# Spray bar Angle



## Sacha (6 Jan 2014)

I have been struggling with this one for a while now, and want to sort it out once and for all. 

I inject co2 on my 125L via an inline diffuser which is attached to a 1400 lph external canister filter. 

In addition to this I also have a Juwel internal 1000 lph. The output of this one is facing downwards and backwards, so the flow is hitting the back glass of the tank. 

The spray bar is angled downwards at approximately 45 degrees, pointing towards the lower half of the front glass. 

I am concerned I have a lack of co2 low down, at substrate level. 

How can I optimise my spray bar position to ensure there is plenty of flow low down, and is there anything else I can do? 

I intend to try a Glosso carpet soon. 

Thanks.


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## Simon jones (6 Jan 2014)

Aim both at the front. That way the current flows down the front and over the substrate.


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## darren636 (6 Jan 2014)

A nice 20 degree angle works for me


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## Sacha (6 Jan 2014)

Simon, the reason I don't aim the internal towards the front is because the current is way too strong for the fish that way. If it hits the back glass first then the power is dispersed before it flows around the tank. 

Darren, do you get the co2 down low enough with a 20 degree angle? Do you grow carpeting plants?


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## darren636 (6 Jan 2014)

Sacha said:


> Simon, the reason I don't aim the internal towards the front is because the current is way too strong for the fish that way. If it hits the back glass first then the power is dispersed before it flows around the tank.
> 
> Darren, do you get the co2 down low enough with a 20 degree angle? Do you grow carpeting plants?


  it worked for me in my jungle, but I never had carpets except  E.tennellus. Which was uncontrollable.


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## Sacha (6 Jan 2014)

So the flow hits the front glass at a slight angle, then rolls down the front glass, and rolls backwards along the substrate, right?


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## darren636 (6 Jan 2014)

Sacha said:


> So the flow hits the front glass at a slight angle, then rolls down the front glass, and rolls backwards along the substrate, right?


 If the flow is strong enough yes. Even now, with a low flow filter ( 5x turnover) all plants are gently waving.


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## Sacha (6 Jan 2014)

Ok, last question I promise- I just want to get this right! 

Did you experiment with the spray bar angled further downwards? Like at 45 degrees? If so, what made you choose a 20 degree angle in favour of aiming it lower?


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## darren636 (6 Jan 2014)

I went with a shallow angle in order to promote some surface movement.  Although I never experimented - mainly because of my balansae would have robbed all the flow .


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## Lee Sweeting (6 Jan 2014)

Sacha, my spraybar runs parallel to the surface of the water. If the current is to strong for your fish, you could just make the holes in the spray slightly larger, which will reduce the current.


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## Sacha (6 Jan 2014)

Sorry, I wasn't clear. 


The current of the spray bar is not too strong. It's the current from the INTERNAL Juwel filter pump that is too powerful, which is why it is pointed at the back wall.


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## ian_m (6 Jan 2014)

Don't what ever you do point your spray bar upwards. There are horror stories, on here, of people coming back from holiday, water evaporated exposing the spray bar spray bar and emptying their tank onto the floor !!!!


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## dw1305 (6 Jan 2014)

Hi all,





ian_m said:


> Don't what ever you do point your spray bar upwards. There are horror stories, on here, of people coming back from holiday, water evaporated exposing the spray bar spray bar and emptying their tank onto the floor !!!!


 Did that in the lab. tank, came back to find a very large puddle, crispy plants and only about 2" of extremely dirty water in the tank. Fortunately it didn't burn out the filter (Eheim 2211), the fish survived, and I'd mainly cleaned up before the lab. technician caught me.

cheers Darrel


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## BigTom (6 Jan 2014)

ian_m said:


> Don't what ever you do point your spray bar upwards. There are horror stories, on here, of people coming back from holiday, water evaporated exposing the spray bar spray bar and emptying their tank onto the floor !!!!


 

Did that over Christmas 

Luckily with a 3' deep tank only a small proportion of the water was jetting far enough to escape, but I still lost something like 40 litres. Really hope it mainly evaporated after exiting the tank and isn't all sitting on downstairs' ceiling


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## Simon jones (7 Jan 2014)

I gave up in the end with the Juwel internal filter. Which ever way i pointed it, the flow was either too strong and localised or sweeping the background plants to a 45 degree angle. I also wanted to free up more space in my Rio 180. I have a JBL Cristalprofi e1500 which coupled with a Hydor 1.6 circulation pump, give a perfect amount of flow. I tilted my spray bar at a slight angle, until whilst during a water change I transformed the room into a white water experience. Ah well, all good fun!


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## Dan walton (17 Jan 2014)

I have a co2 in tank reactor filtered water in the top plus co2 out of a spray bar which is positioned aprox 35mm above the hc carpet I'm growing but I run this on a 700 litre per hour external filter so no massive currents to contend with I also run a 1000 lph external filter with a full length spray aimed slightly up hill to give a little surface movement it's works very well on my 180 litre tank


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