fishbites Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 This is one of the easiest things to do ... I built mine after I installed a 1600l/hr internal power filter and found the fish had to really work hard to keep position in the tank or else be blown away by the force of the water. Materials: 1 Length of 20mm poly pipe about 20cm shorter than your tank; (rigid is best rather than the flexible watering system pipe) 1 end cap to fit pipe, 1 20mm adapter with female thread, 1 20mm joiner; 1 20mm male thread with male barb suitable for pushing on a piece of hose; 1 piece of plastic hose of diameter to suit outlet for powerhead 1 suction cup from old heater (to hold end of spray bar) Tools: Drill with 5mm spade bit (spade bits cut poly pipe very easily and cleanly) Hacksaw (to cut polypipe to length) Sharp knife (to cut hose) Note: ignore the dark (top) spray bar - that's from my canister filter. Step 1: Cut polypipe to length - allow for the size of the powerhead and the end cap to go on the end of the pipe Step 2: Put end cap on pipe and then drill holes with spade bit - I allowed about 5cm between holes and didn't really align them that straight - but if you want to be neat - mark the hole positions on the pipe with a marker pen before you start. I drilled holes down both sides and the bottom of the pipe plus one in the end of the end cap. After drilling the holes, take the end cap off and make sure you get all the plastic shavings out of the pipe. Step 3: Join the adapter with the 20mm female thread and the spray bar pipe with the 20mm joiner, and put the end cap on the other end. I didn't glue or silicone mine so it's easy to take apart to clean. Step 4: Screw the 20mm male thread into the female thread Step 5: Attach a short piece of pipe between the barb on the adaptor and the powerhead. (If you need to go larger in size just use a larger diameter hose and put over the smaller diameter one to step it up to the size of the powerhead outlet (cheaper than buying another adapter) Step 6: Attach the suction cup to the capped end of the spray bar, attach the plastic hose to the powerhead outlet and let it rip! I wanted my spray bar to go along the back wall of the tank so I put in two elbows. The elbows stepped the connector out to the powerhead outlet (ref to pics). You can position your spray bar anywhere in your tank - top or bottom - just adjust the length of hose from the spray bar to your powerhead outlet and use one or more of the elbows if needed. I got all parts from the hardware store - the polypipe, end cap and female threaded adaptor from plumbing and the elbows, and male threaded adaptor from where the garden watering systems are. The plastic hose was just some I had laying round but your LFS probably has a variety of hoses suitable and wouldn't mind giving/selling you 20cm of some I'm sure! If you can find better combinations of joiners to suit your project - go for it - these are all I could find at my local plumbing / hardware place. Hope this helps circulate your water and stop your fish from getting their scales blown off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilchard Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Great post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 I think that is a great solution :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 nice mbuna! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted October 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Thanks Lyarlla and Lisa... Lisa the mbuna are nice - Ps demasoni and Ps acei - the only trouble is the girls are bad at holding eggs - saw one of the acei the other day spit out about 40 eggs in favour of going for some food! Two others have eggs so will have to strip them to get any fry at all I think. Never a dull moment in this tank with them - all nipping and chasing but no violence or deaths so all's good so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 You dont have much outbreak of war? I am guessing they favour food due to the number of fish in there. It looks really lovely... I reckon my dad would be heaps jealous if he saw this... he's already threatening to steal my little tank but yours would be right up his alley.... lol. I kinda almost expect to see an anchor and some sea rope in there too lol!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted October 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Nope no war... although the demasoni do have their little battles between males and when a female is holding eggs she gets fiesty and nips and chases others away from her hiding spot in the rocks. Every now and then I'll notice a top lip with a mark on where a fish has had a full on lip lock battle but no scales missing or deaths despite the reputation of demasoni as a fish that will kill off its competitors. I'm using the 4ft tank as a display tank for the moment but will end up planting it up with java ferns and perhaps using it as a Tang tank later on - once I get my big tank on its stand and organised. An anchor and rope wouldn't look too bad in there really would it! Tell your dad to get a good 2nd hand 4 foot tank and go for it! They are pretty entertaining - well this combo is anyway - the more aggressive mbuna would be a nightmare in a 4 footer though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted August 28, 2010 Report Share Posted August 28, 2010 (edited) I'm going to try to make one of these. Went to bunnings today for the bits and bobs, had a wee bit of trouble. To make it look sorta like the one above you only need two corners, one male and one female fitted together, attached to the tube/pipe and of course a cup at the other end. i thought that having an adapter that gets narrower may create pressure in the filter and damage it? Or is it really needed to slow down the water? i couldn't find one that fited into the other bits very well... Is the adapter really needed? Is there a problem with having an ever so slightly flexible tube as oposed to pipe? Old thread, hope someone answers. Thanks. Edited August 28, 2010 by fishish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracey6565 Posted August 28, 2010 Report Share Posted August 28, 2010 Yeah I had some probs at my local Bunnings too trying to get everything. I ended up with an 'end cap' that is a little large so I thought I'd silicon it on, pipe was no problem, I've yet to find the right connector from the outlet to the pipe tho... ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted August 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2010 (edited) At Bunnings, the white pipe I used is located in the plumbing section although there is a black threaded pipe available in the garden section which will work just as well. There are black threaded fittings in the plumbing section that will also fit the black pipe from the garden section. The connection between the spray bar and the powerhead is via a piece of plastic tube (about 3/8" or 1/2") which, with a bit of effort I stretched over the powerhead outlet and then slid it over a 12mm black adaptor with one barbed end (used for 12mm garden watering systems) and the other end about a 22mm thread which screwed into the threaded adaptor I put on the end of the spraybar. I've uploaded a bit of a diagram to help you see what I think I'm talking about :) Edited August 28, 2010 by fishbites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted August 28, 2010 Report Share Posted August 28, 2010 Not all Bunnings are equal IMO. In Melbourne the one at Ferntree Gully doesn't offer as good service as the one in Box Hill. When I was building my barracks system, figuring out the plumbing parts nearly did my head in. I finally managed to get help from one of the specialist staff (ie with plumbing experience). I had to show him my drawing and get him to pick all the adaptors and connectors for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted August 29, 2010 Report Share Posted August 29, 2010 I'm still wondering if I need to do it exactly like that. So what does an adapter actually do? And why does the pipe need to be completely stiff? Yes i know water runs through hose = hose develops a mind of its own but if it is reasonably stiff and is attached with two, not one suction cups to aquarium wall...? I want to try to understand how it actually works and then ill be able to put it together better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishish Posted August 29, 2010 Report Share Posted August 29, 2010 No longer have a problem. The filter that came with my ebay tank is broken so gunna get a new one that has a spray bar with it... Though i may end up wanting to make one of these in future if anyone can answer the questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Made one of these bad boys today for my 4 ft rescape. Planting up tonight and probably won't get around to turning it on until tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Gee ... looks just like a bought one Jarrod I originally made mine to cut down the blast from a 2000 l/hr internal filter - it's still doing the job too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Thanks Wayne I needed something to cut down the "jet stream" from my external canister output. Otherwise my new plants would be washed out of the substrate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Well, It's all hooked up and working a treat It is exactly what I was after - 5 minutes to make/assemble and gives a nice, gentle water flow - even with my external Fluval canister filter on it's highest setting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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