# venturi valves & or diffusers



## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Can i make a Diffuser from a power head? Or make some sort of oxygen saturation device with the power heads from my previous undergravel??
Im leaning toward Fmueller theory, more oxygen and clean water and clean media.. 
I have that HOB, ac 110,, that doesn't create alot of surface agitation,, and my xp3 with a spraybar,, which i point the jets up quite a bit to move the surface water.. I have a glass hood so no water escapes, i could point my spraybar almost straight up. Except when feeding lol. But do you get my question? ? Im pretty handy i could make so


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

I guess my question should have been,, what is the best way to get the most oxygen in my tank with what ( I) have?? 
An ac 110 hob.
Xp3 with a spraybar
And 2 powerhaeds from a previous ug filter. ( not being utilized right now) 
Could i attache a hose to the powerhead and create an airpump effect or would that even do anything? 
Probably just be pushing water no air.. just GASPING for ideas..pun intended! !


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

opcorn:


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

I have some old power heads lying around that have built in venturi valves. They work very well, and were cheap - about $10 a piece. They work the same as an Eheim diffusor, which is of course cheaper still - and could be driven by your XP3.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

How do they work? Excuse my ignorance please. Im running my xp3 as my main filter. But i have 2 powerheads laying around. I put 1 in the middle of my 75 just for xtra water circulation. My ac 110 does not move much water as i keep the tank full. Xp3 moves quite a bit with the spray bar pointed semi upwards but reading more of what you say do i need more water movement to create oxygen? Obviously airpumps dont do it, . Thanks for your input Fmueller i really do appreciate it


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

If you have ever used a Python or another such water changing device, that's essentially a venturi valve. Water is pushed through a constricted section of pipe, and the resulting lower pressure at the constriction is used as a pump. In the case of a Python, water is pumped out of a tank and goes down the drain with the water used to drive the Python. In case of a diffusor, air is sucked out of the room via a piece of airline tubing and goes into the tank with the water from the filter outflow. So the filter outflow drives the diffusor, no extra pump is required. You simply replace a spray bar with a diffusor. In action it looks like this:






On the backwall of the tank you can see the outlet hose of an Eheim 2260 filter attached to an Eheim diffusor. At the top of the diffusor is a short piece of airline hose leading above 'the surface to suck in air.

If you don't want to use your filter outlet, this is a small powerhead with integrated diffusor/venturi valve.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Ok. I get it. Yes both my powerheads have that. Maxi jet 1200. So i can connect a longer tube so it reaches down where the powerhead is.. But it does create a lot of bubbles in the tank,, some people would not like that.. i didnt realize that is what it was. Thank you.. so in my case would you suggest that? Or is the xtra water movement from the powerhead creating enough extra oxygen? ?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Water movement by itself doesn't get any oxygen in the water. Increasing the area where air and water meet will. One way to do that is by having lots of tiny bubbles. People might love or hate the look of those bubbles, but when somebody claims bubbles are harmful to fish, ask them what evidence they can present to back that up. There is none.


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## countryboy814 (Feb 19, 2012)

I don't know. Your diffusor is pretty noisy.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

countryboy814 said:


> I don't know. Your diffusor is pretty noisy.


That's me huffing and puffing 

Seriously though, you'll never find a HOB filter that's anywhere near as quiet as the 2260 with the diffusor. Of course if the Eheim has a submerged outlet it will be more quiet than anything that produces bubbles. But I am not aware of anything that can guarantee oxygen at saturation levels and be absolutely silent. Bursting bubbles produce a certain level of noise, even if it's very low.


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## countryboy814 (Feb 19, 2012)

fmueller said:


> countryboy814 said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know. Your diffusor is pretty noisy.
> ...


Bursting bubbles do make a certain amount of noise. Your diffusor sounds like you left the faucet running.


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

lol, u guys have to get your tanks out of your bedrooms.

That noise would be annoying when trying to watch TV or read in your living room. But if your Tanks are located outside the forementioned rooms, the diffusor would be the way to go. I have used loud/noisey bubblers in my family room that are on timers to start at bed time.


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## countryboy814 (Feb 19, 2012)

deaver said:


> lol, u guys have to get your tanks out of your bedrooms.
> 
> That noise would be annoying when trying to watch TV or read in your living room. But if your Tanks are located outside the forementioned rooms, the diffusor would be the way to go. I have used loud/noisey bubblers in my family room that are on timers to start at bed time.


Did you listen to the video???? Maybe the fish are in the shower.


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

yeah, i did. but listen to fmuller in the background. he could move his tongue to lick his lips and you'd hear that too. the sound reception must be way up. besides i said it would be more beneficial after hours or in a fishroom, not a bedroom or during daytime in a living/family room. i agree it may be to loud for outside these perimeters.


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## countryboy814 (Feb 19, 2012)

deaver said:


> yeah, i did. but listen to fmuller in the background. he could move his tongue to lick his lips and you'd hear that too. the sound reception must be way up. besides i said it would be more beneficial after hours or in a fishroom, not a bedroom or during daytime in a living/family room. i agree it may be to loud for outside these perimeters.


I agree. Maybe at the lfs.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

I suck at taking videos. I put them up on Youtube the way they come out of the camera. I have no idea how to adjust the volume, so it is what it is. It was dead quiet in the house when I took the video, so I guess the camera would automatically crank up microphone reception to capture whatever little noise there is, and amplify that. When I first watched the video, I was kinda surprised that you could hear me breathe - I thought it sounded like I had asthma, which I have not 

The tank sits in the hallway right next to our bedroom. My wife is a VERY light sleeper, and VERY noise sensitive - trained as a classical violist. Plus she hates fish and fish tanks. If she isn't bothered by the noise of the diffuser, I reckon nobody would be! There is no way anybody could hear the diffusor while two people are carrying on a conversation, or if you have the TV on even at the most modest volume level.


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## countryboy814 (Feb 19, 2012)

My wife can detect seismic anomalies and she heard your recording while driving home.


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

countryboy814 said:


> My wife can detect seismic anomalies and she heard your recording while driving home.


lol.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

countryboy814 said:


> My wife can detect seismic anomalies and she heard your recording while driving home.


We get the point. You think it's loud.


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## 4RSo (Aug 13, 2011)

i like the idea of the venturi valve, I have a diffuser from a CO2 kit. But it would look ugly stuck to the side of the glass, I personally like the sound of water movement, it's very relaxing to me so the more sound the more serenity. Plus the fish get more fresh oxygen, and the water is more circulated which is always a plus. I have been reading about these and i'm interested in getting one for my Eheim 2217, maybe if I get a pro-series Eheim i'll get one for that as well. Bring on the noise.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

fmueller said:


> Water movement by itself doesn't get any oxygen in the water. *Increasing the area where air and water meet will*. One way to do that is by having lots of tiny bubbles. People might love or hate the look of those bubbles, but when somebody claims bubbles are harmful to fish, ask them what evidence they can present to back that up. There is none.


Yep...That is why I always leave at least 2" open on my glass lids where they meet the back of the tank. Actually going to have 2" cut off my glass lids to accommodate my new spray bar so I will have 4" opening the entire length of the tank.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

13razorbackfan said:


> fmueller said:
> 
> 
> > Water movement by itself doesn't get any oxygen in the water. *Increasing the area where air and water meet will*. One way to do that is by having lots of tiny bubbles. People might love or hate the look of those bubbles, but when somebody claims bubbles are harmful to fish, ask them what evidence they can present to back that up. There is none.
> ...


Cut to fit some egg crate for jumpers. :thumb:


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## deaver (Apr 23, 2011)

wierd, but it's very hard to find egg crate around here. the store that does carry it, has the chrome coated product. do u thisnk its safe under water as a devider, to separate fish.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

GTZ said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> > fmueller said:
> ...


I might see if they can cut out a rectangle to accommodate the spray bar elbow. If they can do that then that is what I will do. What do you put on the eggcrate to keep it down?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Another advantage of the diffusor is that you don't need to worry about not getting enough air inside your canopy, or under the glass lids. As long as you let the little airline tube that leads to the diffusor hang out of the canopy, the diffusor will suck in air right out of the room and inject it into the tank water.

I have had fully grown jumbo cyp males jump out of less a less than 1 square inch hole in the glass lid next to the filter intake. A 2" strip open at the back of the glass lids - a 16" Frontosa could jump out of that easily. That would cause me sleepless nights!


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

13razorbackfan said:


> What do you put on the eggcrate to keep it down?


It's sandwiched between the edge of the trim and the glass tops.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

GTZ said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> > What do you put on the eggcrate to keep it down?
> ...


That makes sense....I think after I get my glass cut I will pick some up and try it.


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