# Custom Spraybar



## dam718 (Nov 25, 2013)

Aloha guys,

My Marineland C-360 has been fantastic, but I am not impressed at all with the very crummy outlet and intake pipes... Very thin, very cheap feeling, and the outlet in particular won't stay where I want it... 

So I'm going to make my own... Seems like a simple enough answer!

I've started by making a custom spray bar. 

It's made using 1/2" PVC, and a 3/4" hose barb where the outlet hose will connect. I haven't yet drilled any holes... 










A couple of questions

1) Do I need to cement the pieces of PVC to the elbows, or is press fit enough?

2) If I DO need to cement, is the cement safe for the fish?

3) Can I paint it? If so, is there a particular kind of paint that I should use that will be safe for the fish?

4) What size holes should I drill, and how many, to maintain good flow without kicking up a huge amount of current in my small 36 Gallon tank?

5) What angle should I position the holes? Should I have them pointing up towards the surface? Or pointing down towards the bottom of the tank?

As always, all input is appreciated!

Thanks!


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I would glue the parts outside the tank for safety.You're probly ok not glueing the last elbow in tank and end cap for adjustability and cleaning.Just rinse well after glueing or even soak for some time.I just did this last weekend and even added carbon(this is what it is good for) that I'll keep in for a week.
Krylon "fusion" is safe in aquariums and is made for plastic so paintit up!
Can't say for hole size or angle, but like I said if you don't glue last elbow you can adjust the spray bar.


----------



## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Krylon fusion! 

Yes I agree with Tom, glue everything except the bar itself to that elbow. You will be needing to clean it so that will make it mucho easier. On the holes, I believe that is up to you but if you have any spray bars laying around you can use those as a guide. I would suggest a size but I dont do measurements, hubbs does that.


----------



## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

Cool! Let me know how it works out. I was planning to do the same thing with my 360. My intake is fine so I will leave that alone, but I planned to use vinyl tubing instead of PVC. Keep us updated


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Make it easy. Buy the Eheim 2217 spray bar pieces - just a thought. Its a comparable version and you can put along the back or from the side of the tank. Filter may not do so well on the diameter of your spraybar. It may, just depends on what you will be happy with. If you increase size you usually decrease velocity.


----------



## rift lake (Nov 8, 2012)

Keep the spray holes 1/8 of an inch to keep some back pressure for the spraybar to work correctly


----------



## dam718 (Nov 25, 2013)

I decided to skip painting... I just don't have it in me to put anything I painted myself in the tank... 

So I just installed it in the raw white after a thorough cleaning.

Here's the "After"



















I think it turned out nice... It's aimed toward the surface and creating a nice ripple effect on the water without blowing everything around in the tank. There's still a nice sway to the plants... 

I kinda messed up a bit, I think... I used 1/8" holes and ended up using the area of my output tube divided by the area of a 1/8" hole to determine the number of holes to use. And I went one over so I'm at somewhere around 103% of the area of the hose. I think I should have gone with 90-95% of the hose area... Stupid math... The actual bar with the hose in it is easy enough to replace, it's not cemented in place. I did cement everything external to the tank though, as suggested.

MriGuy85, if you're interested in a list of materials used, let me know. It's really very easy!


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Looks good!


----------



## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Great piece! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## catfisherpro (Apr 5, 2013)

That's cool I have spray bars like that on all my tanks. I lil trick I used instead of holes I put vertical slots so it has a fan type spray an it also works wit horizontal slots to


----------

