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External filter & spraybar

ive ended up getting a copper reducer pipe from b&q, it fits my 22mm aps tubing and reduces it to 15mm, the tubing is really tight but to be on the safe side ive thrown on jubilee clips. and i have purchased a new 16mm spraybar and tubing to attach to the other side of the heater. i am aware this will reduce my flow rate a little but because of the large diameter of the aps spraybar circulation in the tank was poor. im hoping that because ive reduced the diameter of the pipe i will have increased pressure, thus increasing circulation albeit at the cost of a little flowrate.
 
So sorry, this is incorrect. Pressure will be decreased substantially and mass flow rate will fall by a whopping 53.512%. Velocity will increase, but the flow penalty cannot be compensated for by this. If your filter output has a 22mm ID you should keep it that way throughout. It's the mass flow rate that does the job, not the velocity.

Cheers,
 
thanks, its nice to have the technical bits. i appear to be back at square 1 then. but even if i use the original spraybar, the outcome would still be the same as if i used the 16mm one as at one point the flow would need to be reduced to 16mm to fit through the hydor. am i correct in believing that? ........
 
Re: External filter & spraybar

Yes, but by splitting them off into 2 x 16mm pipes with a Y splitter and running one through the Hydor and the other just pipe, and back to a Y splitter and back to your original hose size mate :)
 
Re: External filter & spraybar

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Hope this helps.
 
thanks for everything guys! i could not find the y pieces but have found copper 'T' pieces that i can do it with. i also have the 16mm spraybar and hose that i ordered anyway. however upon inspection, it appears that the spraybar provided for my aps filter is actually 'chocked' at one point..... seems to me thats its actually snmaller than 16mm!! whereas the spraybar i ordered for the 16mm pipe, is better built and is actually wider!!! so my question is this, what spraybar would be better? would it still be better using the 22mm pipe and splitting it to 16mm for the hydor, even though its restricted at the spraybar or would i just be better off fitting the 16mm pipe and new spraybar after the hydor?

i have included a pic below

135884_10151323356193623_1922891500_o.jpg
 
Dont use copper mate, you will NEVER be able to put any shrimp in if you do. Its an invertebrate killer.
 
krazypara3165 said:
Ahhhhhh cheers for that, I just assumed copper pipe would be ok seeing as the house is supplied via copper pipe and thats what I use to fill the aquarium. Either way im not planning on having invertebrats anyway.

So does anyone know what spraybar would be better?
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Thats a good point actually, I was going by what someone else told me. But as most water comes via copper piping I wonder how that works ? You are not even thinking of having Amano shrimp ? The best algae crew (combined with otocinclus) going ? :woot: HERESY ! hehehe 8)
 
well i havnt excluded them totally, i have them in my 20l fluval edge but to be honest i only have three and im sick of looking for their shells once theve shedded. i dread to think what theyd be like looking for in a 200l. i have also read that discus like chowing down on shrimp and im planning on getting 2 discus in a few months.....
 
krazypara3165 said:
well i havnt excluded them totally, i have them in my 20l fluval edge but to be honest i only have three and im sick of looking for their shells once theve shedded. i dread to think what theyd be like looking for in a 200l. i have also read that discus like chowing down on shrimp and im planning on getting 2 discus in a few months.....
Click to expand...

Just suck em up when you do a water change. You dont need to search for sheds daily. If I see one I take it out oherwise it happens when I do a water change. If I miss one I dont worry.
 
what about discus eating them? i dont want to throw in 3 rcs (that ive actually managed to kep alive for a year only to have the discus wipe them out lol)

for reference on the spraybar, ive installed the smaller tetratec spraybar and it seems to be pretty good, however i will be draining the tank once again to finish off the aquascaping and planting. when i do that i will do a test with both spraybars to see how long they both take to fill a 10l bucket :)
 
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