# DIY HOB Spray Bar



## ponyrandy (Jan 13, 2007)

After switching from HOB filters to a cannister and making a DIY co2 reactor, I decided I wanted a spray bar to evenly distribute the co2 rich water evenly into the tank. A trip to the LFS got me an Eheim spray bar for $9.99 for a piece of thin plastic with holes drilled in it and Eheim written all over it. Wanting to make a T shaped spray bar I would need another one of these and some extra stuff to make it work. So instead, I decided to make my own, and this is what I came up with using 1/2" CPVC. One of the things I wanted to eliminate was the need for suction cup holders, so I made it so it would hang over the back of the tank and I put in 2 Tees on the backside to keep it stable. Picture 1 shows the completed spray bar. I hung it on the front of the tank in Picture 2 to show how the stabilizer legs worked. Picture 3 shows it in the tank, notice the increasing size of the holes. I added up the price of all of the parts and it came to $8.21.
Brian


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## JeremyAZ (Feb 16, 2007)

I did this a couple years ago. I found that the white pvc gets dingy looking fairly quickly.


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## Jman17H (Nov 9, 2006)

Do the 2 stabilizer pipes outside the tank have water flowing thru them or did you plug them off somehow?


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## plantkeeper (Apr 30, 2007)

i did something like this a while back. i agree with jeremey.


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## ponyrandy (Jan 13, 2007)

Jman17H said:


> Do the 2 stabilizer pipes outside the tank have water flowing thru them or did you plug them off somehow?


I just used regular tees, so they have water in them but since they are dead ends, it doesn't necesarily flow.
Brian


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## ponyrandy (Jan 13, 2007)

gmccreedy said:


> i did something like this a while back. i agree with jeremey.


I put it just below the water surface with the holes pointing downward, so you don't even see it unless you get down and look up into the back of the tank. I'm also thinking that the dingier it looks, the more it will disappear in the tank. 
Brian


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## JinxXx0085 (Jul 2, 2005)

It looks like a nifty idea. I would have liked to go with black PVC instead though. That would have cost a bit more than regular white ones.


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## ponyrandy (Jan 13, 2007)

Yeah, I would have preferred black also but couldn't find any. Someone also suggested on another thread to paint it with that new spray paint made for pvc. This was more of an experiment since I have never used a spray bar. I have to say though, it works great. 
Brian


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

pretty sweet. They make clear pvc pipes too but I'd imagine that'll get dingy too but eh....


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

mistergreen said:


> pretty sweet. They make clear pvc pipes too but I'd imagine that'll get dingy too but eh....


I once used clear acrylic for a spray bar. Big mistake! Because the inside of the bar was exposed to light it soon became covered with a form of algae, and that stuff would come off and plug the spray bar holes here and there. It quickly became very unsightly with brown and green goop inside. I'm convinced now that opaque spray bars are the only way to go.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

hoppycalif said:


> I once used clear acrylic for a spray bar. Big mistake! Because the inside of the bar was exposed to light it soon became covered with a form of algae, and that stuff would come off and plug the spray bar holes here and there. It quickly became very unsightly with brown and green goop inside. I'm convinced now that opaque spray bars are the only way to go.


good point. The clear pvc is 8x the price of a regular pvc anyways. I'd go black.. The white pvc is visually too distracting as well.


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## JinxXx0085 (Jul 2, 2005)

*Paint Spray for plastic and safe for fish*

I thought I'd share... I had a overflow box made for the 29g SW set up and it was painted black. It's been up and running for a month and fish are just fine with it.
I plan on painting my PVC for one of my FW 20L project tank. The spray paint brand is America Tradition by Valspar; Plastic Enamel (interior/exterior). This spray can can be found at Lowe's that is if you have Lowe's in your area. Any other hardwarestore might have it.

I hope this helps!


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