# The best home made tumbler you can make



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

I have now made 2 tumblers and I must say you can't buy a better tumbler than the one I made today.
If you would like to make yourself here are the instructions.
All supplies purchased at Home Depot for about $5
What you will need:

1 -clear tube, I bought a clear tube that is used as a flourescent light sleeve. I bought the larger size tube, there were 2 sizes. more than enough to make more.

nylon screen used for screen door, make sure you get nylon not steel. :thumb:

1- 90 degree pvc elbow 1 1/4"

2- 1 1/4" connector links

1- airstone

1- airpump

1- suction cups. I used one from a power head with a rubber band to hold it on

air tubing

1. First I cut down the clear tube, I made 1 tube about 10" and the smaller tube where the eggs will be, about 4". 
2. After you have cut your clear tube you need to cut out 2 small pieces of the nylon screen make them large enough to cover the pvc make sure you give yourself extra you can cut it of later.
3. after you have all your pieces cut it is time to assemble. place the screen over the pvc then press the clear tube into the pvc this should make the screen very tight. If you have issues with the clear tube fitting in the pvc sand down the pvc a little bit.
4. once assembled it should have a connector at the very bottom then a screen then the clear tube then the other pvc connector then the other screen, then the long clear tube, and finally the 90 degree pvc.
5. Now that it is assembled you put the airtube down the large opening off the 90. make sure you face the 90 away from the glass.

I stripped my eggs into a tupperware full of tank water then used a turkey baster to move them into the tumbler. here is a pic of the final product next to my previous attempt.

























I like this one because it is large and easy to see the eggs and adjusting the air into the tube is a million times easier. I highly highly recommend this DIY it is top notch. :thumb:


----------



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

looks good ill be making this soon


----------



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

im kinda lost on how your tumbler works. why is the airstone up top


----------



## Rivermud (Nov 22, 2004)

I am assuming that the current generated from the air bubbles is enough. no need to have the air bubles below the eggs. Just a guess.


----------



## @nt!x (Feb 9, 2009)

very cool!


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

yes the air rising causes water to rise up as well you can actually see a current coming out of it. I updated it today to be more user friendly as I am trying to sell on craigslist. I made only small changes. I heated the 90 deg. pvc and smashe the end where water exits and drilled a hole at the exit on top for the tubing to go through so it is not just floating like I have in the one in my tank. I also went to the hobby store and bought suction cups. I drilled a hole on each of the connecting pieces of PVC to put the suction cup in. It worked out amazing. here are some shots.










































Ohh ya I spray painted it black with Krylon Fusion paint.


----------



## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

I3lazd said:


> I heated the 90 deg. pvc and smashe the end where water exits and drilled a hole at the exit on top for the tubing to go through so it is not just floating like I have in the one in my tank.
> 
> When you say floating, I'm confused, can you explain more why the pvc change at the top?
> 
> ...


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

yes you dont need them suspended you just need constant flow of fresh water over them. But I can make them float if I lower the airstone further down into the tube. They are bouncing around slightely you just cant tell because of the photo.


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

here is video of it in action


----------



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

okay i see how it works out exactly that. goodluck on the sale


----------



## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Cool vid showing how it works and I'd agree with it being a top notch DIY product.

1 question, have any of the fish swam into the bottom piece from underneath to try to get at the eggs?


----------



## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks for the reply. I still would like to know the reason of the smashed piece of pipe at the top?

Oh, I get it never mind. You drilled the hole so the "tubing" wouldn't float around. And I assume the smahed part was for flow direction, or just cosmetics then.


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

no the fish dont try and swim up to eat them I thought this may be an issue but definately not.
I smashed the end piece to create a little more pressure so the bubbles cant roll out as easily that way it creates a little more pull.


----------



## Curator (Feb 18, 2009)

dude, wow, this is awesome!!! and the painting it black just made it perfect,lol... I know it shouldnt matter, but cosmetically it looks way better now... good job man!


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

has anyone else tried yet?


----------



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

I3lazd said:


> has anyone else tried yet?


just found out one of my rusties is holding now and ill be making one this week cause its about time to take out the eggs in a yellow lab that is holding as well


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

If you are breeding a lot of mouthbrooders, a multi-compartment incubator is a good idea. You write the date and parents by the compartment holding each batch of eggs. With very sensitive eggs, a standard incubator is too rough. Using a brine shrimp net for each compartment and one or two lengths of airline tubing pumping out filtered water, you can adjust the flow so that the eggs never touch the netting.


----------



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

do you have a diy for this idea. I didnt think chambers would work. How do you add the chambers it would be harder with this design. I have not lost any babies because of them bumping the net.


----------



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

Mcdaphnia said:


> If you are breeding a lot of mouthbrooders, a multi-compartment incubator is a good idea. You write the date and parents by the compartment holding each batch of eggs. With very sensitive eggs, a standard incubator is too rough. Using a brine shrimp net for each compartment and one or two lengths of airline tubing pumping out filtered water, you can adjust the flow so that the eggs never touch the netting.


do you got a pic of what it would look like


----------



## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

great design, i've been doing something similar for a research project, raising veliger larvae of sea slugs by suspending them in a water column. I was using a power head but thats too strong so i'll try this design. only problem is, how would i go about feeding my larvae phytoplankton without letting the guys get out or letting them touch air (basically for them, its like air is lava game, don't touch it). if i use the right size mesh it should just flow right through to them but the mesh tends to clog up. any ideas?


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

mepeterser2451 said:


> great design, i've been doing something similar for a research project, raising veliger larvae of sea slugs by suspending them in a water column. I was using a power head but thats too strong so i'll try this design. only problem is, how would i go about feeding my larvae phytoplankton without letting the guys get out or letting them touch air (basically for them, its like air is lava game, don't touch it). if i use the right size mesh it should just flow right through to them but the mesh tends to clog up. any ideas?


 I used a powerhead, but put a piece of 1" tubing on the outlet with a marble blocking the end and a dozen or more pieces of airline tubing coming out of the sides of the larger tube. That way you can aim one, two, or more streams of filtered water at the eggs. Any you are not using just drop in the tank. I drilled holes in the large tubing, cut short pieces of rigid tubing and heated one end to flare it out into a "trumpet".

The article for this is in a back issue of FAMA from many years ago. I don't remember if there were pictures or drawings.


----------



## justinf67 (Jul 19, 2009)

I3lazd said:


> no the fish dont try and swim up to eat them I thought this may be an issue but definately not.
> I smashed the end piece to create a little more pressure so the bubbles cant roll out as easily that way it creates a little more pull.


U are 100 percent wrong, I'm sorry. The fish WILL try at some point. I was breeding zebra obliquens and had used basically the exact same design. I had a screen on the bottom to prevent the fish from swimming up and getting the fry. On the 90 degree coupling, I had it open, thinking the fish wouldnt be able to get in there. I had prob 50 wrigglers in there. HAD is the key word. My male obliquen found his way into the 90 degree adapter and ate ALL the wrigglers. I know this because he couldnt get out. I caught him in there and had to dislodge him. He ate himself to death as a few days later he died. So, not only did I lose my entire stocking of wrigglers, my only male died from it. double whammy... I put a screen on the end of the 90 and on the bottom coupler. Works perfect. I can post pics if u need it, but the fish WILL find a way, they are resourceful


----------



## HDrydr (Mar 22, 2010)

I also use this type of tumbler set up but instead of a normal 90 elbow I use the I think they are called flow restricted 90 so the actual opening is the size of those blue airstones..


----------



## liquid134 (Feb 22, 2010)

i did a very similar design concept except i just used an extra syphon piece (the bottom plastic tube part) and it worked awesome.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I3lazd said:


> do you have a diy for this idea. I didnt think chambers would work. How do you add the chambers it would be harder with this design. I have not lost any babies because of them bumping the net.


 Tropheus eggs, especially those very recently spawned, are more sensitive than eggs from mbuna and some others. One good thing about the multiple net incubators is if you get one bad egg, you can tip it out with a baby spoon before it disintegrates and harms the other eggs. You don' t have to take anything apart to get to it. There is room for about five or six nets along each long side of a 15 gallon tank, so you simply clip another one on until all the space is used.


----------



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

hey I3lazd,

Really love the design. I was walking around ace hardware the other day and found all the stuff needed to build one. However, I have a question on a potential modification. Do you think it would work to put a reducer on the bottom, a 90deg elbow, and a length of smaller PVC pipe with a bunch of holes drilled in it, and then wrap a sponge around that so that now you have an egg tumbler and air powered spnge filter all in one?


----------



## Joekahuna (Oct 9, 2007)

ok, I built this yesterday, and immediately put it to use. I am very happy with it. It works super good. What I used for screen was a filter bag that I bought at the pet store. The one question I have though is
the bottom screen, where the eggs are, is getting sorta dirty because of the suction of the water. its working sorta like a sponge filter. Isn't this going to damage my eggs?


----------



## Joekahuna (Oct 9, 2007)

????


----------

