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Spray Bar holes - Making them bigger

durtydurty

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Joined
18 Apr 2008
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Staring at my Galaxies in Wilts
My spray bar holes are always getting clogged up with brown gunk and was wondering if drilling the holes bigger would solve this and whether it would have any detrimental effect's on my set up.

Thanks :)
 
durtydurty said:
My spray bar holes are always getting clogged up with brown gunk and was wondering if drilling the holes bigger would solve this and whether it would have any detrimental effect's on my set up.

Thanks :)

yes itll work fine, but it will decrease the ferocity of the flow through them obviously. I also drill downward facing holes to send some flow down the back of the tank.. this can help reduce dead spots directly under the bar.
 
Matt Holbrook-Bull said:
I also drill downward facing holes to send some flow down the back of the tank.. this can help reduce dead spots directly under the bar.

That is an interesting idea :idea: I will remember that for possible future use myself :)

Hi Durty,
If you have a lot of gunk then maybe this is saying something... maybe simpler just give all your pipes a good clean!
I'm not meaning to criticise, just offering another angle in case that helps you.

When I see dirt on my substrate I know to clean my filter foam. When I see cloudy water I know it is time to clean the fine filter floss. I'm not one for test kits or measurements, much prefer using those kinds of signs where I can.
 
a1Matt said:
Matt Holbrook-Bull said:
I also drill downward facing holes to send some flow down the back of the tank.. this can help reduce dead spots directly under the bar.

That is an interesting idea :idea: I will remember that for possible future use myself :)

Hi Durty,
If you have a lot of gunk then maybe this is saying something... maybe simpler just give all your pipes a good clean!
I'm not meaning to criticise, just offering another angle in case that helps you.

When I see dirt on my substrate I know to clean my filter foam. When I see cloudy water I know it is time to clean the fine filter floss. I'm not one for test kits or measurements, much prefer using those kinds of signs where I can.

Hi Matt,

I cleaned them out a few weeks ago but it does build up quickly and some of holes get blocked and cause poor circulation.

I am planning to have a good clean over the weekend.

Thanks for the tip though.
 
hi all

related question

i have a side mounted spraybar and was wondering about drilling directional holes
my filter is 900lph (tested) and the current holes are about 3-4 times the size of a tetratec bar holes
to reduce velocity but still pushes a lot of water well
but i have dead spots (150l tank)

I cant install another external for several reasons and cant mount the bars along the length.
Like everyone i want less equipment in the tank
I was going to get a koralia but seeing as i have a fresh tetratec bar with small holes
I may try the directional idea

it currently is mounted under the water pointing upwards at the surface
spraybar.jpg


thanks
 
thanks steve

the water makes the far end no bother
but i would be doubtful that its getting far enough along the substrate
if you know what i mean, there are tall stems that move around a lot
but at the base of them is fairly dead with bits of bba and poor growing low plants
(although uneaten surface flake is driven down to the substrate fairly hard)

perhaps the stems are just killing the flow

i thought i had ample movement as i have tried lots of things
but i suppose a dead spot speaks for itself

heres the current story (this tank is 100l, new one will be 150)
spraybar2.jpg
 
You could try a few things maybe. I knocked this up before reading your post correctly (re the stems) but it may work:

Flow.png


You could re-arrange your sparybar to be on the left side, mirroring the abouve...

if you have your filter inlet under the spraybar, it should help to draw the water back, creating a rotation as such. I've positioned the diffuser opposite the spraybar so that the CO2 is pushed down by the water as it's deflected. If you look at many ADA style scapes, this is very common. I've actually positioned it badly, it would probably benefit from sitting a little higher.

It may work, but as you say, it depends on your planting etc.
 
cheers steve

i have tried that method but the majority of bubbles
got the surface way too fast, that mini filter has a glass difusser
in the body so its chomping up the bubbles from the diffuser further

this has boggled me for ages tbh

my mate has a tank where the diffusers bubbles just
go straight to the surface, yet he gets a green d/c and good growth
mine is strategically forcibly misted and pointed at the substrate
and stays in the water column a million times longer

I cant understand how how he keeps a good co2 level with it
hitting the surface so quick, i know he has a better spraybar
arrangement along the length of the tank, but the bubbles still hit the surface within a second
of being diffused

regards

4
 
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