# Fluval fx5 too much for a high tech 200l?



## scapegoat (4 Nov 2012)

Hi I've been researching into setting up a new tank and this forum had helped me a great deal so I thought it was only right I sign up and get involved. 

I'm looking at purchasing the All ponds Solution 200l tank to set up as a heavily planted tank, I can see the built in filter isn't going to be up to the challenge so I'm going to take it out and use an external (possibly alongside the pump that feeds the built in filter). Now the thing is I already have a fluval fx5 sitting around not being used so the decision i'm facing is whether to sell it and buy a slightly smaller filter or keep the fx5 and downsize the piping on the outflow to 16mm so I can attach an inline heater and co2 atomiser thus slightly reducing the flow to hopefully end up with the 10x flow rate suggested. This will then be run to a spraybar running the length of the tank.

So do you think a fx5 is just to powerful for a 200l?

Also if I was to downsize on the filter slightly, would adding the internal pump disrupt the pattern of the flow produced by the spraybar?

Thanks Jacob


----------



## hudsonpd (4 Nov 2012)

Hi,

I've got a FX5 on my 200l and its fine. The flow is a bit powerful from the outlet but if you can fit onto a spraybar then it will spread the flow around more evenly. I am thinking about making a DIY spray bar to fit.

I have already adapted my own piping to fit an inline atomiser. I used a 'y' junction to split the flow into two pipes, one running the atmoised and then used a further 'y' fitting to bring the tubes back together and fit back into the original FX5 piping and then out using the standard outlet supplied.

Paul


----------



## scapegoat (4 Nov 2012)

Thanks Paul, thats good to hear. Do you mind if ask where you got the y splitter? I've been hunting around for various fittings to make this happen but haven't had the best of luck so far


----------



## hudsonpd (4 Nov 2012)

I found it online after ages and ages searching for the right fittings I found the 'Y' fitting on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0259630019

I used Eheim hosing to fit onto this and then used a reducer on one side to reduce to a smaller dia Eheim tubing. Unfortunately I can't seem to find the reducer I bought from the website. Pretty sure it was this website http://www.irrigationuk.com but I can't find the reduce listed anymore. 

Hope this helps!
Paul


----------



## hudsonpd (4 Nov 2012)

BTW - you haven't made a spray bar have you?

That's what I'm trying to do now!


----------



## scapegoat (4 Nov 2012)

Ah great, thats a step forward! I think I'll try the pond section in my local Maidenhead aquatics for the downsizer.

I haven't made a spray bar but I'm certainly planning on it, hopefully going to use acrylic for the main tube then what ever I can find to connect it to the tubing, I'll post on here any parts I find that could be useful


----------



## Spikey-Mike (4 Nov 2012)

Hi,

That's exactly what I did. I got the 25mm 'Y' splitters off Ebay, but it was a one off auction. They do sell a 'T' version them in my LFS though along with the reducers etc. Try to do the split before reducing the pipe size to maximise flow and then you can always reduce it using the tap on the FX5 output....

It's also worth mentioning that whist the input pipe to the filter is straight down from the tank with no deviations, the output pipe goes upwards and then down to the floor level to the splitter. I could find no other way to get all the hardware in the cabinet!

Here are some pics of the untidy arangement...









Regards, Mike.


----------



## foxfish (4 Nov 2012)

That looks just about as good a DIY job as you can get - nice one mate.
Ts will not work as well as a Ys as the straight line flow will be stronger than the T fed branch off.


----------



## scapegoat (4 Nov 2012)

Ah thats spot on nice one i'll be referring back to that as I biuld, what kind of outlet do you use for it?


----------



## Spikey-Mike (8 Nov 2012)

Sorry for the delay in replying - I've been away working 



> That looks just about as good a DIY job as you can get - nice one mate.
> Ts will not work as well as a Ys as the straight line flow will be stronger than the T fed branch off.



Well thanks very much  Yes, I waited for a few weeks or so before eventually finding the 'Y' pieces on Ebay at a sensible price. My gut instinct told me that 'T's would give more resitance...



> Ah thats spot on nice one i'll be referring back to that as I biuld, what kind of outlet do you use for it?


The inlet is the standard Fluval inlet with a 25mm clear acrylic tube which bends over the top of the tank and is less intrusive than the grey Fluval one. The ugly lump of the inlet filter is hidden behind some swords. The outlet is a spray bar made from the same 25mm acrylic tube. Bending that size of tube was very dificult (probably due to the diameter as compared to the wall thinkness of 2mm) and I had a few goes at it. I intend to re-do it at some stage as there is an unsightly kink in the spray bar and I wasn't too happy with it but had run out of tube.

The greyish 25mm flexible pipe then connects all the big diameter stuff up and 20mm flexible pipe connects the small stuff up. I spent a lot on jubilee clips, but they are a much better bet than the plastic screewy things that come with the heater and diffuser.

Regards, Mike.


----------



## hudsonpd (12 Nov 2012)

Mike,
I have just read your reply after posting a question the DIY forum just now!
Can you talk me through your spray bar set up? The rest of your set up sounds very similar to mine!

I also have an FX5 with an UP atomiser fitted using a similar approach to yours. I'm not trying to make a spary bar!

Can you list me the parts you used? And also how you fitted it together? Any photos would be great too!

Do I take it that you bought acrylic tubing and then bent this when warm? What was the I/D diameter of the tube you got and how did you heat and bend it?! How did you join this to to FX5 hosing? And what did you use as an end cap? Finally, where did you get your suckers from for the bar?!

Sorry for all the questions! Hope you can help!

thanks
Paul


----------



## Lindy (13 Nov 2012)

London dragon has a detailed account of making acrylic lily pipes on his journal 259l bookcase tank journal.


----------



## Spikey-Mike (13 Nov 2012)

Hi,



> Can you list me the parts you used?


It's a long list.... There are 2x one inch 'Y' pieces, 4 x one inch to 20mm reducers, the heater and diffuser.
The heater and diffuser connect together with 20mm i/d smooth wall flexible plastic pipe. The arrangment is as in the picture above. What I didn't say above, but would say it, is that the fluval filters let themselves down with the flexible pipes they supply. They are c**p becasue they are difficult to connect to and also becasue they fur up with mulm very easily, reducing flow. I think this has been mentioned on this forum before. I have used smooth wall flexible plastic pipe of i/d 25mm. This mates to the fluval fx5 taps with no problem* and also to the clear acrylic tube I used for the spray bar which was 25mm o/d and 2mm wall thickness purchased from http://clearplastictube.co.uk/. *When fitting the pipe onto all the fittings copious amounts of boiling water* was used to soften it up and make it go on easily. Every joint has a jubliee clip. *Caution boiling water can scald especially when hot. 



> Do I take it that you bought acrylic tubing and then bent this when warm?


Yes the spray bar and intake tubes were made by heating up the tube with a hot air gun and then bending. You have to use something inside to stop it buckling. Homemade lily pipes and spray bars feature in a few excelent threads in the forum.



> And what did you use as an end cap?


I heated the end up and then squashed it together. When I came to clean it for the first time I realised this was a mistake and cut the 'crimped' end off and used a bit of the 25mm pipe to join the bits together without jubilees as this is under water.



> Finally, where did you get your suckers from for the bar?!


I have used standard black suckers   and have had to heat up and bend the clip bits to amke the tubes fit. This is unsatisfactoy as it looks poor but I am still looking for a solution to this. Clear plastic suckers, obviously, but the clips? I don't know yet.

Rgs, Mike.


----------



## hudsonpd (18 Nov 2012)

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your pointers. I managed to make and set up a spray bar this weekend and I even managed to find some nifty sucker clips - they are clear plastic and can be made to fit different sizes of tubes. I'll try and get some pics for you if you want.

By the way, how big is your tank? And how many holes and at what diameter have you got? And do you find you need to use more CO2 because of the water movement? In the last 24 hours my drop checker hasn't got to the same colour as it used to before the spray bar

Paul


----------



## Spikey-Mike (18 Nov 2012)

No worries, Paul.

My tank is 36" x 18" x 18" so roughly 180l. The spray bar is most of the way along the back so is about 28" long leaving room to get the intake and outflow pipes in.... There are 24 holes each of 4.5mm diameter. I originally drilled them 3mm diameter, but the flow round the tank was ridiculous! I kept making them bigger till I got a sensible result. i.e. the plants 'blowing in the breeze'.

Does the water surface get broken up by the flow action? In my tank the surface is just smoothly rippling with no splashes. Splashes will off gas the CO2.

It would be good to see a pic of the succy clips and a source if you have it....

Regards, Mike.


----------



## hudsonpd (18 Nov 2012)

Thanks Mike. I will try and work out how to get the pics into the board! Not cracked that one yet!

Your tank is just a tad smaller than mine (1m) so useful to know you had ridiculous flow too! I have just altered the outlet on the FX5 to reduce the flow a little for now. I guess I might make a 2nd bar sometime. I might need to do that anyway if the CO2 doesn't recoved tomorrow!


----------



## hudsonpd (18 Nov 2012)

Mike, here is the pic. Not sure if you can see, but it has little notches along it so you can adjust for the size of pipe. It's kind of like a rubber ring that wraps around the pipe. Does that make sense? Found it in a fish shop, not all that local but Reef & River in Morecambe! Its not my favourite shope but turned out to be an alladin's cave of bits and bobs!


----------

