spray bar designs?...anyone using em?...

[thebigblue]

anyone using a spray bar along the bottom back of their reef?...it seems like it might be a good way to circulate water instead of using powerheads...?

any ideas on how to do it best?...i have a new mag-drive 500 pump i was gonna return but i might just use it for this...

thoughts?

thanks

brad

[CaymanLoversII]

Brad -

I use a Mag 3 in each of my two tanks, one 50 and one 70 gallons. I took a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe, cut it about 6" shorter than the length of the tank and then randomly drilled 3/8" holes about 1.5 - 2" apart the length of the pipe. I attached the pipe to the pump output and put the foam filter on the pump inlet. Place the spray bar on top of the sand in the back of the tank and direct the holes up. This gets a good flow going that moves the water up the back of the tank, across the top of the water and back down the front, etc.

Good luck.

[MikeP]

CaymanLoversII is that the only thing you use for cirulation?? I have a 29 where the pump is circulting alot of water I think it is a rio 800 or bigger. I may just do that to my tank.

[Allyson]

I was thinking of going that route as well. I don't think the one power head I have is going to cut it (I think there may be a dead spot on the other end) and with the tank size (30 gal) I don't want to clutter it with 2 of them. Should I use an external pump or can I just hook up the spray bar to the powerhead in my sump?

Allyson

[thebigblue]

thanks cayman,

sounds like a good idea...

allyson,

i think it would work great in your size tank...when i had my 30 and 45 gals i used a large powerhead as my return pump for years and it worked great!...no use spendin a ton of money on a new pump if you have the powerhead

brad

[pbrown]

Here is what I plan on doing for my 29G to keep the power heads to a minimum. Follow closely, this get's confusing.

1) Pump Take a Mag 7 and mount it to the rear of the tank up high with the input facing the tank. Attach 1/2" PVC with a 90 degree elbow to get water from the top of the tank. Attach a 1/2" input screen.

2) Oscilator From the Mag 7 output, plumb some 1/2" PVC to a pair of Ocean Currents Oscilator(100 degree sweep). Mount one oscilator to the top left rear of the tank with a 45 degree vertical fan nozzle.

3) Rotating Spray Bar Mount the other Oscilator horizontally at the bottom left of the tank at the rear. Remove the factory nozzle and attach a length of 1/2" PVC to the Sweeper's output and drill holes. Cap the end.

I think this will provide most of the water movement the tank will need. I'll fill in with some MJ1200s. The Ocean Current products require about 400GPH to operate but they told me the oscilator can use a bit less.

I have the parts on order and will let you know how it works when I get back from Xmas with the family.

[mojoreef]

I dont know how far along you are but Here is what I did.-The rock is sitting on a PVc (1/2) rack which I drilled with many holes on the top side. I have attached this rack to a 1200 mag pump. ( what this does is circulates the water from the base of the rock upwards so that the debris that goes to settle on the bottom is put back into the flow of the built in returns and gets it out of the tank)

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hi! I used the PVC piping in my 72 gallon bow front and put the pump in the middle of the reef and had it almost the length of the rock formation with holes drilled every half inch pointing up and it pushed the water up and through the LR.
In my 80 gallon reef tank I have 2 RIO 2100 pumps(one in each corner in the back) pointing toward the front and with extensions on the pump pointed so it makes the water quite turbulent on top and keeps a steady flow of water on the substrate so any food moves around and up and eventually out of the tank. Johnny

[ThePhantom]

interesting discusssion but has anyone come up with this problem trying to use this system.

I drilled holes thru the pvc pipe a few of them and connect it to a eheim 1060 ... 2200 l /ph pump but find when the pump is switched on that the spray gives off alot of tiny bubbles which clouds the tank. What am i doing wrong ? Is it too high pressure or do i need to drill larger holes ??? or even is it too few holes ??

Another question with regards to the above ... well and good we trying to lift the excess food ,what have you as well as elminate create dead spots ... but won't this is turn somewhat be starving the live sand and critters ????