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DIY Spraybar for Eheim Tubing

Coys

Member
Joined
28 Oct 2015
Messages
160
Location
Basildon, Essex, UK
I'd like to obtain some clear acrylic tubing the same diameter as the Eheim rigid tube/spraybar so I can connect it to standard Eheim flexible tubing (16/22mm), but as far as I can see that needs to have an OD of 17mm (Eheim rigid tubing is 14/17mm) and all three of the tubing suppliers I've found in links here only sell 16 or 18mm OD.

Will the Eheim flexible tubing stretch over the 18mm or am I missing something?
 
Right, now that I've got a plan for the spraybars, onto the more difficult bit...

I'm going to need two of these running parallel to each other along the back; one in 18mm tube for the Eheim Pro and one in 20mm tube for an Eheim Compact+ 3000 powerhead and I'd like an elegant solution for connecting to the filter and the pump.

The powerhead pump will (probably) be mounted inside the aquarium close to the back wall so it should be relatively easy to connect it to the spraybar with a piece of Eheim flexible tubing (unless there is a better solution). The connection to the filter is more difficult though in that it will need a couple of 90 degree bends to get through the hood at the rear and close to the back wall (at present I'm using one of the Eheim installation sets, which comes with a couple of elbows).

I can see three solutions of varying simplicity and ugliness:

(1) A series of green Eheim elbow (not quite 90 degree) connectors held together with Eheim green flexible tubing. Simple, but fairly ugly.
(2) More of a question than a solution: can Eheim flexible tubing be permanently bent with (hairdryer?) heat? If so, this would probably be slightly more elegant than (1)
(3) Do what greenink demonstrated here about three years ago: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/259l-bookcase-rebirth.19287/page-3 . I assume that PVC and acrylic are the same thing? (the link seems to indicate so). This is clearly the most elegant, but also the most difficult and I suspect that I would have to purchase at least one additional length of each size tube to allow for mistakes.

Any comments, suggestions or other ideas?
 
Hi Coys,

1 as you said ugly:yuck:

2 yes so long as you find something flexible to fit in side the bore of the tubing .See below

3 This is the best method :cool: You do not need the bending spring.There is now a flexible """" rubber ???""" thing that fits into the tubing ?? Will have to ask Manu what it is.

Manu made his inflow pipes They look stunning :cool::cool:
 
Thanks GF2.

Manu, any pics of your inflow pipes and any other tips? What about this rubber thing instead of pipe bending spring?

Cheers,
Coys (Steve).
 
Manu,
Thanks for the video link; just viewed it and it looks relatively simple. It looks like the largest available silicone tube is 12-13mm. Is that OK for the 14/18mm acrylic? What about the 16/20?

Looking forward to seeing some pics of your finished tubes too.

Steve.
 
Manu,
Thanks for the video link; just viewed it and it looks relatively simple. It looks like the largest available silicone tube is 12-13mm. Is that OK for the 14/18mm acrylic? What about the 16/20?

Looking forward to seeing some pics of your finished tubes too.

Steve.

Hi Steve,
The best seems to be silicone cord, something like that:
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=221819561761&alt=web

This is 13mm but 12mm would do as well. :)

What do you mean with: "what about 16/20?"
I'll send some pictures tomorrow :)

Let me know if you need more help.
Cheers,
Manu
 
What do you mean with: "what about 16/20?"

I'll probably need to bend some 16/20 tube for the outlet from the Eheim Compact+ 3000 pump (which takes Eheim 19/27 tubing) I plan to install to increase the water movement. If that's not so easy I'll just have to use the green Eheim flexible stuff.
 
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