Something new I tried this weekend - Please leave your comments

Hi All

After a couple of weekends with great frustration regarding my air curtain and airline running at the back of my tank always popping up thru the gravel while I do my gravel vac or my clown loaches having a party and throwing the gravel keeping it down all over the place.

I went to a hardware store and bought some 40mm pvc pipe with 45degree bents. I took my measurement and cut everything to size, bore a lot of holes on the top and washed everything well and then inserted my aircurtain and air tubing inside the pvc pipe and bents.

Must say it is much easier to keep it down as it sinks by itself and it not such a mission covering it up again as it is one solid piece.

Here are some pictures after I installed it.


What do you guys/girls think?

Thanks

 

Does the job. Perhaps too many holes and the holes too big?

Worried about your species combination though.

 

Nice. Does it not change the bubbles to be larger than with just the bubble curtain uncovered?

 

Why? Discuss went back home this morning, Friend asked me to keep it for him as he was busy adding a brace to his tank last night.

 

ColdCat in some places it is a big bigger but nothing major, didn't want to make the holes to small because then the pipe would just fill up with air and lift up anyway?

 

Holes do look big, very big in fact. If you head back to the method of your airline at the back, thread it through an M16 stainless steel nut or two to weight it down. Ask for a 316 nut though. The 304 stainless nuts will say A2-70 typically. The 316 stainless will have the code A4-80. You see this on the nut, or the top of bolt heads. You pay more. But what's the difference between a R3 nut and a R6 nut? Not much. The extra 2% molybdenum in the 316 helps with your corrosion protection. That's what I'd do.

 

I would make more holes then and make them bigger so the small bubbles pass unaffected. It's a great idea. I might do something like that as I using rocks to hold my curtain down and it's annoying cause I want it in a different location.

 

LOL I think I'm understanding this different to the other guys here.
@iamdieter @AdrianT With the airstone running in the pipe the pipe isn't responsible for the bubble sizes, so making the holes bigger and more of them would let the bubble curtain (with small bubbles) pass easier surely.... ?

 

Haha thanks for all the input, seems my idea was not that good then? Back to drawing board I go. Haha

 

I disagree, I think it's pretty decent idea. Now least you an have it well secured.

 

I am with @Coldcat on this one @HvNDhF: If it works it works, it is your idea so run with it.

 

Sorry to be frank, but, I feel that it is not a pretty sight!!! Now it almost becomes like a dominant feature in your tank. So many guys often make the mistake where the hardware is too visible, and your eyes are immediately drawn to whatever it is instead of the hardware being there but disguised so as almost not to be seen.

 

Aaah ok, got it now. With the air curtain inside, this good. Agree then, more holes and bigger holes.

 

Good idea. Just put finer grade of substrate to cover the pipe and that will break up that bubbles more.

 

I'm sure his intention is to cover it up, and was exposed to show it in the photo.

 

I like the idea. It is sound and workable You could maybe just make more and smaller holes at different angles to the larger ones and then put the pipe under the gravel as you intend and it should work just fine.

Regards:
Shaun

 

Thanks all will put more holes at different angles is.
@eros111 the pvc is covered with the substrate so you can't even see one bit of the white pipe, I just took the photos after I inserted it to the tank.

 

I like any and all DIY project and thanks for sharing. A few more holes on top should reduce the bubble interaction which makes them larger that normal from your bubble curtain, but if you cover the entire pipe then the effect might only be very little to adding more holes as the gravel will also change the bubble shape and size.

It the pipe was on top I would just have added silicone to the surface and stick the gravel to that to ensure that is blends in with the surroundings, but since you have enough gravel there is no need for this. Well done!