I've looked all over for something to slow or diffuse the waterfall coming from my Penguin filter and I just saw several references to spray bars, but no real good explanation of them, let alone how they install or if they look terrible in the tank. It seems as they are for diffusing the current and/or creating more disturbance. My Penguins cause a tsunami in my tanks and I'm about to get some fish who won't appreciate it. Anyone know about this?
More fins to ya'
Z
Anyone know about spray bars?
7 posts
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
Um, well. I didn't know what a spraybar was until I got a Rena Filstar XP1 for my new 30gal. Apparently its a form of return for any sort of -piped- water return, therefore I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work with a HOB filter, unless you could find some way to funnel it into the bar just above the surface, cause without it being piped if you had it submersed all the water would just flow out around it anyway instead of being sprayed through.
As far as looking terrible, being jet black it really didn't.
When I -had- it installed (I prefer the jet return with venturi) I could either bring it up near the surface of the water and make it actually spray up out of the water (through the 8-12 holes) creating all kinds of aeration as the water 'rained' back in, but being an open top it was hard to control where the bubbles went. Many landed on the lamp I have hanging over the tank, hence the switch to the jet return - I've heard bad things about water/electricity...probly just heresay lol ----- or I could point it toward the front where it created all kinds of circulation causing all the crap on the substrate to move to the filter intake.
It seems nice enough, but I don't think it will be applicable to your needs without a filter 'upgrade', sorry.
Anyone feel free to chime in if I'm wrong, I'm still a filter nub.
You could just raise the water level to a point where its level with the lip of your HOB return. I think I read somewhere where someone had advised you against this, I'm really not sure why. It's how I run all my HOB's --- but I also supplement oxygen under these conditions.
As far as looking terrible, being jet black it really didn't.
When I -had- it installed (I prefer the jet return with venturi) I could either bring it up near the surface of the water and make it actually spray up out of the water (through the 8-12 holes) creating all kinds of aeration as the water 'rained' back in, but being an open top it was hard to control where the bubbles went. Many landed on the lamp I have hanging over the tank, hence the switch to the jet return - I've heard bad things about water/electricity...probly just heresay lol ----- or I could point it toward the front where it created all kinds of circulation causing all the crap on the substrate to move to the filter intake.
It seems nice enough, but I don't think it will be applicable to your needs without a filter 'upgrade', sorry.
Anyone feel free to chime in if I'm wrong, I'm still a filter nub.
You could just raise the water level to a point where its level with the lip of your HOB return. I think I read somewhere where someone had advised you against this, I'm really not sure why. It's how I run all my HOB's --- but I also supplement oxygen under these conditions.
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spongebob4460 - Posts: 603
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am
the lower sized penguins don't have a spray bar. Zambize, try to bring the water level up past the outflow outlet of your filter... i bring mine up to the bottom of the other outflow tube to the right, where the extra water from the holding area spills out from. This is about a quarter inch, if that, above my outflow ramp. This cuts out all the noise, and I also turn the venturi's on full to keep the water very well aerated. Once my water level drops from evaporation and I get a waterfall effect, I lower my venturi's since i don't need the extra aeration.
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Zambize4899 - Posts: 499
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am
I do keep the water level about even with the outflow, mostly to reduce tne noise that the rest of the house is opposed to. Once I taped a piece of upturned plastic to the water return. That helped a little.
I'm thinking of getting two Gourami and I'm fairly certain that my category 5 rapids will upset them. I've got a 37 gallon tank with a Penguin 200 and a Penguin 150 so I'm way over-filtering....but it pains me to remove any filtration.
I did see an Aqueon filter that has an adjustable flow so maybe that's an option. I sure do like my biowheel though. Ahhhh, problems, any reason to focus more on my tank. :)
Zambize
I'm thinking of getting two Gourami and I'm fairly certain that my category 5 rapids will upset them. I've got a 37 gallon tank with a Penguin 200 and a Penguin 150 so I'm way over-filtering....but it pains me to remove any filtration.
I did see an Aqueon filter that has an adjustable flow so maybe that's an option. I sure do like my biowheel though. Ahhhh, problems, any reason to focus more on my tank. :)
Zambize
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spraky1413 - Posts: 66
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 11:47 pm
I think my gourami actually likes the current of the outflow. He will swim directly under it and swim against the current. He does this alot. Maybe he thinks he needs to lose weight...
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
The gouramis should be fine as long as they can find dead spots to rest in, and there should be several in a 37 gal even with that much filtration. :)