Spraybar on Maxijets ?

[Agu]

Has anyone put a spray bar on a maxijet powerhead? I'd like to create circulation over some dead spots in my tank and a spraybar would do the job without kicking up a bunch of the substrate. If you've done this, what size tubing, where did you get it, and how did it work? (guess I should have asked the last question first)

tia
Agu

[LowMax]

Agu

I have not used one for a spraybar but it sounds like a good idea (I may borrow it). I have used 1/2" CPVC pipe (the cream colored stuff) with a MJ1200. The CPVC will fit nicely in the suction nozzle and with some minor reaming of the pipe ID will also fit around the discharge nozzle. This is the arrangement I use for a mixing pump on my Kalk Reactor. I glued the pipe to the nozzles with Weld-On #16. So far, everything has held up well. HTH

[Agu]

Well I did it.1/2" pvc cut a 3/4" long slot in the end of the pvc with a hacksaw and slid it over the outlet of a maxijet. Capped the other end and drilled four 3/16 holes in the pvc and plugged it in. Moved way too much water/sand. Back to the shop and drilled three more holes. Works great, moves a lot of water without kicking up a sandstorm.

Agu

[LowMax]

Agu

Great idea on the slot - did not need to be water tight like my application. What size MJ are you running so I can guage the 7 - 3/16" holes you drilled for flow. TIA

[Jade]

Great Idea Agu!! That gives me an idea for using your spraybar. Hook this up, and have the spraybar behind your live rock shooting the water through the rock. I think I'll give it a try. :D:D

[Agu]

I'm using a mj 1200. After a day noticed it rattles a little bit when the wavemaker kicks it on. With constant flow it should be really quiet. I'll probably put it on constant on mode.

Agu

[Agu]

Solved the rattle when it comes on. The spraybar is parallel to the glass and when it kicks on it bounces against the glass a couple of times. Ran a cable tie through a hole in the top of a suction cup(took a couple of tries), attached the suction cup to the end of the spraybar, and suctioned the spraybar to the glass. Probably also helps stabilize the powerhead so it doesn't come loose from the weight of the spraybar.

Agu

[Doug]

Hi Agu,

Great Idea!

Let me know what you think about a little mod to your idea. Could you cut a lenght of PVC almost as long as the tank and put a maxijet each end of the PVC and then suction the MJ's to the glass? This would give you a spraybar the whole length of the tank and really make sure that there are not dead spots behind the rockwork.

Just a thought.

Doug

[Doug]

[arc]

[Agu]

Doug,
I'd wonder about creating backpressure if you had two powerheads pushing water at each other. Seems to me a larger ph or dual spraybars would make more sense, esp if they were hooked up to wavemakers.

Agu

[Dwayne]

Little different than powerhead spraybars, but I use dual vertical spraybars on a Mag12.

The spraybars are in each back corner. I drilled the holes to shoot water behind the rocks and out the front.

I use two powerheads for extra surface aggitation and cross current action.

FWIW

Dwayne

[Agu]

version 1.3

Drilled the holes to spray various areas, some straight out through holes in the rockwork, some on the sandbed, and some up to break the surface. Really improved the flow throughout the tank. At $2.50 for ten feet of pvc it's really cheap to experiment for the best flow. Hint, don't glue on the endcap until you're happy with the flow, you can keep putting it on new versions until you get it right.

Agu