from. The only difference is I'm not experienced in creating things out of plexi-glass and would be afraid of failure....

And yes, of course all of the tops of the tanks would have to be level with each other, that's not a problem, I own a few levels 

As far as waterflow is concerned... I'll be putting a small pump in the corner of the 800 to pump water to the 240, which will then let water flow through the bridges back to the 800. I've tested this in my smaller tanks in the back room, it works well :thumb:

I got a good idea from someone on another forum for keeping them clean. When i build them I'll build in magnet cleaners! I don't see why that wouldn't work???

Here's where the tanks would eventually go:









Keep in mind that the 800 is 12' from the 240. So if the 265 was set up in the middle I'd need 30" of clear pipe on each side. Which is perfect because I found this:
http://www.savko.com/index.asp

They sell 6" pipe in 5' lengths :thumb: Get one and cut it in half! Then I'd get 6" 90's locally and a stick of 6" regular pvc locally. The total would run around $235 for two water bridges.

The thing is... I've got to wait till spring to repair the 265 as the basement is now a play room... :? Stinkin kids :lol: By the time spring rolls around they won't want to be inside which will open up that room to do the work... problem is.... I get very busy in spring :x I have no clue when I'm going to get this done!!!!

Here's some pics of the 265, he gave me the bulkheads with it too  :



























The back's been spray painted black, so all that spray paint needs to be scraped off. Then the plan is to take 3/4" plywood and pain four coats of drylok on all edges and both sides and silicone it to the outside. Running beads of silicone over all the cracks and well.... every where :lol:

Then I'll take a piece of hardi panel, the same material used to line the 800 and paint four coats of drylok on that too, then silicone the shnot out of it to the inside of the tank. Sandwiching the broken pane of glass inside. In theory... it should work :lol:

I forgot to mention that since I can drain 1/3 of the water out of the 800 by turning a valve... because of the water bridges the water should drain down on the other two smaller tanks too... So the whole system can get a water change at one time :thumb:

I'm even considering not even building a filter for the 265. Between the massive filter on the 240 and the incredibly massive filter on the 800 there shouldn't even be a need for a filter on the 265... I'd like to hear opinions on that.... Also I'd still put ugj's in the 265...


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

One more thing, I kind of added the bridges in to my little drawring and walls too


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## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

Would the fish want to go in the tube or would it just get sucked into it while swiming by? The fish can only go in one direction? Or could they go backif they wanted to?


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

LOL, good point! Imagine if all the cichlids ended up in the last tank!

2 empty tanks and one veeery overcrowded 240g... :lol:

Other than that, I'm sure the setup will work great... I say go for it! 
Make the tubes easy to break down for cleaning and be the trail blazer! 8)


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

The current won't be too hard for cichlids to over come.... so I think they'd have no problem going back and forth... But it's definately possible that everyone would crowd into one of the smaller tanks :lol: didn't think of that :lol:

Can fish see 12' ? I wonder if right now the fish in the 240 wish they could somehow get to the 800? :lol:


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

Last time I saw your tanks those fish in the 240 would be glad to be where they are at. "I'd be dinner over there!" is what they should be thinking. :lol:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Things have changed alot though since you've been here!


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## CHBGator (Oct 5, 2006)

What are the dimensions on the glass you need for the 265? I might be able to get you a piece real cheap.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Replacing the glass would be much better than a "sandwich" approach to fixing the back. I would also consider using the bottom and front glass to make two plywood tanks, if a replacement glass back is too costly, but sounds like a Cichlid Forum rescue is ready to help you there.


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## CHBGator (Oct 5, 2006)

should be pretty cheap considering my 84"x30"x.5" tempered was $160 with tax.


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## rashondasdriver (Sep 25, 2007)

Why is everyone thinking that the bridges have to be above the water line.... why not a hole in the side of the tanks? Especially if they're plexi... just cut a hole, mold a tube to it...


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I don't want the water bridges to be permanant... and the tanks are glass 

The glass size would roughly be 84"x26"x.5"

A sheet of hardi is $30

3/4 ply is free

ten tubes of silicone $35

BUT, the glass would get it done faster....... I wouldn't remove the broken pane, I'd just add the new pane to the inside, but I wouldn't want tempered...

Are you going to the auction CHB?


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## CHBGator (Oct 5, 2006)

Unfortunately No I cant go now. Had a bit of an accident on Tuesday some kid pulled out in front of me and we're short a car now (her fault :x ) and my oldest boy has regionals on top of that so looks like I have to wait for the next one which is a shame because I was looking forward to my first OCA auction. I'll get a price for you on the glass tomorrow at work.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I got a price today of $165.... We'll see what you come up with....


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## CHBGator (Oct 5, 2006)

I gave the measurements to the guy who orders the galss but he didn't get to it. :roll: takes 2 min to call and ask. He said he'll have it by monday.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

When I talked to my glass guy (he does all our mirrors and shower doors on the job) He says "isn't there a cheaper alternative?" :lol:

Also, I ordered the clear PVC and got all my fittings... Now I've got to get a stand built and fix this tank!


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## chefkeith (Sep 25, 2004)

My water bridges stay pretty clean because there is plenty of water flow going through them. I have about 1950 gph of rated flow going throught mine. Actual flow is about 1000 gph. I've probably only cleaned it once in the past 3 years and I wish I didn't bother because I ended up scratching it up a little bit with the mag float. I've never had any algae growing inside of mine either. Best way to clean them if they do need cleaning is to empty them, then fill them back up.

That clear pipe is really expensive. Also, I don't think many fish like swimming in clear round pipe that much. The reflections sometimes freak them out. They'll swim in them at night though, when the lights are off.

Another problem with Clear Pipe is that if you use white pvc elbows, it will create a blind spot. That blind spot could be real bad. I had some fish that were swimming this blindspot for a few days, then I later found out that the fish had ich. (Sick fish like the water current in the water bridges.) Anyways, by the time I found out about the ich it was too late. It ended up wiping out most of the tank. Lesson learned.

Heck, I even quarantined those the new fish that caused the ich. Sometimes just quarantining ain't enough. Lesson learned; fish in quarantine need to treated for ich and other parasites regardless.

Building water bridges out of acrylic sheet is a little better. Still it's not cheap though. The reflections are still bothersome to most fish. But the good thing is that there are no blind spots. I'm still striving for something that is more fish friendly though.

My next water-bridge design will just have a glass window in the front. I think I can build one like a small narrow plywood/epoxy fish tank. Only difference is putting an air-tight top on it.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Great.. well I guess it's too late ,I already ordered the clear pipe :?


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## GLOCKMAN30 (Dec 12, 2007)

Can't the acrylic sheets be heated enough to curve it into a nice big 45Âº or 90Âº elbow. Then cut the side pieces from a template of the two arcs of the elbow? I donâ€™t know if this would work or not, Iâ€™ve never messed with acrylic. Just a thought to run with. Good Luck either way.


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## thetim6 (Jan 24, 2003)

TFG, you could spray paint the back half of the pipe black.


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## chefkeith (Sep 25, 2004)

I'll take some of my comments back. I would bet that the Cichlids would be much braver than my wimpy clown loaches. Reflection probably won't bother them much at all.

When I had Tiger Barbs they would always use the bridges. They didn't care if it was light or day. 
Pleco's will hang in bridges and clean up any food that might be in there.

About the blind spot, you can usually see a tail or something moving. If you ever see fish constantly hanging in the blind spot, just empty the bridge and give them a quick inspection.

Also, Easiest way to fill the bridges is with a shop-vac.
Click here to watch Filling-water-bridge


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

TheFishGuy said:


> Great.. well I guess it's too late ,I already ordered the clear pipe :?


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## chefkeith (Sep 25, 2004)

TFG- I agree, you shouldn't need a filter in the 265. Water jets should be good enough. And like you said earlier, water changes will be a breeze with the bridges installed. It sure makes my life easier with all my tanks connected together with the bridges. Even though the novelty of the bridges has worn off, I don't think I could back to doing water changes on each individual tank.

I especially don't like checking the water parameters of each tank. I only monitor the water's TDS and Temperature. If the TDS is higher than normal, then I increase the flow rate on my continous water change system. If the water is a little too cold, then I increase the hot water coming from the tap. If the water is too warm, I increase the cold water from the tap.

You could easily convert to a continous water change system. Then you won't even have to do partial water changes anymore. If you put an overflow going to the drain on the sump, then all you'd need to do is drip water in from the tap. The water bill will be a little higher though, but the water parameters will be more consistent. I noticed a huge difference in TDS after I switched to a continous system.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I know an automatic water change system would be the way to go, but my water bill is already a little high :lol:

Also, I might be changing things up a bit. We just bought a new TV for the basement and if I set the 265 the same height as the 800 the TV won't fit under it :x So I'm thinking I might just be setting up the 265 on it's own for a while then connecting the 240 to it seeing as the 240 is set much higher than the 800. I'm really kind of bummed as I'd really love to have all the tanks together, but on the other had it's going to save a lot of work not having to lowwer the 240.... I'm still frustrated though :lol:

You know, it'd be my luck that if I did connect the three larger tanks all of the fish would decide to go live in the 240 :lol:


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Cichlids are territorial, so they are less likely to wander than other fish. OTOH a friend separated a pair of mozambiques, and the male jumped from one tank to the next until he was back with his girlfriend.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Oh, I had a male convict jump into a tank full of females once :lol:

I got my clear pipe today.... 60" on the dot :roll: I was hoping they'd give atleast an inch or two :lol:










Now I've got to get that tank down stairs and repaired :?


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## rashondasdriver (Sep 25, 2007)

Any updates?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

GLOCKMAN30 said:


> Can't the acrylic sheets be heated enough to curve it into a nice big 45Âº or 90Âº elbow. Then cut the side pieces from a template of the two arcs of the elbow? I donâ€™t know if this would work or not, Iâ€™ve never messed with acrylic. Just a thought to run with. Good Luck either way.


 It is clear from looking at acrylic tanks that acrylic sheet can be bent. Most acrylic tanks are bent in the front corners.

http://www.plasticsmag.com/ta.asp?aid=2586

You probably can't do it with your spouse's iron or propane torch. But if you do get your acrylic bent by someone with the equipment, rent the equipment, or whatever, then you sure could make a bridge with two bent and two flat pieces.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Sorry, no updates, summer is just too busy.......


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## gatorsaver (Jan 3, 2010)

Any updates now.


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

opcorn:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

LOL, no, but you just might have lit a fire under my but.... cuz now I have two clear pipes, one is a little smaller than the one pictured though...

And the boy in the picture just turned five LOL

And the room is now red! LOL


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## gatorsaver (Jan 3, 2010)




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## quatro (Mar 26, 2010)

Very cool. Do you know any calculations for the maximum flow through the bridge? My understanding of siphons (which is severely limited) is that the greater the height difference the more flow. In this setup your tanks are on the same level so flow would be minimal.

I would hope that with a 6" pipe you'll be fine.


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## moto_master (Jun 23, 2006)

Yeah, I have a PVC water bridge connecting two small sumps together, and water height varies a lot. If you wanted a lot of flow then you'd either need large pipes (like TFG has) or a large water height difference. The problem with the water height difference is, if you have one tank higher than the other to make a different water height, then when the power goes out then all the water is going to level out, and could very easily overflow the lower tank. Just some stuff you have to think about...

TFG, is you butt burning yet? It's been another 9 days. :lol:


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## OhOneWS6 (May 11, 2010)

I know this thread is kinda old but here is a link to a very detailed, very cool 20 + page thread about a set up with a bridge. Lots of great info in it.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank- ... ridge.html


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Wow! He does very nice rock work! Must confess, only looked at the pictures LOL I still have two pieces of pipe but no time LOL


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